Dragons & Jetpacks discussion
BotM Discussion - FANTASY
>
Ask the Author - MICHAEL J. SULLIVAN
Wow! Super exciting! First, I'd like to say I'm very new to your writing, but instantly smitten!
I saw in the interview section after Theft of Swords, that you previously tried many novels in various styles, gave up, and then years later you sat down and out flowed Riyria--much simpler and lighter than anything you tried before, with an emphasis on fun (something I greatly appreciate!). Will your upcoming First Empire series be in this same style, or is it a more "serious" take on epic fantasy?
Also, any plans on releasing, or retooling, any of those previous novels you had written, now that you have a "name" backing them?
Thanks so much for Royce and Hadrian!! Very refreshing in a genre now seemingly divided between Grimdark and YA!
Mod
Mod
@Rinn - thanks for having me...and thanks to the group for picking my book.
@Andrew asked, "Will your upcoming First Empire series be in this same style, or is it a more "serious" take on epic fantasy?"Funny thing...when I started The First Empire, I was trying to go with a different style. I wouldn't say more "serious" - but more akin to some of the other fantasy I'd been reading lately. Usually I don't let my wife read any of a book until it is all done, but for some reason I gave her chapter one of that one. She was...well let's just say she was "less than pleased." "This doesn't sound anything like you," she said. I responded with "I'm trying to write better...you know like the real authors do." She insisted that she wanted to read a "Michael J. Sullivan" book so I went back and re-tooled. When I gave her the new version she signed with relief. I honestly think for a minute that I forgot how to write.
That said, it's not a repeat of Riyria...which does benefit a great deal from two (or four depending on you count) very interesting and capable main characters. My challenge was to come up with a whole new cast of characters that will be just as interesting, and I think I've done that. The really interesting thing about this new series (which may backfire), is that the people you think are the 'main characters" after the first book really aren't. In a lot of ways it's kinda a group of misfit toys in that there are ordinary people doing extra ordinary things that end up changing history. I'm really happy with how it came out and can't wait for people to read it.
Andrew asked: "Also, any plans on releasing, or retooling, any of those previous novels you had written, now that you have a "name" backing them?Yes, and no. Some of them were never meant for publication. They were just me learning how to write. So I'd say the first 8 - 9 really have no value to retool. I got out of them what I was looking for.
Book #12 - I did plan on retooling and releasing. I tore it down to the studs, built it up again. I put a lot into it. Even took trips to New York and Death Valley (two of the places that are featured prominetnly in the books). When I got done, Robin (my wife) deemed it "fine." Which isn't good enough for me. I showed it to a few authors whose opinion I trust and they deemed it, "good but not great." I spent a lot of time thinking about what was wrong with it and I finally figured out how to fix it. The thought of writing the same book for the the THIRD time given how many other ideas I have just seemed a less than productive use of my time so it's permanently on hold. If I ever run out of ideas (which isn't likely) I might write it again, but I kinda doubt it.
Book #13 is something I'm really proud of. And to do this day I think it is some of my most impressive righting (from a strictly prose standpoint). Unfortunately I don't think I'll ever release it. The problem is it's also an "anti-sullivan" book. What do I mean by that.
1. It's literary fiction rather than popular fiction.
2. It's more about the prose than the story - having a very simple plot
3. The main character is purposefully "not likable."
So, it would have little appeal to the set of readers who like my witty, fast-paced likable character work. And I think they might actually be disappointed to the point of turning them off my work as a whole.
The logical thing would be to release that under a pen name. But there is a lot of work "building a brand" and considering I don't have an itch to write more in that style, it would be a "one off" and the amount of trouble it would take to promote it just wouldn't pay off because there would be no more books from that "person" for them to read. Besides, pen names always get exposed - and when they do, people try books from the other "person" and then there would be that whole disappointment thing again. Lastly, I'm a really upfront and honest person and trying to manufacture a separate identity would be really foreign and I just wouldn't be comfortable with it.
So that's a long way of saying. The works did what they were supposed to at the time, but it's harder (and more problematic) to work with them then something new...especially because I have more of those "something new" books than I'll likely have to time to write before my days are over.
Andrew wrote: "Thanks so much for Royce and Hadrian!! Very refreshing in a genre now seemingly divided between Grimdark and YA! "Thanks! I'm just writing the books I want to read, and happy that others have similar tastes. Riyria is a bit unique in that it's written for adults, but the lack of sex, graphic violence, and explicit language makes it readable by people of all ages. I get a lot of emails from parents who turned on their children to the books and the other way around. I even have some three generation readers where the grandparent, parent and child are all reading the books. That's really satisfying to hear.
