Showing posts with label Edna's Employment Agency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edna's Employment Agency. Show all posts

Monday, April 28, 2025

Autographed Edna's Employment Agency Books Available!

  

I have autographed copies of Edna's Employment Agency available now.  They are each $15 domestic postpaid (USA) or $20 international postpaid (anywhere else).  If you want a dedication or anything then please just put it in the notes field and I will try to oblige (no guarantees).  Of course, the PDF and EPUB versions are available for $5 still, and the novel is available at most ebook retailers as well as in printed form from Amazon should you not want an autographed copy (of course, I can provide that as well, just write in the notes field that you don't want your copy autographed--that would be weird but OK).  

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Edna's Employment Agency Audiobook!

 

Google introduced a new feature where their A.I.s can create an audiobook.  I decided to experiment with it by having them take a run at Edna's Employment Agency.  I thought it came out pretty well.  It sounds better than the robotic-sounding traditional text to speech apps that can turn ebooks into audiobooks--their availability is why I never pursued a complete audiobook version of one of the novels before--, but it still doesn't grasp all the nuances the way a human reader would.  Google had a variety of voices available, but I went with Mia.  Some of the other voices were more amusing, but I thought they would be grating on a listener over the course of a novel, so I went with the more neutral, pleasant-sounding voice.  The link to the audiobook is here:  https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details?id=AQAAAED8DSZNyM.  You can even listen to a sample of Mia reading the hype copy text there.  I'm not planning on doing another novel this way because for those who need or prefer an audiobook, generally, the text to speech apps will do you just fine, but if you like the Google Play audiobook A.I. style, then please let me know, and I can do another novel for you that way.  And, if you want a real reader, and you buy a book, then I am not averse to recording a whole dang novel for you.  Releasing an audiobook would be new territory for me, but I'm sure I could figure it out as it's probably easier that recording music.  Just get in touch (and if you can't figure out how, then you're probably a bot yourself).

And speaking of audio, here's some bonus Yeast?!:

Friday, March 25, 2022

Edna's Employment Agency TV Pilot!

 

Don't get too excited.  The tv pilot actually predates the Edna's Employment Agency novel, as I originally wrote the story as a teleplay.  I just stumbled across it again while working on a movie screenplay.  The teleplay was still pretty funny, which I was happy about.  It's basically the first chapter of the novel.  I could easily write a teleplay from the other chapters (there are 14 in total in the novel).  Since streaming services are going crazy gobbling up content, I figured I'd note again that a pilot script already exists if anyone's interested.  If any production company wants to take a look, then please email me at wredfright AT AT AT yahoo DOTTTTTTTT com, and I'll be happy to send it along.  In fact, I think all my novels could be adapted for series, except for Frequently Asked Questions About Being Dead, which would be better suited to a feature film (one could certainly adapt the whole Question Dudes concept to a series though, but the story of the novel would work best compactly).  The other novels lend themselves better to episodic telling and could be series.  Some could go on further.  I don't plan on ever doing a sequel for anything, but, for example, I could see The Pornographic Flabbergasted Emus having several more stories in them.  One could have Antigone join George and Theodorable in a new band immediately after the novel ends, then have solo adventures of the five main band members (including Antigone) over several decades, capping off as a reunion when the fellows are in their 60s.  Blog Love Omega Glee is probably long enough that just telling the story in the novel would take a series.  Fast Guy Slows Down would be fun to see as a comic book/graphic novel since it is a superhero story of sorts anyway.  Just like I enjoy hearing cover versions of my songs, I would enjoy seeing adaptations of the novels in other media.  

I also enjoy cashing checks, so feel free to get in touch if that's your line of work and you need good material.

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Alternative Incite Reviews Edna's Employment Agency!

  

My old ULA comrade Joe Smith is doing a new zine called Alternative Incite.  He's up to #2, and I have enjoyed both issues so far.  In #2, he reviews my latest novel, Edna's Employment Agency.  Given that reviews for independently-published novels are hard to find these days--hey, even reviews for mainstream corporate literature are somewhat hard to find these days, so you can imagine what trying to get a DIY novel reviews is like--that is greatly appreciated.  I would have been happy even with a bad review (hey, at least someone read it!), but fortunately Joe liked it.  He wrote:

"Do you know what the world needs?  More people like Wred Fright.  Talk about someone who follows the creative impulse, I think Wred has given his free reign over his life.  Wred is the author of four novels--Blog Love Omega Glee, Frequently Asked Questions [A]bout Being Dead, The Pornographic Flabbergasted Emus, and Edna's Employment Agency.  He also has a blog, which he posts to on a regular basis, and he always seems to have other writing or zine-related irons in the fire (see the listing for The Slush Pile below to see what I mean).  In short, Wred is a DIY-publishing dynamo who deserves some of your time and attention.

