Fantasy Book Club discussion

I thought I'd create this thread for those that had questions around writing or self-publishing, since I don't have a traditional publisher at the moment.

I'll give you some background on this.

I have an agent, an amazing one. (She reps Margaret Weis). We submitted this book to a large number of editors last year and as much as they loved the writing, they thought the book "too risky" and/or their focus has changed to a more urban fantasy market. So we decided to go out with this alone as an ebook to see if we could establish a readership for it.

Did the publishers/editors definie "too risky"? That as a reason not to publish is dissapointing.

They didn't go into details on that. If I had to guess, it's one of two things:
1. I'm a new author, and they would be taking a risk in committing money to publish a book that was really hard to place since this didn't seem to fit neatly into the fantasy genre.
2. the content was "too risky", either from a religious point of view, or from a "pushing the envelope" point of view.

Either way, we decided to publish it one way or another to see if there was, in fact, a market for the book.

Here's a thought. Outside of being chosen for the discussion, was there anything about this book that made you want to read it? I ask this because I want to learn more about the book's strengths from a reader's perspective. Since I have to market/peddle the book myself, it's good to know what worked here and what didn't.

The book came to my attention because it was selected to be read and discussed. But being selected does not mean I will automatically go out and buy/read the selected titles. It was the subject matter and, unfortunately, the price - unfortunate because an author deserves to make a living writing if that is their calling. (Note: I avoid buying used books unless there is no other way to get them... why? because I can afford to buy the books new and support the authors.)

I enjoy stories where the religious mythos of our societies are reinterpreted so the title grabbed my attention. The description helped to increase my interest. For example, I loved what the movie/TV show "Stargate: SG-1" did with the gods, having them actually being alien beings. (Not necessarily a new concept but I liked the handling).

As to the price, I'm not sure I would have spent $12+ for a hard cover as there is so much out there that I simply don't like that I will rarely try a new book unless I've a recommendation from someone whose tastes I know. However, I probably would've spent as much as $6.99 for the Kindle version (I bought the The Briar King for much the same reasons as I bought The Second Coming.) The actual price made the purchase a no brainer. If I didn't like the book I could delete it from my Kindle. But I did like the book... so maybe you will be able to charge more for the next one?

Glad it captured your interest enough to buy it: Thanks!

Currently, I like the $2.99 price point for the ebook versions. The next book, unless this gets picked up by a traditional publisher, will likely be the same. I'm looking at doing a print option soon through Createspace (Amazon). I offered it through Lulu in print to folks at goodreads so that I could be included for the selection process, but now that I have done some more research I think Createspace is the way to go.

Hi David..just wanted you to know that I use Createspace and just love them. Very professional and get listings into Amazon very quickly. During the publishing process, I was given many options to make my book (the first of a nine book fantasy series) look exactly like you want.
They also have very good marketing packages, which I haven't signed up for yet, but plan to.

Cheers,
Lady Ellen
www.lady-ellen.com

Thanks for the info!

You're very welcome..once you sign on..let me know if you have any questions..I'd be happy to help you.

Seeing how this is a self-published book, I'll ask the question: Does being traditionally published vs self-published make any difference to those reading? Are your expectations any different?

The only difference that I can say that I have ever noticed is the editing of the book. I did not come across any major errors in your book, David, but I have read some self published that looks as if they didn't even have a proof reader.

I don't read all the books up for discussion but I do check them all out. otherwise I don't know how I would have have found this book. It caught my interest because um, I've not heard of you before :-p I feel bad about paying only $2.99, I think you are short changing yourself, but what do I know. Personally I expect the same level of professionalism in a self-published work as a traditionally published work, because no matter what price I am being charged, I am still chosing to spend my time reading your work, instead of doing something else. And i'd like to think that the author wants to put the best possible product out there.

I expect the same level of professionalism as well. I just wasn't sure if it mattered to readers or not. Some readers turn away from self-pub'd books because of the stigma attached.

As for the price point, it seemed a good place to set the price for a debut novel. Readers may take a risk on an unknown author for $2.99. For $9.99, they might not. And at the current royalty rates I make more on a $2.99 ebook than a traditionally published author does on a $9.99 ebook.

I suspect I will price the next book similarly.

So anyone interested in being an early reader for the next one when it's ready? :)

I would be interested. :)

Me too!!!

Hey cool!! I'm hoping to get in some really good writing time this summer to get that next book ready, but I'm a little busy with my children's fantasy at the moment.

Just out of curiosity, have any of you seen the book trailer? As a self-pub'd author I had to do it myself, in addition to the cover. Did you think they worked for the story? I've contemplated sticking with a similar these for the next book.

One of the things that I have to do as an indie author is obviously market the book myself. Tell me, if you learned of this other than through Goodreads, where did you hear about it? And what made you pick it up?

I think the first place that I heard about your book was on kindleboards. It interested me because I enjoy books that put a new spin on old mythologies, and occasionally I like books that poke a stick at organized religion. :)

That's good to know, thanks!

Hey David. I'm a little late to the discussion, but still made it in time.

Thanks for the insight on doing the self-publish thing. It's truly a labor of love since there doesn't see to be profit in it. I'm sure you have mixed feelings on the varied reviews you've had, but it has to be gratifying to see your work out there for people to read and enjoy.

That said, I was drawn to your story because I've always had a fascination with the whole War in Heaven theme. I've seen it done well, and I've seen it done poorly. I can't really explain my love of this theme; it's just there. Perhaps it was seeing Christopher Walken as the Archangel Gabriel in The Prophecy that really caught my attention.

Oh, and yes, I'd love to be considered as an early reader for Book 2.

Thanks Chris! In regards to the reviews, I take it all in stride. I know the story and the writing style aren't for everyone. This is a subjective business - we all have different tastes. I'm just truly thankful that people are picking it up and that I have an opportunity like this to answer questions and chat about the novel. :)

Very late to this discussion - (Been heads down editing Michael's book) but ... I think publishing is a very different business than 10 years ago. The big publishers are very cautious and will "stick with" published names rather than build a stable. But...the there are more options available with the advent of ebooks and POD technology. I think releasing as an ebook to build a following is a very smart idea and I wish you well. Please keep us posted on how your on-going search goes.

Hey David,
Any update on the publishing front? Just curious.