Michael’s answer to “What is it that set's your writing apart from the host? In other words what will make me pick up y…” > Likes and Comments
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Point 1 made me laugh lol I agree, no Prozac needed.
Definitely one of the things I loved about these books.
How can you motivate yourself to write 6 books in a series before publishing them? How did you manage to "hold them back" without feeling you needed the feedback / validation / income from releasing them each to the world as they were written?
I would agree with each of the points. I've read and reread all of the Ryiria books and am nearly done with Hollow World. I find myself still wondering what Royce and Hadrian are up to. I want to know where each went in the future, where they came from in the past, and that leads me to my excitement for the upcoming series. I'll get to know how the First Empire came to be, and get to know a whole new cast of characters. My only complaint is that I don't get to read all the books at once. I can't stand the waiting period!
Thanks, I think that I'll give them a shot, in part due to the answers that Michael gave, but also thanks to Dominic.
No wonder I enjoy your books so much. The favorite books you list are also at the top of my all time favorites list.
@Zaz - a lot of pressure to be sure - but I think I "nailed it"!
@Férial - me too!
@Kamal - well part of it wasn't intentional. I was writing the books while my wife was working on the publishing end - She started after reading book #3 and it just so happens by the time she went through the query-go-round and the books made their rounds with the publishers time marched on to the point where I finished the last one. When I started the series I had no intention on publishing them...when Robin said she wanted to try, I was like, "Go ahead, but I'm not expecting anything to come of it." The only feedback/validation I was looking for was from the people I was writing the books for and that meant me, my wife, and my daughter. As for income, well again, I wasn't planning on publishing, so I had no income expectations.
Now...with the First Empire books (a 5 book series which was also fully written before publishing the first is a different story. Those books were written for publication, and yes I've had to "hold back" both feedback and income by "sitting" on the early books while I wrote the later ones. For me, I learned how much better I was able to make Riyria by doing them all at once, so I really wanted to have the advantages that brings to the writing. By the time I see my first "paycheck" from The First Empire it will probably be 2 1/2 years since I started writing them. Luckily, I know that publishing income can mean many months (or years) without any income so I always have a big nest egg to feed off of while I write. The good news is the Riyria books have been earning well enough such that I've not had to to tap that reserve...but it's there if I need it.
@Dominic - Thanks for reading both Riyria and Hollow World. There will be a third Riyria Chronicle released yet this year, so you'll have an opportunity to spend some new time with Royce and Hadrian...will it be their last? It could be. My approach on the Chronicle tales is to release one, then guage reader reaction, then release another one ONLY if they haven't overstayed their welcome. A lot of people want stories about "what comes after Revelations" and while I'll not say "never" I have plenty of other books that I want to write that are ahead of anything in that vein. I know the waiting will be difficult when First Empire starts to roll out - but it will make the heart grow fonder - or so I've heard ;-)
@Geoff - great! I hope you'll let me know what you think.
@Lori - then I'm going to have to sneak onto your profile and check out your shelves - I find a lot of good new reads by seeing what people who have similar tastes as me found worth reading.
It's tends to be a hodgepodge of my reading for fun, my professional reading, and things I think my students would like.
Gonna try The Martian and then probably something by Lois McMaster Bujold, who I've not read yet. Thanks for the recommendations.
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Point 1 made me laugh lol I agree, no Prozac needed.Definitely one of the things I loved about these books.
How can you motivate yourself to write 6 books in a series before publishing them? How did you manage to "hold them back" without feeling you needed the feedback / validation / income from releasing them each to the world as they were written?
I would agree with each of the points. I've read and reread all of the Ryiria books and am nearly done with Hollow World. I find myself still wondering what Royce and Hadrian are up to. I want to know where each went in the future, where they came from in the past, and that leads me to my excitement for the upcoming series. I'll get to know how the First Empire came to be, and get to know a whole new cast of characters. My only complaint is that I don't get to read all the books at once. I can't stand the waiting period!
Thanks, I think that I'll give them a shot, in part due to the answers that Michael gave, but also thanks to Dominic.
No wonder I enjoy your books so much. The favorite books you list are also at the top of my all time favorites list.
@Zaz - a lot of pressure to be sure - but I think I "nailed it"!@Férial - me too!
@Kamal - well part of it wasn't intentional. I was writing the books while my wife was working on the publishing end - She started after reading book #3 and it just so happens by the time she went through the query-go-round and the books made their rounds with the publishers time marched on to the point where I finished the last one. When I started the series I had no intention on publishing them...when Robin said she wanted to try, I was like, "Go ahead, but I'm not expecting anything to come of it." The only feedback/validation I was looking for was from the people I was writing the books for and that meant me, my wife, and my daughter. As for income, well again, I wasn't planning on publishing, so I had no income expectations.
Now...with the First Empire books (a 5 book series which was also fully written before publishing the first is a different story. Those books were written for publication, and yes I've had to "hold back" both feedback and income by "sitting" on the early books while I wrote the later ones. For me, I learned how much better I was able to make Riyria by doing them all at once, so I really wanted to have the advantages that brings to the writing. By the time I see my first "paycheck" from The First Empire it will probably be 2 1/2 years since I started writing them. Luckily, I know that publishing income can mean many months (or years) without any income so I always have a big nest egg to feed off of while I write. The good news is the Riyria books have been earning well enough such that I've not had to to tap that reserve...but it's there if I need it.
@Dominic - Thanks for reading both Riyria and Hollow World. There will be a third Riyria Chronicle released yet this year, so you'll have an opportunity to spend some new time with Royce and Hadrian...will it be their last? It could be. My approach on the Chronicle tales is to release one, then guage reader reaction, then release another one ONLY if they haven't overstayed their welcome. A lot of people want stories about "what comes after Revelations" and while I'll not say "never" I have plenty of other books that I want to write that are ahead of anything in that vein. I know the waiting will be difficult when First Empire starts to roll out - but it will make the heart grow fonder - or so I've heard ;-)
@Geoff - great! I hope you'll let me know what you think.
@Lori - then I'm going to have to sneak onto your profile and check out your shelves - I find a lot of good new reads by seeing what people who have similar tastes as me found worth reading.
It's tends to be a hodgepodge of my reading for fun, my professional reading, and things I think my students would like.
Gonna try The Martian and then probably something by Lois McMaster Bujold, who I've not read yet. Thanks for the recommendations.
Now I'm looking forward to the 3rd (this one is the huge reason why I love Hollow World, so I'm expecting as much there) and 8th (I saw some nice improvements between the 1st and last chapters in the 1st book, so I'm ready for something better). There's a lot of pressure, but I'm pretty confident :)