Paul wrote: "Thank you for giving us some of your time Michael. I'm quite curious about your approach to publishing. You've adapted easily book to book to different publishing models, main stream , indy and self publishing. I even had the fun of backing you in a kickstarter. Do you have a preference or are you happy to decide book to book what will suit that release. "Hey Paul, it's great to be here. Thanks for having me. I guess you can describe my approach to publishing as "Doing whatever it takes to get the books out there." My wife, Robin, who handles a lot of the business side of things is one of these people who will climb over, dig under, or go around any obstacle that is before her. If you look up "tenacious" or "capable" in the dictionary, you'll see her smiling face.
Publishing today is an industry in flux, and the key to success is agility. I'm fortunate in that I have the ability to do either. For most authors they are tied to one path or the other. For instance, some can't get a traditional contract (which, by the way doesn't necessarily mean they aren't talented). It could be that they are writing something too "niche" or something the publishing company doesn't feel will sell so that path becomes closed to them (unless they want to write something that does fit the mold of what the publishers want to release). Others, try the self-publishing route (because they think it will be easy), and discover it is anything but. What they don't realize is you have to put out a book with every bit of quality that a New York house would. It has to stand to stand toe-to-toe, or it's not worth putting out. And THAT is very difficult indeed. Much harder than traditional publishing in fact.
So, which do I prefer (since I can do both) and how do I decide? The answer is "it depends." Each has its own pluses and minuses. Let's start with control. I really hate having no say in matters such as price, cover design, title, or special programs. For instance, I feel that if people buy a print copy of my book, they shouldn't have to re-buy it in ebook. For books I release myself (currently just Hollow World and The Death of Dulgath), I can enroll them in Amazon's MatchBook - where a purchase of the print gives them a free ebook. I've asked Orbit to enroll my books in these programs an they won't. I've also asked them release the books in mass market paperback (which would also trigger a decreased price in the ebook, but again they won't. And I've always been disappointed in the "characters" they put on the covers.
So this lack of control makes me a bit nuts. But, it also has advantages. I receive much more "credibility" being published by two of the biggest publishers in the world (Machete Book Group for the Riyria novels and Penguin Random House for the First Empire books). There also is a whole team of people doing stuff for me, and since they are professionals, I can pretty much just sit back and trust that they know what they are doing. Yes, we might disagree on cover design, pricing choices, or titles of the book. But while I may not agree with all the choice, they have good reasons for their decisions so it's not that they are "wrong" but more they have different opinions than mine.
So, how do I chose the path for a book? These days every book I write I assume is going to be self-published, because I can guarantee it will be produced when and how I want. But that said, I'm willing to listen to any offers the traditional houses make and might change my mind for that. Let's look at some recent examples.
First two books of Riyria Chronicles. Because they were prequels (and prequels don't generally sell well). My publisher made, what I considered to be, a low-ball offer. Especially given how well the Riyria Revelations had and were selling. To be honest, I was insulted. The money didn't bother me nearly as much as the signal that it represented, which to me meant "I don't respect you and what you bring to our organization." So I turned it down. My agent went back and told them how I felt and they came back with a much better offer (and actually higher than I would have originally accepted). Which said to me, "We are sorry...it was a boneheaded move - we do value you." So, I signed it. And the Rose and the Thorn and The Crown Tower was released by them.
My next book, Hollow World...my editor loved it, but being "classic science fiction" she couldn't get the finance department to buy-in. They were only interested in publishing space opera and this wasn't that. So they had to pass on it. We hoped it around and another publisher came in with what I would term a "solid" offer but when I ran the numbers, I thought I could do better through self-publishing. So I went that route...the only problem, bookstore shelf space. So Robin did something really interesting, she went to a small but respected publisher (Tachyon Publishing) and got a print-only deal with them. The advance was really small, but I didn't care about the upfront money, I wanted their distribution, and sure enough Hollow World books were in the stores. in the first three months of it's release I earned about double (off of the ebook sales) the advance that had been offered, so for that book it was the right way to go.
For my next project, The First Empire. I had two"career goals" for this book. The first was to move from paperback to hardcover. The other was to retain the audio rights (I lose 50% to the publisher when they keep them). I had a meeting with Orbit and told them and explained these as non-negotiable and they couldn't agree. They would be doing trade paperback like the Riyria books. And as I tried, but failed, to keep audio rights for the books, that was probably a factor as well. So I said no. My agent sent it around to the other publishers - and we got a few offers...all of which were willing to meet my requirements. Del Rey's offer was, VERY generous and excited. The money, was nice, but, again, it was what it represented which was, "We respect your work" that made it a no-brainer to sign that series with them.