Should you decide to do that, I recommend you start with Edna's Employment Agency.  I was told (and not necessarily by Wred) that the book is "laugh-out-loud funny" and, because I'm a bitter, cynical fuck, I didn't believe it.  I should never have doubted him.  Wred had me laughing out loud by page 3.

I must confess, I haven't gotten all the way through the book, so I can't give it a thorough review at this time.  (Sorry, Wred).  To that end, I'll borrow the following text from the book's introduction to give you some idea of what you're in for:  'If you like television shows such as The Office and Parks And Recreation, then you likely will enjoy this novel of workplace humor.'

For the record, I did not like those shows (or I didn't watch them), but that didn't stop me from enjoying the pages I did read.  Regardless of your thoughts on The Office and Parks [A]nd Recreation, I think you'll like it too, assuming you like to laugh and you don't mind some foul-mouthed dialog.  Check this book out.  You'll be glad you did."

Thanks, Joe!  

In addition to possessing good taste in novels, ahem!, Alternative Incite also hipped me to some other good stuff in the reviews.  I already ordered a zine that sounded interesting, one which I hadn't heard about before.  It's good to see that there are zines still out there worth reading, and Alternative Incite is one of them!

Sunday, August 16, 2020

The Print Version Of Edna's Employment Agency

I finally got a copy of the print version of Edna's Employment AgencyAmazon did a nice job!  The novel was designed as an ebook, so the print version is a bit of an afterthought (nothing against print, which I like just fine).  It looks great though!  They basically print the pdf version of the book with a few formatting modifications.  The oddest one is that they take pages of the pdf that aren't full pages and center them instead of keeping them at the top of the page.  That's a bit strange, but I found it didn't bother me once I started reading.  And I enjoyed reading the book as well.  In fact, it made me laugh out loud numerous times.  It was pleasant to read it as a reader and not as a writer revising it or whatnot.  It's a very funny book.  It's definitely the best book I've read this year (though of course, I haven't read all the other hundred thousand books that have come out, and I might be a bit biased having written the thing as well).  But I write the kind of books that I want to read.  I like to laugh and I like thoughtprovoking works, and this novel fits those descriptions.  I am very happy with it.  It is nice to have a print version this handsome as well rather than just a printout of the pdf paperclipped together.  It's mainly there though for those who prefer to read in print (and they are of course welcome to just print out the pdf if that's cheaper/easier).  It is nice to have it available, however.  

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Unemployment Tips From Edna's Employment Agency

 
So as the COVID-19 panic rolls on (Panic?  Yes, read this, now whether it is wise to be panicked is another question), more people may become unemployed.  Some people have suggested we might see figures as high as 20%, which would be a crazy state of affairs if it happened.  That would be approaching levels not seen since The Great Depression (it could be worse though, at one point then, 80% of Toledo, Ohio USA was out of work).  If these doomsayers are right, then you've never seen competition for employment like this, not even during The Great Recession a decade back.  So, with a bunch of people looking for jobs, how can you stand out as a candidate?
 
Read Edna's Employment Agency.

I'm not kidding.  In addition to the laughs you'll get, which will ease some of your frustrations during this time as you search for your next gig, you'll also find a number of tips for your job search.  I saw a lot of dumb stuff when I was a recruiter, and I've seen even dumber stuff as a candidate.  Some of this you can avoid (for example, doublecheck what you actually upload to an online job application) while some you cannot (idiotic human resources people).  But, either way, you will be a bit more prepared for it if you can learn from other people, er, fictional characters anyway.

Good luck in your job search!

Especially in these circumstances!

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Thank You To Steven B. Smith!

Steven B. Smith just posted his review of Edna's Employment Agency on his cool website, Walking On Thin Ice.  Thanks again for the kind words!

Friday, March 6, 2020

Edna's Employment Agency Excerpt!

