B. Justin Shier's Blog, page 9

80%. That's the market share Mike Shatzkin, a well-known consultant in the book publishing industry, is predicting ebooks might garner in two years:

Here's an assumption that is not documentable; it is my own speculation. I think we're going to see a US market that is 80% digital for narrative text reading in the pretty near future: could be as soon as two years from now but almost certainly within five. We have talked about the cycle that leads to that on this blog before: more digital...

Whether it be on KindleBoards or in the mass media, there have been a whole lot of discussions about the Big Six of publishing. During these discussions, the 'they' and 'them' are used often. This is because most people don't know much about who and what the Big Six actually are. I was forced to figure all this out when I considered traditional publishing as an option. I hope to use this post to share what I've found.

The Big Six are the six largest publishing houses in the book industry. They...

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it.
Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011
I will never forget that Christmas day when I got my first personal computer. It was an Apple IIGS. My dad and I loaded up Paintworks and drew our impression of the Christmas tree. Twenty or so years later I sat down in front of another Apple, loaded up a new program called Scrivener, and started to write my ...

I was honored to have Zero Sight reviewed by Leonardo Antezana of J de Juegos, a Spanish language site dedicated to all things awesome (read: video games). He writes a special op-ed column on the books he reads.

Spanish Version
English Version
Every author wants to believe his babies are perfect, but I think Mr. Antezana does a good job of pointing out both the strengths and weaknesses of the story. Mr. Antezana also provided me with some great pointers via Email which I am most grateful for. I ...

Wow. I'm gonna enjoy this while it lasts:


I never expected to trip and fall into such rarefied air. Heck, Zero Sight is now in the Top 20 of ALL fantasy. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one. I also want to again thank everyone who took the time to review the book and/or send me an Email with feedback. It's my first go at this novel thing. There were quite a few things I was tone-deaf to and didn't realize. Thanks for lending me your eyes, ears, and minds. I really do appreciate it...

Zero Sum is off to the editor!


Four drafts, 46 angry letters, and 3 third-year medical school rotations later—and the sequel to Zero Sight is finally off to the cutting room floor. Sorry for the delays, peeps. I was learning how to suture.

Key Details:
It's 167,000 words pre-edits
It continues from where Zero Sight left off
It's bloodier (thank you, surgery)
It's brainier (thank you, neuro)

One of my favorite dystopian fantasies is now availible on Amazon for only $0.99. Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane features a bizarre world where the dead have become a threat to the living. No, we're not talking zombies. We're talking ghosts—and nasty one's at that. They had nearly murdered all the living before the Church of Real Truth stepped in. Now it's up to Chess, witch and Church debunker,

"I can find more great stories in 10 minutes browsing on Amazon than I can in a week of shuffling the aisles at B&N, Borders, or whatever." - Bart, in discussion thread for last week's post

I headed over to my favorite B&N last week. I went upstairs to find that their fiction floorspace had been reduced by 50%. The recovered space is now occupied by children's toys. Now I love children's

I'd like to thank Scott over at the Indie Book Blog for allowing me to write about the challenges faced by authors trying to write novels that don't quite fit in either the "Young Adult" or "Adult" fiction stacks. Scott has taken on the tough task of culling through the many Fantasy and SciFi indie titles out there and reviewing them for other readers. You'll find a number of hidden jewels in

Sorry for not posting or responding to my Email as of late. I'm in the middle of a neurosurgery rotation right now, and my free time is limited to dreaming about neurosurgery. I hope to have a bit more free time this weekend, but I did want to answer a few questions that keep cropping up:

1) Smashwords: Yes, I'd love to publish Zero Sight there. I just can't get the thing uploaded without