After accepting, a snag arrived that nearly killed the deal. Although I had been clear to my agent about the need to self-publish and traditionally publish at the same time, there was confusion about WHAT kind of books can be released simultaneously. Somehow wires were crossed and what I understood that to mean and what Del Rey understood that mean were two VERY different things. I was pretty sure we'd have to cancel the job, but then my wife, my editor, and my agent did some really crazy stuff that would make some concessions I could live with. This is already a long post so I won't detail it here, but if people are interested, ask it as a separate question and I'll explain fully. But one of the provisions was that if I wanted to have a Royce and Hadrian book before their first release (Age of Myth in June). It HAD to come out before the end of 2015. Seeing as how I hadn't even started writing it at the time the deal was being brokered that meant that book HAD to go the self-published route, or not come out at all. No publisher could take a book that was finished in July and release it before December. Heck, I'm really fast with such things and we are going to just barely make that deadline. The ebook came out mid October, the hardcover will hit early December and the audio mid December. Again, this post is too long to go into all the details about what had to happen between July and October, but if people are interested, just ask it as a separate question.
Wow, this is a a really long post. Probably the longest I've ever written on goodreads. It may be more than you wanted to know. But I tend to want to be complete in my answers.
Lancer wrote: "It is rare for me to read an entire series back to back but that's exactly what I did with Riyria Revelations/Chronicles. "Hey Lancer...I love it when people get hooked and consume the books back to back. Since you have finished HEIR OF NOVORN I wanted to mention that I have a little afterword (a behind the scenes kinda thing) that you might like. Just send me a direct message with your email address and I'll send it out (or email me at michael(dot)sullivan(dot)dc(at)gmail(dot)com - with a subject of Riyria afterword and I'll send it over. It's riddled with spoilers, so I don't send it out until people are done with HON.
Lancer said, "Another series like this is the Tales of the Ketty Jay by Chris Wooding."
I'm not sure if it was you, but someone recently brought this series to my attention...and I immediately downloaded it and moved it up on my TBR pile. Definitely looking forward to it. I write the books that I do because I have problems finding similar ones out there. So the prospect has me nearly giddy with excitement.
Lancer said, "Just wanted to say I hold your writing and style in a very high esteem and am looking forward to what comes next."
Thanks! It's funny, but I still think of myself as "the new kid" and wouldn't dare to take a seat at the "big kid's table." Not sure I ever want that feeling to go away, because if it does I might lose my drive to "try harder."
A lot of stuff is coming. I do something really weird in that I write an entire series before publishing the first book. This allows me to go back and make adjustments to earlier books when a great idea occurs to me late in the series. The way in which Revelations wrapped up was, in my opinion, extremely satisfying...but part of that was because when I finally found "my perfect ending" I was able to go back to previous books and lay the foundation, and weave some threads so it would fit perfectly. To be honest, I don't know how other authors write series without this ability to change early books, but I totally understand what a crazy approach it is and why they can't give themselves the same luxury.
So, regarding "what's next," it's a series called The First Empire. This book is based in Elan, but 3,000 years before the time of Royce and Hadrian. I wouldn't really call it a prequel because the civilizations, technology, and people involved are all much different than Riyria. It's more like what Sanderson has done with Cosmere where he has the Mistborn, Alloy of Law, and Way of Kings books in the same universe but with much different settings. For new readers it should be the start of a great epic fantasy...for existing readers, they'll get an even better experience because they have their perceptions twisted. You see, the history you've learned about in Riyria isn't "exactly true." Basically what I'm doing is exploring the difference between myth and reality and showing how history is written by the victors. I really like the idea of monumental events being due to the deeds of ordinary people. I want to show how their "story" has been lost to time as those in power anoint and build the heroes. It might sound depressing because they don't get credit, but it's actually very uplifting, because even the most unlikely of people can make a real difference. I'm very excited about it.
All five of these books are already written. It started out as a trilogy, then grew to four and ended with five. Again, another good reason for writing them all first. Now, thats not to say they are "done." And I'll still be working on these books until about April or May. Book #1 (Age of Myths) is just about finished, my editor has signed off on the changes she requested, and it's in copy editing. I'm working on a second pass draft of book #2 to get it ready for Robin. She's already read it once, gave me a bunch of feedback and once she reads the revised version (things are added now that the series is finished), she'll have more. Then the book will go off to my editor, agent, and beta readers. While they are working on book #2 I'll be finishing up my second pass on #3 - #5. So starting in April or May I get to start on something new - already noodling through plot points for it. Fun times!
Mod
Thank you for the detailed and very interesting reply. Its great to see the flexibility you have adopted and now its interesting to know why .
Paul wrote: "Thank you for the detailed and very interesting reply. Its great to see the flexibility you have adopted and now its interesting to know why.."Without a doubt, adaptability is a key to success in today's publishing environment. There are so many more opportunities now, than when I started, so there really are many ways to skin the cat (an expression I never quite understood - who is running around taking skin off cats?). More opportunities = a good thing. But it also means more complication. After all, when all that existed was traditional publishing the path was pretty straightforward.
