Writers for the Red Cross

I hope you'll forgive the off-topic nature of this post, but considering the terrible events in Japan over the last week, I think you will.

During January's ScienceOnline conference, I had the pleasure of meeting Holly Tucker (@history_geek), a professor at Vanderbilt University and author of the new book Blood Work. She is also involved with the Red Cross, and is one of the organizers of the current Writers for the Red Cross fundraiser. This is where I come in.

At ScienceOnline, Holly was hoping to bump into a graphic designer. Just in case you didn't know, that's my day job. As we discussed a freelance job she was needing, we also talked about Writers For the Red Cross, and she invited me to participate. I've been designing book covers in the self-publishing industry for the better part of three years now, and as the fundraiser is "publishing-related items and services donated by authors, publicists, agents, and editors," it seemed like a perfect fit.

If you're a writer about to self-publish, or anyone else who might be in the market for a book cover, I invite you to bid on my services. It's really easy! Just head to my item's page and make a bid in the comments. If you'd like proof that I can actually do what I say I can, skip over to my portfolio (which will be growing this week, incidentally). I would love to see the bidding go sky-high, not for my ego, but for the fact that the importance of supporting the efforts of the Red Cross has been emphasized by recent tragedies in Japan, New Zealand, Haiti, and Chile (to name but a few). We live a precarious existence on this glorious, dangerous, living planet of ours, and damn it, to strive for anything less than a global sense of community and teamwork is to squander nature's great gift of intelligence. So even if my services aren't something you need, toss some currency the Red Cross's way.

Thanks for putting up with this special break from normal programming. Vintage Dinosaur Art will return next week!