Indie Authors Monthly Magazine For Authors and Readers discussion

Hello! I'm working on my first novel, an epic fantasy, and am curious to meet others in the genre. Any one else writing in that genre?

Brie wrote: "Hello! I'm working on my first novel, an epic fantasy, and am curious to meet others in the genre. Any one else writing in that genre?"

It's on my To Be Finished shelf, but yes, I'm writing an epic fantasy as well. How is yours going? =D

I write fantasy too. Epic/general second-world fantasy (that is, fantasy set on another world, not our world) with strong romantic elements. I'm also working on an epic fantasy series set in a world inspired by the Old West (but still a different world, not our world). It's in a complete draft, and I'm just starting the revision process.

Hi, I've just completed my first fantasy novel and will be publishing on Amazon soon and have made a start on the second book of the series.

I've been working in urban fantasy with a good blend of horror. I'm hoping to use NaNoWriMo this year to kick start a dark fantasy I originally started as epic 20 years ago.

Will self publish soon. Traditionals won't look at someone without a track record.

It's on my To Be Finished shelf, but yes, I'm..."

I'm in my 4th (!?!) round of revisions on my first manuscript, with the 2nd and 3rd books outlined. Mine's set in an alternate reality dominated by a war between Viking-like northern warriors and their not-quite human ancient enemies. Which is a bit of a culture shock for the graduate student from our world who finds herself plunged into the midst of it!

I'm hoping to go the traditional publishing route. I'm hoping to look for an agent this summer. I have a day job that I absolutely love, and self publishing seems to involve more self-marketing and other work that I'm really up for.

I've self published one fantasy romance so far, and have others in the pipeline.

My first book was indie published. My next will be self pubbed.

Hi Everyone! I'm currently writing me second erotic urban fantasy novel (book 2 of a trilogy) and self-published with the first book as i will also do with the second. Traditional is hard to get into, and because my first book was so long (nearly 160,000 words) i knew agents would take one look at the word count and go hell no, so didn't bother with that route.

Funny thing is I thought that word count would also be something that would get people in, but i've had a lot of issues trying to get people to read it because it's so long. I've had a few people that have read it say that it doesn't feel that way when reading it luckily. But there are reviewers who also dictate they don't like books over a certain word count. I've tried many different ways to promote, giveaways, deals where me and an two other authors did a deal where if you bought one of our books you got one ebook from the other authors free (buy one, get two free), tried different sale prices (currently on sale for .99), done interviews, paid ad on FB, promote on twitter, facebook. I do teasers on my FB page etc. Also tried giving it away for free reviews (not many takers). Still just haven't found the right way for it and thinking if i get this second book out it will change things hopefully.

Hello everyone! I'm Lily :) I published my first Martial Arts fantasy novel last year and it's the first book in a series I'm writing. Just about everything I read, watch, and write is fantasy so I thought it'd be fitting to be a chatter in this discussion :)

How's everyone doing?

Hi

Good morning everyone. I'm Lorna. My first book Witchy Woman should be out soon. I've been looking at the comments about traditional publishing vs self pub. I had pretty much given up going traditional until last summer and then found a publisher that was just starting up. Like Kimberely my word count was really long. After editing it is now around 76,000. While I feel it might be better if some things had been left in. I also didn't realize how much over explaining and rehashing was in the manuscript. Some of the benefits for traditional pub are the editing and the professional covers.

I've learned so much going this route, even if I choose to go a different way with the second in the series.


If you haven't already, join a writing group. I've found that other trad pub authors are helpful. They've been there and done that and can help you avoid the pitfalls. Remember no matter how good you think your book is there is always room for improvement

Aoife wrote: "I everyone, I also write fantasy have completed my first two books and I am now currently writing my third one to finish off the trilogy.

A question for everyone here, did you self publish? and w..."

I'm self-pubbed. I dipped my toe in the agent querying waters more than 20 years ago and quickly decided I couldn't work like that - being dependent on other people's decisions and writing to please them instead of myself. I love the freedom and control of being self-published.

Kyra wrote: "Aoife wrote: "I everyone, I also write fantasy have completed my first two books and I am now currently writing my third one to finish off the trilogy.

A question for everyone here, did you self ..."