I highly encourage anyone who is an aspiring author to educate themselves on the market and the changes going on. It'll take time, and there is a lot of information, and misinformation, out there. But I think it is well worth he effort.
Michael wrote: " Riyria is a bit unique in that it's written for adults, but the lack of sex, graphic violence, and explicit language makes it readable by people of all ages."Exactly! I'm no prude, and there are some really great works out there that I've enjoyed which have at least some combination of graphic content going on within them. But I often find my more favorite works have at least a bit more positive of an attitude than that, and aren't just ticking off boxes to make sure it gets "an R-rating". The graphic content more often feels cumbersome and shoehorned to me than anything else. Which makes my YA to-read list growing larger than the adult works. I really like this "all-ages" format a lot!
Thanks for your replies, to me and the others. I really find it a fascinating side to writing and publishing I know little about.
REALLY excited about The First Empire now. I confess I didn't do much research into its setting, and am giddy to hear we explore the history and myth of the world we hear of in Riyria, rather than a new one. Hinting at ancient, powerful worlds (or far off lands) has come up in a few series I've read, and I'm always irked that the secrets behind them are an itch that will never be scratched.
Aside from currently enjoying Riyria, I have to say I really admire your dedication and perseverance to the craft! As I'm sure is the case with most readers, at least some small part of me wonders what it would be like to pen my own work "someday". Something that has always stopped me from really trying though is the daunting prospect of putting all those hours of effort into the book, then spending more hours trying to figure out how to get an agent or reach publishers or self-publish and get the word out.... And here you have spent a decade writing over 10 books before finding the one that hit that right spot!! To quote George McFly, "I just don't think I could take that kind of rejection..." I guess the secret is write for yourself, and to write because it's just something inside of you!
Thanks again for your time, and for sticking with your gift so that Riyria could eventually find it's way to me and others :)
Mod
I think it is possible to have violence without it being graphic, sexual innuendo without graphic sex, and language that isn't a swear every sentence and still remain a book primarily for adults, and you have done that here in an amazing way. I generally steer well clear of most YA literature because flt he majority of it is completely derivative of itself and falls victim to countless clichés (love triangle?) and to me all just blends in together. I know on goodreads I have read synopsis/reviews for many a YA novel and you could make a cookie cutter and produce them using only it.
What you have done is made a book that is absolutely enjoyable by adults, but readable by a younger audience. I believe most YA novels are geared to be enjoyable for youths and if some adults enjoy it all the better. Personally I will take what you have done with Riyria 100% of the time.
I may have suggested Tales of the Ketty Jay to you at some point, I pretty much recommend it to everyone. Like Riyria it is just so fun.
Thank you again for everything and I will definitely contact you for the afterword!
Michael, thank you for being here and providing such detailed, insightful responses! I have to admit, I haven't gotten around to Theft of Swords yet... BUT it's been high on my list since I read your short story The Jester in the Unfettered anthology. It was one of my favorites! My question to you is, after writing thousands of pages about this world, what's it like to pull together a stand-alone short story? Do you enjoy the style, or does the lack of ability to go into as great of depth present a challenge?
Mod
Thanks! I'm just writing the books I want to read, and happy that ..."
I never really thought about this, my son isn't old enough to start reading these, but maybe I can read them too him. I'm always looking for a way to get him into fantasy and reading in general.
Andrew wrote: "But I often find my more favorite works have at least a bit more positive of an attitude than that, and aren't just ticking off boxes to make sure it gets "an R-rating". The graphic content more often feels cumbersome and shoehorned to me than anything else. Which makes my YA to-read list growing larger than the adult works. I really like this "all-ages" format a lot!."I, too, read a lot of YA for that reason. And sometimes I'll see a negative review because people feel it's too "YA" or "Not serious enough." I'm not sure why adding those things in is supposed to make a book "more serious" but I do know some authors who have mentioned that they add certain scenes just to be taken more seriously so there must be something to the perception.
Andrew wrote: "Thanks for your replies, to me and the others. I really find it a fascinating side to writing and publishing I know little about."
It's a fascinating business, and I learned a lot by being published both by small presses and the big-five. Not to mention it seems like it's constantly changing so there is always more to learn.
Andrew wrote: REALLY excited about The First Empire now. I confess I didn't do much research into its setting, and am giddy to hear we explore the history and myth of the world we hear of in Riyria, rather than a new one. Hinting at ancient, powerful worlds (or far off lands) has come up in a few series I've read, and I'm always irked that the secrets behind them are an itch that will never be scratched.