Edna's Employment Agenc... by Wred Fright on Scribd

I posted an excerpt of Edna's Employment Agency on Scribd. You can also read the whole novel on there, thanks to SmashWords. If you do, please post a review. Google and Amazon also have previews/excerpts. If you like what you read, please read the rest. You can buy the book here: https://www.wredfright.com/p/ednas-employment-agency.html

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Edna's Employment Agency Is Now On Smashwords!

Edna's Employment Agency is now available on Smashwords! I like Smashwords because they get the book distributed to Apple, Barnes & Noble, and other ebook retail outlets. So now the book should be shortly available everywhere online. Of course, the best place to buy it is directly from me, but some people prefer to purchases ebooks directly through their Kindles or Nooks or whatnot, so I have them covered. If you buy it and read it and like it, please spread the word by posting a review or just by hipping friends to the book. Being an independent writer, I don't have the marketing budget to run a bunch of ads or buy shelf space at the local superbookstore. Instead, I have you: the reader who is looking for a good time and something a little different. I hope you like the latest! Please let me know if you do! If you don't, then I hope that you find something you do like!

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Edna's Employment Agency Now Available On Kindle & On Amazon As A Printed Book!

Edna's Employment Agency is now available for Kindle on Amazon.  I did not have to make many changes for the Kindle edition, which is nice.  It seems to look all right, but, unfortunately, it's cumbersome to test the Kindle version as I do with the EPUB one.  If you do run into any issues, then please let me know, and I will see if I can help out.  One nice thing about the Kindle edition is that Amazon makes it very easy to also create a print on demand edition for people who prefer printed books.  Their print on demand books look pretty good, and though it is not the printed edition I would create if I were doing a print book, it is nice to have the book available in print for those who prefer them.  You can find the printed book here.  You can see the back cover of the print edition above.  Amazon provides a generous excerpt of the book, so anyone who wants to check it out before purchasing can certainly get a good idea of what the book is like.  Of course, the book is also available through Google Books and myself as well. 

Monday, March 2, 2020

Edna's Employment Agency On Google Books!


Edna's Employment Agency is now available on Google Books! I had to change some minor formatting (the hatred for underlining codes always baffles me, so this edition uses italics instead); please let me know of any issues. Google should offer you a choice between PDF and EPUB formats. If not, and you want what they don't have, then those formats are available directly from me. They also offer a very large preview of the book, so you can try before buying. Please spread the word if you like it; maybe others will as well!

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Steven B. Smith On Edna's Employment Agency


I shared prepublication drafts of Edna's Employment Agency with a few fellow writers.  One of them was the great Cleveland, Ohio USA poet Steven B. Smith (if you need proof of his legendary status, just walk into Mac's Backs Books where his portrait is next to that of Harvey Pekar's).  I liked his book Stations Of The Lost & Found, so he was kind enough to take a look at Edna's.  Here is what he had to say:

"I stopped by Edna's Employment Agency.

Meeting their misfit employees and questionable clientele, I wondered how they all survived, what with the staff spending more time getting through their damaged lives than finding jobs for others, while the job seekers drag out the process as long as possible to collect unemployment - all this drenched in TV sit-comish humor (a lot of it rude and crude).

Wasn't sure I wanted to spend time with these folk, but kept reading, and I'm glad because beneath this chaos lies a sweetness... by the time I was done, they were my misfits, whom I actually cared about.

At first the employees seem inept, shallow, selfish (and they are), but page by page their humanity surfaces, revealing an office family sort of looking after each other and their clients. Their often surreal and slapstick office adventures are interspersed with outside slices of the customers' lives, so the job seekers slowly become someone to care about as well, rather than something to gawk at like cultural roadkill.

This comedic novel captures the acerbic humor that dominates most places I've been employed, as well as the tenuous friendships developed with co-workers you may not even like.

One blurb likens Edna's Employment Agency to "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation" (which I've not seen, but feels right from what I've read).

The book is short, humane, gentle, absurd, and should put a smile on your face. By the end you might even like Edna."

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Edna's Employment Agency Is Out!

Order Wred's New Novel Here!:
Format

They say that the only thing worse than having a job is not having a job, but they're wrong.

There is something worse than not having a job.

