Martyn Stanley's Blog - Posts Tagged "dragons"

Well, I've now written 40,000 words of Deathsworn Arc 2 : The Temple of the Mad God. Part 1 was only about 60,000 words in total, but I feel like I've hardly started part 2!

I wanted it to be about 1/3 longer than part 1 - but I think it's genuinely going to need 120,000 words to finish it. At least how it's going at the moment.

I was thinking about this last night, my content editor has finished going through 'The Verkreath Horror' I need a meeting to go through some minor edits. Then while he's working on book 1 I'm going to put Book 2 to a proof-reader to fine-tune the grammar and punctuation. Once books 1 and 2 are fully sorted, they are off to my literary agent and my intended illustrator (Daniel Johnson is the current likely candidate.) to have new covers designed.

Then when the new covers are done and the texts are really polished, I will release a full 2nd Edition of books 1 and 2. Finish up book 3, and this time put it through my content editor and proof-reader before passing it onto my illustrator for a cover and waiting for the new cover before I publish! Target date for book three 'The Temple of the Mad God' is being pushed back to about 15th December I think. The reason for this are down to personal reasons, why I haven't been able to spend as much time on it, the increased length over the first two books and the fact that I want to do things differently. I rushed books 1 and 2 out to gain some momentum, get some feedback and build awareness. I have those things, I get mixed criticism, but mostly very positive feedback. So I now really want 'Deathsworn Arc 3 : The Temple of the Mad God' to be great on it's first release and not need to publish as many revisions as the first two books. I expect to raise the price once all the three books are what I consider 'finished' but that's to be decided yet. If I can move to the traditional publishing model it might be that I don't have control over pricing any more.

I am sorry about the wait, but it will be worth it. 'Deathsworn Arc 3 : The Temple of the Mad God' is going to be best yet!

Martyn

I'm aching to get the definitive Verkreath Horror up! The cover is amazing, I'm going to crop the faces and put them in the first book for the portraits. I actually already did this for a handful of review copies. I think it'll look amazing.

I'm still ploughing through an initial edit of 'The Blood Queen' I think it's a great story, its got a really different feel to the first two books, now that the 'Truth' is revealed. You really do start to get a picture, if a hazy one of who Vashni is by the end of the book.

I sincerely apologise for the long wait for the final Verkreath and 'The Blood Queen' but I really think it will be worth it!

I have decided to release an anthology of books 1, 2 and 3 too - the anthology will have the old image I used for book 1 for the cover I think, but I will include the new covers in the file as well - as I think they look amazing!

I currently have book 1 The Last Dragon Slayer on Kindle Countdown in both amazon.co.uk and amazon.com!

Pick it up for a fraction of it's normal price!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Last-Drag...

http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Dragon...

After another round of submissions inquiries, I've had several more requests for manuscripts!

I'm dabbling with the idea of trying my luck with YA and NA specializing agents. My fear is that 'Deathsworn Arc' is a little bit old for YA. I suppose I perceive YA as being 'teen' novels. Now I don't think my books are very suitable for under thirteen's. I actually think they are probably best suited to fifteen plus, maybe fourteen plus?

Superficially they are fantasy adventure stories. However they deal with some adult themes and they have some graphic violence in them.

They look at attraction, racism, inter-race relationships, senescence, longevity, the meaning of life, purpose, faith, morality, pragmatism, the notion of bravery and honor...

They also have a deeply routed theme of atheism and pragmatism. I can't explain why, but over the last few years I've become ruthlessly logical and rational, perhaps even a little 'cold'. I wonder if it's partly because of the increased presence of religious extremism in the news, and partly because my mother seems to be inclined to believe in anything and everything. I can't believe in anything, unless there is strong observable, repeatable evidence for it. When I rationally consider the existence of a creator god, I find it impossible to find a rational, logical route to one existing. I can find many rational, logical routes for primitive humans inventing a god and then later developing the idea.

When I decided to use my fantasy series to explore atheism and loss of faith, I wasn't sure it was a good idea. I try to keep it subtle, and keep the story about the characters. There's still a risk these themes could put off deeply religious people. That's a risk I'm willing to to take. A wise man once told me, if you want your work to be loved by some, you have to accept it might be hated by others. When you're trying to evoke strong emotions in your readers, you are taking a risk. Nobody likes a flat roller-coaster, or a plot without twists, people get enjoyment from being surprised.

I always like to have story elements cross books too, I want every book to feel both complete in it's own right, but also a part of a bigger story.

I managed to go through about 30 pages with my beta-reader come editor last night and managed to implement about 10 pages of edits! I'm now ready to start editing the chapter called 'The Challenge of Burgess'

Anyone who has read book 2 will know this chapter involves a duel... Or two :)

Had a pretty dismal weekend for sales of The Deathsworn Arc, 'The Last Dragon Slayer' sold one copy in the UK.

Not sure why things have dried up so suddenly.

I'm still hoping the release of 'The Blood Queen' will revitalize sales. The cover is back on, I've given feedback and I'm waiting for a new WIP.

I'm still editing and polishing my first 1000 words of 'Temple Of the Mad God' and I'm waiting for my beta-reader come editor to read the rest of 'The Blood Queen' before I start attacking it with my proof-reader.

I had some rejection from publishers and agents recently too. I may have to accept self-publishing is my only option for Deathsworn Arc and look at traditional publishing for my second series. I really need to understand why 'The Deathsworn Arc' isn't being picked up. I know it's a good story, I get generally good feedback. Readers enjoy it, I think people enjoy book 2 more than one, perhaps because the companions are not so much the bunch of strangers thrown together, as they were in book 1.

I do wonder if it's the atheist, free-thinking themes of the series that puts agents off. I find the topic of faith and religion fascinating though, and I don't know if I can write anything without involving it at some level.

Perhaps my fortune will improve with the release of book 3 'The Blood Queen' ?

The latest cover WIP by Isis Sousa is very, very close.

It's a really great image. I'm desperate to share it, but I need to get closer to finishing the text. I am going to incorporate the portrait of Saul from the cover into the book 1 profiles. Vashni is looking great.

I feel a little bit scared about releasing book 3. I've had such great feedback for book 2, that I think the change of pace and tone in 3, well - it could go either way. My biggest concern is that not enough people press on to book 2. I get great feedback for book 1, but book 2 is still not really moving. In some respects I think - should I have written one, 2 million word epic? It'd take a long time though - and I don't know if readers would be prepared to invest their time to read so much into a new author - plus I'd lose the chance to allow feedback to shape the series.

Book 4 is well underway at least, and I think the opening is very, very strong.

More rejection from agents and publishers today! I'm not perturbed though! If they won't take me on, then I'll Lightning Source my paperbacks, set them up with a non-sale return policy and send some postcards out to book stores.

I am also planning on de-KDP Selecting the entire series at some point. So Kobo and Barnes and Noble readers should be able enjoy them too!

Well, it's here!

The big cover reveal for book 3!

I haven't created the book listing on Goodreads yet, as I don't have the blurb ready. However the cover is I think, READY!

Do you like it?



Let me know what you think in the comments!

Martyn

I'm still looking at the covers.

Isis Sousa has mocked up a bolder cover with bigger text and more emphasis on the author:-

https://scontent-a-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/h...

Here's the old one:-

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.ne...

I'm still not sure whether to emphasize the series name as the brand or the author name. I do think the book title should be a little bolder.

What do you think? Which cover looks best?

I'm looking at trying to make a widget for the back of my books so you can add them to goodreads with one click.

I'm not sure if this is possible though. If anyone knows it can or can't be done, I'd love to hear from them!