Great. It's funny because I just answered a question on my author page about the difference and similarities between the two. I'll repost what I said there here.
SIMILARITIES
* Both are multi-book series where I wrote all of the books before publishing the first so there is a lot of weaving of plot points across the series.
* Both have "episodes" with their own beginning middle and end but leave some questions to be answered later on as all the pieces fall into place.
* Both are fast-paced fun reads where entertainment is in the heart of them. Yes, bad things will happen, and there will be failures, but overall you should leave the books feeling better rather than worse after reading.
* Both have some great characters. They are definitely different (don't want to cookie cutter people from Riyria but they have their own awesome aspects.
* Both have a mix of humor and drama. First Empire doesn't have as much "witty banter" because that would be a retooling of something from Riyria - but there are characters who have great lines and interesting quirky habits that bring a lightness to the story.
DIFFERENT
* The cultures and settings are much different. Both take place in Elan (my made up world) but because The First Empire is 3,000 years in the past the technology is much different. For instance, in The First Empire mankind is pretty primitive (spears are the common weapon and few have ever seen, let alone used a sword). As the series go on they advance technologically as needed in order to survive.
* There is much more magic in The First Empire. Most of those who can practice "The Art" in Riyria are dead or hiding their abilities. So there isn't much magic in those books. In The First Empire it is much more common.
* There is more diversity in The First Empire. The Riyria books see everything from the perspective of humans and we really don't get any insight into he inner workings of other cultures. The First Empire has three main races and each one has a major part to play and we see the other cultures rather than being totally focused on mankind.
* The First Empire is much more of an "ensemble" cast. Although you won't know that when starting out. I use readers expectations against them a bit in that who they think are the main characters really aren't.
Andrew wrote: As I'm sure is the case with most readers, at least some small part of me wonders what it would be like to pen my own work "someday". Something that has always stopped me from really trying though is the daunting prospect of putting all those hours of effort into the book, then spending more hours trying to figure out how to get an agent or reach publishers or self-publish and get the word out.... And here you have spent a decade writing over 10 books before finding the one that hit that right spot!! To quote George McFly, "I just don't think I could take that kind of rejection..." I guess the secret is write for yourself, and to write because it's just something inside of you!
There are a few exceptions, where people's first book is great. But yeah, for most of us it takes a long, long time to find our voice. For me I've had two trips at writing.
* 1976 - 1994 Novels 1 - 13
* 2002 - 2015 Novels 14 - 28
Stephen King says you should consider your first 1,000,000 worlds as "practice" and Malcolm Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours working at something to gain proficiency. I think those numbers are "about right" for most people.
Andrew wrote: Thanks again for your time, and for sticking with your gift so that Riyria could eventually find it's way to me and others :)
You are very welcome. Truth be told Riyria never would have gotten to "others" if it hadn't been for my wife. When I started writing again it was on the condition that I wouldn't seek publication...as all that rejection was just too hard to bear. It was Robin who felt the books "had to get out there" and did all the heavy lifting. But I will certainly pass your thanks on to her.
Thanks for all your insights! Your post also makes me realize I'm not taking advantage of Goodreads' "Follow Author" feature, so I'll be remedying that today.
Hi Michael, and thanks for the Q&A. The obvious one is, are there any more Hadrian & Royce books in the pipeline? I read Revelations and Chronicles back to back last year and I've just started on Death of Dulgath but is this third book of Chronicles the end of the series or do you have more adventures planned for the boys?
Mod
Yes, it's out! and I've been grinning ear to ear since i started reading :-)Another 5* book Michael!
Lancer wrote: "First, thank you for your reply and for your offer, as well as for getting me excited for the new series which will shoot to the top of my to read list as soon as it is released. You are very welcome...and I'm so glad you are excited about the new series. It too me longer to write than I expected, but a lot of that has to do with the fact that it grew from a trilogy to five books.
Lancer wrote: I think it is possible to have violence without it being graphic, sexual innuendo without graphic sex, and language that isn't a swear every sentence and still remain a book primarily for adults, and you have done that here in an amazing way.
Thanks! I'm sure there are many pluses and minus to the various approaches authors take. For me, I'm writing a book that I want to read and so my books are a reflection of what I want tread.
Lancer wrote: I generally steer well clear of most YA literature because flt he majority of it is completely derivative of itself and falls victim to countless clichés (love triangle?) and to me all just blends in together. I know on goodreads I have read synopsis/reviews for many a YA novel and you could make a cookie cutter and produce them using only it.
I really like YA novels...and the one's I've read haven't fit that description. But of course it's going to be a matter of your mileage may vary. The Amulet of Samarkand, Sabriel, The Book Thief are all great books and romance is definitely not at their heart.
