My dear friends and family, I need your help.
As you all know, if you’ve followed me over to this little corner of the internet, I’m writing a book and hope to self-publish it next year. (If you care about why self-publishing instead of traditional publishing, feel free to ask. I figure most readers don’t know or care who published their books, but I could be wrong)
About The Book:
It seems that an introduction to a book should begin with a title. But that would assume that I have a title.
Naming things is my kryptonite. It’s hard enough to come up with character names, never mind the title of the whole book.
I won’t tell you how long it took my husband and I to come up with names for our children. I will say that usually we were still discussing it on the way to the birth.
To make this whole situation just a little more pathetic, the first chapters of this story were written EIGHT years ago. It then sat ignored in a drawer (or e-ignored on a thumb drive) for about 7 years until I pulled it out and started working on it again. So eight years and no title. Yup.
We refer to the nameless book as “Alaric” after the main character. It’s a classic fantasy novel with all the usual characters, elves, dwarves, even a dragon or two. There’s even a wizard in a pointy hat, although not the kind anyone would take seriously.
Here’s a quick synopsis:
Alaric is a man who’s turned his back on everything he believed in order to search for a cure for his dying wife. But now he’s having to face the fact that after years of questionable choices, he’s failed. Unfortunately, he’s also having to fact the fact that the world needs him. Not the failure he is now, it needs him the way he used to be. Are some choices too big to come back from? Does he care enough to find out?
(There’s also a quick blurb here about Alaric.)
Quick Questions:
I need a little help.
In any sort of publishing today, it’s the author’s responsibility to take care of marketing. So, you lovely people are the beginnings of my research.
I know a lot of you don’t read fantasy novels, (some of you might not read books at all, to which I say, “Shame on you, go to Amazon and buy a book.”) but I know many of you are avid readers. No matter what sort of books you read, could you take a minute and answer these three questions?
- Where do you hear about new books you want to read? Friends? Bookstore shelves? Library shelves? Goodreads? Word of mouth? Something else?
- Last book you read?
- Best book you read in the last year?
Thanks, all you lovely people.
Yay, it’s Tuesday! I think I may have answered something similar to this on our discussion board, but I will give my two cents again!
1. Everywhere. Bookstores, B&N website, Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest, mah boyfriend, basically whatever is currently bestselling and tons of classics that I should’ve read in high school. I especially love book lists. I don’t generally care for book recommendations from people. This applies to movies and TV shows too. If someone gushes about something, I usually go in reading/watching it with my nose turned up. I will look at the number of stars a book is given, but I won’t read reviews because I don’t care about other people’s opinions (unless it’s something we mutually hate). I tend to remember things they’ve said, and I don’t want it to influence the way I read or think about something.
2. Currently reading Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On and am loving it! Before that, Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor, which I also luuurved.
3. Best book I’ve read this year… Oh gods. This has been a great year. Can I, um, cheat and pick a couple? Three max?
The Blood of Olympus – Rick Riordan
The Raven Boys – Maggie Stiefvater
Gone – Michael Grant
Aaaaand…
Throne of Glass – Sarah J. Maas
Blood of My Blood – Barry Lyga
A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J. Maas.
Fangirl – Rainbow Rowell
Dammit, now I can’t stop…
Eleanor & Park – Rainbow Rowell
Daughter of Smoke and Bone – Laini Taylor
Cress – Marissa Meyer
Okay, I’m done. Actually, I only picked the first book of each series, but you could also include the rest. :B
Alaric sounds great! Hurry up and pooooost it! I hate titling things too, but I’ll be sure to brainstorm ideas when reading your story.
Ok, Joey, You’ve mentioned the Raven Boys enough, I’m gonna get it. 🙂 I’ve read about half of the ones you named and I agree on them. Have you read Winter (Marissa Meyer) yet? I have it on hold at the library.
lol, I know. I’m sorry. Don’t pull a me and stick your nose up at it! I haven’t read Winter yet. I think it should be on my doorstep today (hopefully not getting snowed on . . .).
What about you? What’s the best book you’ve read this year?
Oooh, I hate having my own questions turned on me! 🙂 I don’t know about the whole year, but I just finished Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson. It was really good.
1. I use Google Books as my initial marketplace, and their recommendations based on my purchase history are usually right up my alley. They also have a handy wishlist, so when I want a book, I usually grab a wishlist item that I’d bookmarked some time before that. And I have a handful of friends who, if they recommended a book, I would read it without hesitation.
2. The last book I read was “American Nations” by Colin Woodard, which is about how all the different waves of settlers in the U.S. have influenced our nation’s culture, and the effect that has on modern politics. About as far from fantasy as you can get. But it was outstanding, and I do recommend it to anyone who has any interest in politics.
3. Best book I read in the last year was “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain.
I don’t read enough 🙁
I pretty much exclusively read books that are recommended by a friend. In fact, you dear friend, have introduced me to several I enjoyed tremendously.
I feel like since I started having kids, I only really started reading again in the last year or two. Little kids take up too much energy. And now you have chickens, which sound a little like kids. 🙂 I’d rather chase and catch a kid than a chicken!
I love your book and will keep on buying them.
and I read about 1-3 books a week, yes a said 1-3 book a week. I reading when ever I can. and at night.
I made my own saying “Reading is the Best Way to Travel” coined it in 1999.
I have started a book myself but my business take up a lot of time (when I not Reading).
Thanks for your great books they are super good and the way you telling the stories make me see all in front of me.
Thanks Your grateful reader Roland
1. on Amazon and e-mail from Authors like you. I getting 15-20 Email a week like that
2. Archangel Down; Archangel Project: book one. by C. Gockel
3. Element Series. By SG Basu It is a super good serie that I could not put down I read the whole serie in one week.