That's an interesting take on it. All of my previous published work is research articles (I'm a neuroscientist) so I'm used to working in a collaborative environment with extensive peer review. I wonder if that's part of what I find appealing about trad pub?

Aoife wrote: "Kimberley wrote: "Funny thing is I thought that word count would also be something that would get people in, but i've had a lot of issues trying to get people to read it because it's so long. I've ..."

That would be amazing! Thank you for that :)I do hope you enjoy the story.

Personally when it comes to word count...I love long stories, and actually don't like reading small books. That's one reason i wrote such a long novel, but also a story had to be told and i wasn't going to cut out scenes just to make it a normal size. The only problem i've created now is that this book i'm writing and the third installment has to be about the same size haha Good thing there is a lot going on.

Urban Fantasy/Romance for me and I am working on my second book in the trilogy. Traditional publisher, small press.

Hi everyone! Back in December I published my first book Experimental Heart: Pieces and is the first in an Urban Science Fantasy. It's also under revision by a second editor after several reviews mentioned errors my first editor seemed to have missed. I also have several fantasy and paranormal/fantasy romance book ideas floating around in my head. I'm self published because I don't believe word count can define a book's worth and because of that my first book actually blows Kimberely's book out of the water (267,000 words). I knew it was a risk but I'm just one of those kinds of people.

I am a big on fantasy (Dragons and Phoenixes make me weak knees) and many of the books everyone has posted about have perked my interest so I'll definitely be checking them out!

I never worry about word counts. My inspiration to write had high word counts and he managed to make a name for himself. His books have the following counts:
The Silmarillion - 130,115
The Hobbit - 95,356
The Fellowship of the Ring - 187,790
The Two Towers - 156,198
The Return of the King - 137,115
I often wonder if anybody told him that his books were too long and therefor too much trouble to read?

That's a good question Ed. I also wonder if he even thought about word count or just thought about how to write a great story.

It makes me wonder when people started to fuss of word count. When people started to see a book's worth starting with the length rather than the plot and characters.

I completely agree with all of you. I never knew it was an issue when i first wrote it, I just wanted to write a great story and it took as long as it needed to be. It's just been in recent years that agents have made a move towards not liking longer books because bigger books mean bigger costs which i think is a shame because there are probably some brilliant novels out there that should be in book stores that aren't because of their length. The only hope is that we get picked up from an agent after we self-publish because we either have great reviews or we sell really well, the latter being the most likely.

I can sympathize with the cost issue of larger books. Having my book published as a hardcover with a POD service is going to cost a lot so even if a publisher did printing in house, they'd still have some fairly high costs. But it's a shame they aren't willing to take a chance. Like you said Kimberley, there are probably a lot of good books waiting to see the light of day and if they're that good, you'd think someone would be willing to give it a chance.

Shannon wrote: "I can sympathize with the cost issue of larger books. Having my book published as a hardcover with a POD service is going to cost a lot so even if a publisher did printing in house, they'd still ha..."

Printing can be expensive! Paperback seem to be less expensive, but even they can be pricy. I'm waiting for a new service to arise for Indies to produce nice paperbacks, without them treating you like it's garbage they are printing (and something that's not POD, because it seems like POD books don't have a chance of getting in physical bookstores). I understand them not wanting to take a chance on something they think might not sell well, but I agree, if it seems really good, then why not? Also, it seems like a lot of readers like long books. I think it was last year's Smashwords survey that said long books sell the best.

Anyway, I'm new to this thread! So, hello. I love Fantasy of all types, but Urban Fantasy is my favorite to write (and I like a bit of romance in it, too). I've been publishing for over 3 years now as an Indie under Alexandra Lanc, mostly all YA titles, but the end of last year I decided to adopt a new name for Adult fiction, and am re-releasing a few titles, as well as writing new ones.

My first novel out under this name will be released on the 25th of this month! I'm so excited. Please check it out if you would like: Midnight Terrors.

Also, here's my website. I have a blog where I post writing advice: http://www.crimsonsterling.com

Cheers,

Crimson~

Crimson wrote: Printing can be expensive! Paperback seem to be less expensive, but even they can be pricy. I'm waiting for a new service to arise for Indies to produce nice paperbacks, without them treating you like it's garbage they are printing (and something that's not POD, because it seems like POD books don't have a chance of getting in physical bookstores).