Lancer wrote: What you have done is made a book that is absolutely enjoyable by adults, but readable by a younger audience. I believe most YA novels are geared to be enjoyable for youths and if some adults enjoy it all the better. Personally I will take what you have done with Riyria 100% of the time.
Can't really say one way or the other about YA writers. I think of it a bit like Bugs Bunny (before they were changed because of complaints of parents). Those were definitely enjoyable by both adults and children...and most of the really cool jokes went right over the kid's heads.
Lancer wrote: I may have suggested Tales of the Ketty Jay to you at some point, I pretty much recommend it to everyone. Like Riyria it is just so fun.
There is so much grimdark in fantasy these days to hearing of a "fun tale" is definitely right in my wheelhouse.
Lancer wrote: Thank you again for everything and I will definitely contact you for the afterword!
You are very welcome.
Mod
Susie wrote: "Michael, thank you for being here and providing such detailed, insightful responses!" You are very welcome. I really enjoy this kind of forum.
Susie wrote: "I have to admit, I haven't gotten around to Theft of Swords yet... BUT it's been high on my list since I read your short story The Jester in the Unfettered anthology. It was one of my favorites!"
Great! I know one of the goals Shawn was hoping for, since none of the authors were compensated for the donated work, was that we'd find new readers. So, glad it worked! It was very intimidating being included in that lineup. I was honored to help Shawn in anyway I could.
Susie wrote: "My question to you is, after writing thousands of pages about this world, what's it like to pull together a stand-alone short story? Do you enjoy the style, or does the lack of ability to go into as great of depth present a challenge? "
So, to be honest, I don't think I'm the best when it comes to short stores. I definitely seem to "story tell" in novel-length form. So writing short stories in general are difficult for me. My first two short stories I cheated. The first one was The Viscount and the Witch and I wrote that as if it were the beginning of a novel - a chapter if you will but had to structure it to "wrap" completely. At the time I wrote it, I didn't think it would grow into a full-length novel..but it did. This was the seed that sprouted The Rose and the Thorn, and that shorts story is now chapter two of that that novel.
For The Jester, I did just the opposite. I decided to write "the end of a book" with just vague passing references to what had gone on before. In that way I was able to "fool myself" that x and y and z all took place and I could focus on the narrow ending. I think it worked well. In the case of The Jester, I'll never write "the whole novel" like I did for The Viscount and the Witch. There is too much already "given away" in that piece, and too many people have read it to have it work out.
I do think I'm getting better at shorts...my next two shorts were true shorts (not the start or end of a book) but rather conceptualized as short stories in their own rights. I do find them to be a challenge. As I said, I tend to think of stories in terms that generally come out in the 130,000 word length rather than the 5,000 word length.
Roger wrote: "I never really thought about this, my son isn't old enough to start reading these, but maybe I can read them too him. I'm always looking for a way to get him into fantasy and reading in general."I know a lot of people who have done that. And it is always very rewarding. If you are looking for some great fantasy reads for "younger people" here are some I'd suggest.
* Redwall by Brian Jacques
* Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis
* A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
* Watershed Down by Richard Adams
* The Secret of NIHM by Robert C. O'Brien
* Sabriel by Garth Nix
* The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
* Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
Andrew wrote: "Your post also makes me realize I'm not taking advantage of Goodreads' "Follow Author" feature, so I'll be remedying that today."Thanks! The follow the author feature is really a good one. I'm amazed, given my relative small stature in the "world of books" that I have so many followers. Very grateful people find what I have to say worth listening to ;-)
Dawn wrote: "Hi Michael, and thanks for the Q&A."You are very welcome.
Dawn wrote: The obvious one is, are there any more Hadrian & Royce books in the pipeline? I read Revelations and Chronicles back to back last year and I've just started on Death of Dulgath but is this third book of Chronicles the end of the series or do you have more adventures planned for the boys?"
To date, I've written three series: The Riyria Revelations, The First Empire, and The Riyria Chronicles. The first two are written as individual episodes telling a larger story arc and as such they have a very definitive start and end. They were also series that I wrote all the books of before publishing the first.
The Riyria Chronicles is a bit different. When I finished Riyria Revelations, I had no intention to write more with Royce and Hadrian. But at the urging of my wife (who got pretty depressed after the last book was over), and tons and tons of comments from readers saying they wanted more. I decided to go back in time and show how Riyria was formed. The two books of The Riyria Chronicles sewed that up nicely.
With the origin story told, I'm now free to do pretty much whatever I want with the Chronicles. What I want more than anything is to NOT be "that guy" who didn't know when to quit. So I take each Chronicle book one at a time...and they'll be written as standalone novels so if the "next one" doesn't come out, it won't leave a bunch of unanswered questions. I have plenty of ideas...eleven more at that time. But I won't do any serious work on any of them until I get feedback from the "last" release indicating the two haven't overstayed their welcome. I would much rather have them "leave too soon" than "stay too long."