It is being so desperate in looking for work that you show up at Edna's Employment Agency where her team of charlatans, ne'er-do-wells, and screwups probably won't find you a job, but they will find you some laughs as they loudly discuss their sex lives, fake drug tests, break into the office, burn down the office, dig donuts out of the trash, get punched in the face, make fun of resumes, drag coworkers into the restroom, hide under desks, get drunk, look for better jobs themselves, treat cancer as a bad excuse for missing work, plot their way through office politics using bagels, take smoke breaks during their smoke breaks, watch training videos from the 1980s, use copious amounts of profanity to prepare for meetings, engage in slapstick to express their status, war against the I.T. department, fume that people who don't even know how to spell make more money than they do, and, sometimes--just sometimes--, actually work.

And that's just the staff of the staffing firm. Then there are the temps . . .

You'll meet them all in Edna's Employment Agency, the book you shouldn't bring to a job interview because you're dressed nicely, so you don't want to piss yourself laughing.

Unless, you know, it's that kind of job . . .

If you like television shows such as The Office and Parks And Recreation, then you likely will enjoy this novel of workplace humor.

Edna's Employment Agency is the fourth novel by Wred Fright. The other three are The Pornographic Flabbergasted Emus, Blog Love Omega Glee, and Frequently Asked Questions About Being Dead. More info about the author and his books can be found at Wredfright.Com.

Praise for Fright and his works from fellow writers, literary critics, and scruffy publications:

"Wred Fright does it again. His almost-all-dialogue treatise on employment agencies comes fast and furious, or maybe furiously fast. Either way, it sets into motion manic episodes of grand proportions, a whirlwind of oftentimes zany characters who Fright gives gravitas to by intermingling snippets of their lives that read like some stream-of-consciousness-infused Winesburg, Ohio, and a tale that stomps the fringes of absurdity like a cowpoke riding a mad bull.

The kooky cast of Edna’s Employment Agency will almost make you wish you were out of a job just so you could have them find one for you." - Mark Justice, author of Gauge Black: Hell's Revenge

"[A]n innovative writer of fun new pop lit--a pioneer in the fight to revive American literature" - American Pop Lit

"[I]nfinitely preferable to the eye-glazing 'literary fiction' shoveled out by the bigger publishers" - Daniel Green

"I can't wait to read the next one!" - Eddie Willson

"Wred Fright is one of the best pseudo-fiction (maybe even just fiction) writers that I’ve ever had the luck to stumble upon" - James McQuiston

"This book is a trip, well worth checking out." - Razorcake

"I found myself laughing out loud a number of times, and that's a rare occurrence" - Zine World

Order Wred's New Novel Here!:
Format

Monday, February 24, 2020

Mark Justice On Edna's Employment Agency

My pal Mark Justice, an author himself, was kind enough to read a prerelease version of my new novel, Edna's Employment Agency, and, fortunately, liked it enough to say this about it: 

 "Wred Fright does it again. His almost-all-dialogue treatise on employment agencies comes fast and furious, or maybe furiously fast. Either way, it sets into motion manic episodes of grand proportions, a whirlwind of oftentimes zany characters who Fright gives gravitas to by intermingling snippets of their lives that read like some stream-of-consciousness-infused Winesburg, Ohio, and a tale that stomps the fringes of absurdity like a cowpoke riding a mad bull.

The kooky cast of Edna’s Employment Agency will almost make you wish you were out of a job just so you could have them find one for you."

Mark is the author of Gauge Black: Hell's Revenge and 'Twas The Week Before Christmas, both excellent reads!

Edna's will be out soon on the website!  Thanks for the kind words, Mark!  I like Sherwood Anderson's work, so I especially dig the Winesburg, Ohio mention!

While you are waiting for Edna's, catch up on my previous novel, Frequently Asked Questions About Being Dead!

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Join The Wred Fright Email List!

If you are not on my email list already (you can find it here:  https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wredfright/info), then please feel free to join.  It's free, and, usually, seldom used, so those of you who get too many emails won't have to worry about getting many more if you join.  It might be a bit more lively this year since I have a new novel coming out.  In fact, the people on the list will be the first ones who can buy the novel as I slowly roll it out.  Eventually, it will be on the usual suspects such as Amazon, Smashwords, Google Books, and so on, but its first stop is the email list, followed shortly by this blog.  So, if you want to read Edna's Employment Agency before almost anyone else, then join the list.  In the meantime, here's the cover.
And, if you haven't read my last novel, it is available here.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

"Edna's Employment Agency Theme"

I wrote a theme song for my forthcoming novel.   This is it.  The novel should be out next year, if not earlier.  It's a comedy about a staffing firm.