Try Lightning Source. I'm using them right now because of the great print quality I've seen from other authors. They have a few fees that Create-a-Space doesn't, and their site is a bit confusing (they take the lack of hand holding to an extreme level) but I'm finding that it's worth it. Of course, I haven't gone out to get my proof just yet since I'm finishing off some last minute formatting, so this is just based off books I've seen from other authors using them.

Hi All, I self published mainly as was so new had no idea how to go about it any other way plus I have OCD which means going out and about to meetings etc would have been a no go for me. I put off writing for so many years that when I started it just kinda flew out of me. Am thoroughly enjoying mysef and write Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy and a couple of cheeky Fantasy/Para erotica!

Hi guys, I'm working on a YA fantasy novel. It's finished with 87,000 words, and it's in the beta reading stage. I'm planning to start querying agents soon. I'd love to meet other writers out there!

Hello I've recently published the third book of a YA/Adult fantasy trilogy, and have been waiting until the completion before promoting it more widely. I also have a stand alone YA fantasy novel. Most of the books were written some time ago, for my own pleasure, until family members said I should publish them. So, now here we are, my hobby is now bringing in a small amount of revenue, and lovely readers are sharing my art.

Shannon wrote: "Crimson wrote: Printing can be expensive! Paperback seem to be less expensive, but even they can be pricy. I'm waiting for a new service to arise for Indies to produce nice paperbacks, without them..."

Thanks! I've been looking into them. The unfortunate thing is, since the beginning of the year, they don't seem to allow anyone new to sign up with Lightning Source, unless they are a major publisher, or medium-sized. They started a new program called Ingram Spark that is meant for Indies, and send you there instead. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure the print quality is the same, so I'll check it out. :)

It's good to see some YA authors here! I've written YA under another name (Alexandra Lanc) for about three years now, and it's very fun. :)

Hi Crimson. I didn't actually set out to write YA; I just wrote something I would enjoy and it turned out that way.

David wrote: "Hi Crimson. I didn't actually set out to write YA; I just wrote something I would enjoy and it turned out that way."

That's exactly how my Urban Fantasy turned out. I didn't even know that genre existed until after I'd published!

I use CreateSpace for paperbacks and so far that's worked out fine. I'm really not that great tech wise but I managed to do it on my own but now got templates etc all set up which makes it a lot easier. They don't charge for the service which is always a plus for us Indies.

Hi! i'm new here! my Name's Antoinette and I've recently published my first book. it's an urban fantasy. but it's also been called paranormal, i'm having a bit of confusion as to where to put my book. still wet behind the ears as far as being a new author so i'm looking for all the advice and suggestions i can get.

Crimson wrote: "Thanks! I've been looking into them. The unfortunate thing is, since the beginning of the year, they don't seem to allow anyone new to sign up with Lightning Source..."

So far, from what I'm seeing with the features, the only thing different is how they handle the wholesale discounts. With Ingram Spark you only have the option of 40% or 55% wholesale (was only 40% up until roughly 2 months ago). I've also checked with other authors who've used lightnings source and now have to use Ingram spark and they say the quality of products has stayed the same.

What I like most about lightning source as apposed to create-a-space is the color of cream paper. I find create-a-space's cream is too yellow for my taste while lightning source is more of an off-white and it's the right shade (makes me think of traditionally published books).

Antoinette wrote: "Hi! i'm new here! my Name's Antoinette and I've recently published my first book. it's an urban fantasy. but it's also been called paranormal, i'm having a bit of confusion as to where to put m..."

Hi Antoinette, I know what you mean my books cross over too, you could put it in both - Urban Fantasy and Paranormal, or if its romance oriented Romance - sub genre Paranormal. Hope that helps, it really depends on what your book has in it and main plot lines.

Hello. I'm a newbie author who has self-published a supernatural, psychological suspense novel. I am so excited to be getting feedback on my book...people really like it! So amazing to have your work out there and people respond to it!

I'm keeping up with the social media and have done a Kindle Countdown Deal. Are there other suggestions on how I can get my book out there? Thanks!