In general, I take an assessment after about six months of release and then decide where to go from there. The Death of Dulgath just came out so in April I'll be able to say definitely whether there will be a fourth book. Then I'll take it from there.
Thanks for asking.
Lancer wrote: "Death of Dulgath has been released? How did I miss this!!!"Technically - it's out, but it depends on the format. Here is the rundown for each:
* October 15 - ebook released
* Dec 01 - hardcover released
* Dec 15 - audio released
* TBD - trade paperback released
Generally, I would have liked all the books to come out at once, but a tight deadline made this somewhat difficult to do. It takes several weeks for the printing/shipping of the physical books...and the audio people can't schedule the studio time and reserve the narrator until they have a completed manuscript. I could have "held up" the ebook release but I wanted people to get their hands on it as soon as possible so I released it when it was done. Current status of the other formats:
* Hardcover is on the press and is scheduled to ship to the warehouse on the 16th.
* Audio recording starts on the 16th...I'm actually going to New York to be part of the recording.
* Paperbacks will be available from my site on or about the 20th. They won't be in the bookstores until 6 - 12 months after the hardcover is released, depending on how long it takes them to sell. Once they are gone, the trade paperbacks will take their place.
Dawn wrote: "Yes, it's out! and I've been grinning ear to ear since i started reading :-) Another 5* book Michael!"Thanks!! I had so much fun writing it.
Mod
With the limited shelf space I have I will usually start a series as an ebook then once I see how much I like the series the best of the best get physical copies and a space on the wall of fame. Needless to say you have made the wall of Fame and have one of the biggest spots on it.
Micheal wrote: "I have plenty of ideas...eleven more at that time."I have to say I like the sound of that Michael :-)
Hopefully, we will be hearing more from Hadrian and Royce in the future since I for one am certainly not tired of reading their adventures and judging by the reviews I'm not alone. This series is just so much fun to read. I can't wait to find out what you've dreamed up in First Empire.
Mod
Sabriel and The Amulet of Samarkand are definitely worth the read.
Michael wrote: You are very welcome. I really enjoy this kind of forum."Well I have to say, I'm more and more interested to dive into your novels. The Jester certainly worked for me as you intended, a satisfying conclusion that made me curious for more. I also admire your willingness to engage with your readers. Thanks again and I wish you continued success!
Mod
Mod
I'm a big fan of his work and have a canvas of his from Pat Rothfuss' books on my walls. I really look forward to seeing what he does with your covers.
Lancer wrote: "I had to get the ebook :) but will eventually buy the paperback as well because I have all the physical copies in that format.Hey, thanks for the support. One thing I should mention about this particular book...I control the ebook rights so I can do things that publishers can't (or won't). For instance, I give away a free copy of the ebook to anyone who buys the print book. You might just want to keep that in mind when purchasing - as it will save you some money.
Lancer wrote: "With the limited shelf space I have I will usually start a series as an ebook then once I see how much I like the series the best of the best get physical copies and a space on the wall of fame. Needless to say you have made the wall of Fame and have one of the biggest spots on it."
I'm honored to make the Wall of Fame. I know all too well how hard it is dealing with the limited shelf space. Getting too old to move boxes and boxes of books during a move. Or maybe I just have to stay put ;-). Thanks again!
Dawn wrote: "I have to say I like the sound of that Michael :-)Hopefully, we will be hearing more from Hadrian and Royce in the future since I for one am certainly not tired of reading their adventures and judging by the reviews I'm not alone."
Thanks! The early reports are indeed promising. Currently I'm working on editing book #2 of The First Empire series. I hope to have it done by the end of the month. My plan is have book #3 edited by end of December, Book #4 by the end of February and book #4
Dawn wrote: "I can't wait to find out what you've dreamed up in First Empire."
I think you'll be pleased. There are several themes I want to explore in this new series:
* The difference between myth and reality
* How the deeds of ordinary people change history
* How "history" is distorted by those in power who write it.
Lots of fun new characters as well. This one is much more an ensemble cast and each one has some aspects and character arcs.
Lancer wrote: "Lol, I guess I more meant the endless slew of teen dystopia novels that have been coming out. The ones you listed sound much more like something I would enjoy."They are really good. I'm not much for dystopia novels (although I have read a few that came highly recommended), so for the most part, I'm not even "up" on what is coming out in that sub-genre.
Audrey wrote: "Sabriel and The Amulet of Samarkand are definitely worth the read. "Agreed! Such good books - even for us non-YA old folks.
