Me at Caffe Reggio
During the height of the Pandemic
Greenwich Village, New York
I finished my book POSITANO The AMALFI COAST
Travel Guide - Cookbook here, in February 2021
Doing a little writing today, and thought I would write about it. My normal everyday process. Well first off, it is my day off, and I am enjoying it. Just to have the time off to relax and do whatever I want, or need to do, and not have to go into work and work. That is my regular 9 to 5, and not my writing. Yes, like most writers, I do have a 9 - 5, so to speak. That is the bulk of my income comes from my regular job, and not from my writing, although I do make a decent little chunk of change from my book sales, it is not enough to fully support me. Not yet anyway.
And so I am here today at my coffee spot, and where I write, or work on promoting my books through a few blogs and websites I have as well as a bit of social media, mostly on Instagram, posting stuff, some just related to me and things I like, as well as promoting my books, and yes I guess me.
My main coffee spot these days and for the past 7 years since Caffe Dante closed, is at the Marlton Hotel in Greenwich Village, a great little spot, it is nice and comfy, quiet, and relaxing, and I love it. All the people working here are very friendly and take great care of me, which I really appreciate, and again, I love coming here for my daily coffee, and to relax, and that is exactly what I am doing right this very minute, sipping my coffee, writing, relaxing, and savoring just that, sipping coffee, writing, and enjoying the day off. The day off from the 9 to 5, not writing, and promoting, and so here I am.
I started coming to The Marlton Hotel when it first opened, I think it was about 2012. My main place for my daily coffee ( Cappuccino ) was Caffe Dante on Macdougal Street in Greenwich Village. I had my morning and afternoon, and sometimes nighttime coffee, everyday at Caffe Dante for exactly 30 years. I first started going there in the Summer of 1985, after I got back from my first trip to Italy, and many new Italian, and Worldly discoveries, being in Europe for an entire month. It was an eye opening trip that taught me many things. I will never forget it and all the wonderful times in : Rome, Florence with my high-school friend JoAnne, meeting up with friends in Barcelona, a romantic fling in The South of France (Nice & Monaco), on to the most Serene Republic of Venice, Italy, then down to Positano and The Amalfi Coast before heading back up to Rome for a couple more days before flying home to New York. Yes, again, it was a most wonderful trip.
So I had my daily coffee at CafFe Dante for exactly 30 years from 1985 until my pal Mario Flotta sold the place and it closed down in 2015, a most sad day for me. Dante was my second home, and I was friends with the owner Mario, and all the girls (waitresses) who worked there.
As I said, I started going to The Marlton ever since they opened their doors. It is a cool boutique hotel owned by Shawn McPherson who has great style and runs wonderful establishments in both New York and Los Angeles, and is also a partner at The Maritime Hotel with my old pal Eric Goode, who was a top night club impresario in 1980s NYC, with such clubs as AREA and MK. After being very successful with nightclubs in the 80s and 90s, Eric got into the hotel business in the New Millennium, and is a partner as I said at The Maritime, and now, also at The Bowery Hotel in the East Village of New York. Anyway, I am at the Marlton, but Eric is not a partner here. Anyway?
Yes, I come here everyday and I love it. Some days I write, and some days I work on my websites, blogs, and other promotional avenues. I am always doing some kind of work with these things, and because of my diligence over the years, one of my Instagram accounts has taken off, and as a result my book sales have skyrocketed by 300% as of late, and I am super excited by that. And as I write, Mina just came on over the sound system. "I love it. No Rap Hip Hop Crap at The Marlton. Just great music, they play here, and that is something that I am very grateful for, and it helps one relax, as that is a main incentive of coming here. Relaxing.
I come, and Sangee, Jack, or Fun get me my coffee. I open up my Amazon KDP Dashboard and see how many books I have sold, that is usually the first thing on my agenda. I check Facebook and Instagram, and then I either do some writing, either on the current book I am working on, to write a little article or blog post, and also so promo work, and that is what I do. Most times, before I get to The Marlton, I don't really have a game plan ahead of time, and I just do as I have just described. Although there are times that I do have a game plan ahead of time, and that is usually when I have been going on a writing tear on my current book, or the book is almost done, and I am either doing some editing, or formatting of the book, for the proper format of the manuscript to be sent in to the publisher, and that is what I do. And of course, most of the times I do not go crazy, and I am not in a rush, but taking it easy, and taking it as it comes, day by day, as far as my writing and promo work goes, that is the way I do it.
Daniel Bellino Zwicke
March 6, 2023 NYC