Readers and writers of fantasy and other speculative fiction may also be interested in the Goodreads group "Interviews with Children's, Sci-fi & Fantasy Authors" at https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

Brie wrote: "That's an interesting take on it. All of my previous published work is research articles (I'm a neuroscientist) so I'm used to working in a collaborative environment with extensive peer review. I wonder if that's part of what I find appealing about trad pub?"

"Works well with others" - said none of my teachers ever, lol.

I have my own ideas about how things should go, but being a very non-confrontational person, if other people have different ideas I just fade into the background. But I feel far too strongly about my stories to do that, so the best thing for me is to be in a situation where I don't have to argue with agents, editors, etc. about how the book should be written.

Hi everybody!
I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that traditional publishing is the only real kind. While the writing part of it may be more collaborative and therefore more obnoxious, I believe the selling part would be more supported and easier, so that I could move on to the next book without working so hard on promoting the first. I don't know however since I haven't tried the traditional route yet. I have a short novel that I think I will try and publish traditionally. We'll see.

Hey all. I write fantasy/fantasy romance. I am self-published through choice (at the moment).

This Blog Post is something I'd love to spark some discussion about.

What do you think of destiny/fate/prophecy as a plot device in fantasy?

I'd love to hear what you think!
FF McCulligan

I've always found myself cringing when i hear that... they're (main char.) always fighting against it or don't want it or have never heard of it.

Ruzniel is coming out later this year, we have a planned launch in August in Madison, Wisconsin. I am just getting feedback from beta-readers. Set in the last three days of the universe I have attempted to bring together many myths from around the world and marry science with magic in a simple, innovative manner.
:)

simple, huh? i'd like to see how that comes out.

Neil wrote: "David wrote: "Hi Crimson. I didn't actually set out to write YA; I just wrote something I would enjoy and it turned out that way."

That's exactly how my Urban Fantasy turned out. I didn't even kn..."

I had that same thing happen! One of my friends told me it sounded like Urban Fantasy, and I said: "What is that?" I had never even heard of it.

I think it's always best to write what you enjoy. Genres are great, but they're mostly for readers, I think, trying to find books they enjoy. There are so many, it's impossible almost to keep up with them.

Hi. By way of introduction, I write fantasy books for kids. I've indie-published three so far: Nimpentoad (epic fantasy early chapter book), Twignibble (easy reader), and How the Rhino Got His Skin (picture book rewrite of the classic Kipling tale). Happy to be part of the group!
-Henry Herz (www.henryherz.com)

I think fate and prophecy in fantasy is a stand-in for many types of expectations that exist in real, modern life. Like many components of fantasies, I think it can be done well or poorly. It all depends on the origin of the fate/prophecy and how the characters struggle with it.

That said, I think it's more interesting when the characters DO struggle with it. There's little character development or plot interest if they're just simply accepting of the expectations.

Hi everyone. It's a painful admission but I think I might inadvertently have written an 'anti-fantasy.' It's a two-part series of novels (self-published as Kindle editions) called 'The "Written World.'

I say 'painful' because I've always really enjoyed fantasy; from Lord of the Rings to Buffy, I've remained a loyal, card-carrying fan. It's just that when it actually came to the business of writing it, I couldn't bring myself to include what now seems to be the expected quota of lovestruck vampires, ancient evils and, yes, all those strangely impenetrable prophesies that have always seemed to be so popular. Nor, in truth, was I terribly anxious to include great sweaty hordes of excessively bemuscled warriors wearing enough heavy metal to give them sciatica.

That said, whatever it is that I've written, it is definitely a fantasy: there are wizards and demons and there's even an underground lair for those who enjoy that sort of thing. It's just that I'd set out to write a comedy so it seemed to make sense to look at some of the most popular conventions of the genre. Prophesies and 'chosen one' set-ups do therefore get the occasional mention. As a result, it's probably not an ideal choice for those who take their fantasy very seriously but it might be fun for anyone who'd like to discover who keeps the torches burning in all those long-abandoned temples, or why women's armour always looks so suspiciously like fetish-wear...

Brie wrote: "Hello! I'm working on my first novel, an epic fantasy, and am curious to meet others in the genre. Any one else writing in that genre?"

Hello, Brie. I write epic fantasy as well. Of course I like a lot of romance in it too. :) Congrats on working on your first novel! How exciting!