Susie wrote: "Well I have to say, I'm more and more interested to dive into your novels. The Jester certainly worked for me as you intended, a satisfying conclusion that made me curious for more. I also admire your willingness to engage with your readers. Thanks again and I wish you continued success! ."So glad you enjoyed The Jester. I'm definitely more of a novel-length kind of writer, but that particular story was going into an anthology with some pretty illustrious writers - I had to bring my "A" game. I think The Jester was actually the third short story I wrote for it. My wife rejected the first two. She's a tough critic...a good things for my readers, as the books have to get past her first ;-)
Thanks for the interest in the books. I really enjoy these kinds of venues, and am glad the moderators asked me to participate.
Audrey wrote: "I discovered Riyria through our library's Reader's Choice program. I have found a few great gems that way. I'm glad I picked up Theft of Swords even though its length intimidated me at first."Wow, I'm so honored your library put one of my books in it's Reader's Choice program. I hear about these from time to time and am always amazed and grateful. Theft of Swords does look really thick - partially because of the paper it is printed on. Both Rise of Empire and Heir of Novron are longer than Theft of Swords but they have much smaller spines. I think the publisher wanted to make it look like the other doorstopper books, even though I tend not to write really big books. Plus, the fact that it has two full-length novels helped to give it heft. I'm pleased that they released the books as three rather than six, it makes them a great value as each purchase gets two books. Thanks for reading and for letting me know your library picked the book for special attention.
Paul wrote: "Michael, I just noticed for your new series that Marc Simonnetti is doing the artwork. That must be quite exciting considering some of the authors he has worked with."It is! I've worked with Marc for quite sometime. He did the first French Edition copies of The Riyria books, and his are my favorite covers from all the foreign translations. I liked them so much, that when I wrote Hollow World and decided to self-publish it, I hired him to do the cover for it. I also recently hired him to do the artwork for The Death of Dulgath.
I'm sorry to say, I've not been that pleased with the covers Orbit has done. Don't get me wrong, many people love them, and they certainly look (a) professional and (b) in line with covers of the genre. But I'm not a fan for depicting characters as I want the readers to come up with their own idea of what the pair look like, and the two actors used don't align with my ideas.
When Del Rey signed The First Empire we talked a lot about covers, and author input into the process. In general, authors don't get any, but because I (a) have a background in art (b) have run an advertising company (c) created really successful covers in the past and (d) had such a large advance...they said I would have a lot of input. And so far they have been true to their word. My wife did a 14-page write up on covers and in that we brought up three artists that we thought would fit well and Marc was on the top of the list. I'm glad they agreed with us.
For those not familiar with Marc's work, he is great. He's done covers for myself, Brandon Sanderson, George R.R. Martin, Terry Pratchett, Patrick Rothfuss, and dozens of others.
Here are two of the covers he did for my books:
Mod
@Roger - yeah, Marc is more along my preference for style - where the characters can be envisioned by the readers. Glad you like them.
Mod
I first came across Marc in a Terry Pratchett forum , when he was commisioned to do the French Translations , and he spent a lot of time talking to the readers to get ideas for his covers.
Definitely another good reason to pick up the new series ne t year then
He's done a lot of the French translations...and how doing some US as well. When he's done some of the covers I've hired him to do, he's live streamed them, and it's amazing to watch him work. So much talent!
Mod
Wow, I especially love The Crown Conspiracy cover. Might have to update my Facebook cover photo with that one.I mostly ignored the cover-characters of Theft of Swords for the same reasons--I prefer conjuring up an image I find most appropriate, and I have noticed some occasional absurdities for cover-characters in the past. The original Wheel of Time covers, while terrific works of art their own respect, are just laughable depictions of what the characters are supposed to look like. Likewise the Harry Dresden series always portrays Dresden as wearing a black cowboy hat/fedora thing, but he never once wears a hat in the books!
As an aside, I certainly had Lost on the brain while reading Theft of Swords, as at least 3 characters in my head are actors from the show LOL
Michael wrote: "Dawn wrote: "I have to say I like the sound of that Michael :-)Hopefully, we will be hearing more from Hadrian and Royce in the future since I for one am certainly not tired of reading their adven..."
First, I wanted to add my thanks for taking the time to answer questions and talk with our group. That is awesome of you!
Second, love these themes. My degrees are in history and these themes cover things I find myself explaining to people all the time. Excited to see them explored in this kind of way. I will definitely watch for this series!
My "To read" list is getting longer all the time because of this group.
Kind of a general question. Do you find it easier to write a series with just a few main characters or do you find it easier to write an ensemble cast? I would think the approach is rather different.
Mod
Michael J. Sullivan, author of The Riyria Revelations, has offered to do a question and answer session with the group!
As we recently read the beginning of the series, we thought it would be a really fantastic opportunity for the group!
Please leave your questions for Michael here, and he'll respond when he can!