Hail Sword Swingers!
Exciting things are afoot.
It’s been a while since my last blog, and as usual real-life concerns limit my time. Still, I’ve been plugging away on my own plots, and much is underway in the Indiesphere / Iron Age.
Book 2: Weird of the Skull Totem
Much to my surprise and delight, I’ve had several people ask me about the coming adventures of Skarde, The Wandering Sword. Foolishly, I did not shill the Skarde short story Blades Against Fear on my blog, though I did on Twitter. There’s still time to pick up a copy of Anvil #2 here.
Now to Skarde’s second novel. Weird of the Skull Totem was already finished as I published Citadel of Seven Swords. I am working on draft three. I’ve removed an entire chapter, added a prologue (as I never thought I would, but don’t worry, it’s short) and there are story beats that need contraction or expansion. My editor and beta reader have provided excellent feedback, and these re-writes will improve the story immensely.
I planned on a November 1 release. I was a little overconfident. Editing is going slower than expected, but I won’t rush and compromise quality. I have commissioned cover art, but that is delayed as well. My artist is also a boxer, and has suffered an injury in the ring. Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon and better than ever. Get well, Krzysztof!
Citadel of Seven Swords
Sales of Citadel are doing well. I really have no basis of comparison, and comparisons between authors are difficult as every creative faces their own unique challenges. Still, thing are better than I expected three months in.
Pre-Orders in July brought in almost 3 dozen sales, and a few paperback enjoyers added to the tally. August was a little slower, but a book sale in September almost matched launch month. With some luck I’ll hit 100 sales by the end of month 4.
I’m more than happy with this. As a new author with no platform to speak of, I’m thrilled! I’ve also had support from members if the fantasy community. Other creators in this space are supportive and knowledgeable, and a few readers have reached out to me personally or left (or said they will leave) reviews. Thank you, savages! What a great tribe.
Book 2 will only help. Book 3 is my current WIP. And I will reveal here the title of Book 3: Princess of the Shrouded Mountain. Intrigue, primordial monsters, and savage foes all bedevil Skarde and his friends as they fight to survive and escape a lost land.
Iron Age
The Iron Age grows strong. Many new writers are finding inspiration and contributing to a culture of independence, strength, and most importantly – great storytelling. I can’t list all the stuff going on – there’s too much! A good place to keep an eye on the beat of things is TJ Marquis INDIESCAN series.
John A Douglas continues to fight Twitter just before his book, The Black Crown comes out. He’s back (for now) on Twitter @BlkCrownAuthor or check out his Youtube here .
I'm almost finished SHAGDUK. Sadly, I have had almost no time for reading all summer. This is a fine tome that I could chew up in a few sittings, but I've had to set it down too often. A review here and on my Youtube channel are deserved, and coming soon.
What else? Too much. I can say that Indies and Iron Agers are keeping an eye on the shenanigans going on at Amazon, Youtube, Paypal, Kickstarter and other corp-techs. And we aren’t laying down for mistreatment. No news yet, but things are happening. A long road lies ahead, and bit by bit we’re working on both our stories, and the freedom to get out stories out there.
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