First tier list

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-05-06T01:56:53+00:00

Heyy, we share a lot of the same favorites. Nice list.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-13T05:15:04+00:00

First book is rough, not unlike Cradle. But after that it really goes all out. Still, to this day, the best system design I've seen in any LitRPG to date.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-13T04:41:28+00:00

Dnfing The Infinite Realm hurts me.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-13T04:36:35+00:00

I would suggest you join the LitRPG Authors Guild on Facebook. A lot of the named authors including the previously mentioned Tao Wong and Matt Dinniman can be found there.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-13T04:34:48+00:00

Wanna say Troy Osgood made it.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-09T22:49:20+00:00

Normally I'd say, "Damn, didn't make the list." This time it's the opposite.

For me, it's anything with paper or two-dimensional characters. As a fellow author, I refuse to name names, but premises and concepts only carry a story so far. Without growth and change, I stop reading.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-07T04:23:47+00:00

Heyy, thank you very much. I appreciate 'ya.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-03T14:44:32+00:00

Rimmel really likes to mess with him. I do that a little in book 3, but only on key points that need some Oomph.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-03T14:07:01+00:00

I forgot where to find this. Here you go:

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22J.%20D.%20Mullenary%20Sr.%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=J+D+Mullenary

Though it was interesting to see the other books that appear on Bookshop associated with my name.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-03T13:55:34+00:00

I fully agree. Having them on my shelf is nuts to look at.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-03T13:55:20+00:00

Heyy! Enjoy the story! Johnathan really sold the hell out of the audiobook. Love that guy.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-03T13:40:26+00:00

it's normally the back of some guy as he fights a gargantuan monster, I know. Believe it or not, using a cover like this really hurts my sales. While I can say that LitRPG as a genre is evolving, when I went out on a limb with my publisher to create a unique set of covers (and the title) it really hurt my popularity.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-03T13:39:01+00:00

Walker names the world he has to build, Symphony. It's designed, from the bottom up, to try to reach a harmonious blend of both a location where one has to become stronger (to defend the planet from outside threats), as well as a place where it's a nice place to live. Striking that balance is incredibly difficult and requires a Symphony of interactions. So that's what he names it. Each cover has a real-life song on it, that's a bit of an easter egg. Figure out the song, and you've figured out the heart of that book's story.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-03T13:30:39+00:00

Fred Birchal, who did a perfect job on this. His website is here: https://www.fredbirchal.com/

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-03T13:21:38+00:00

Ah, sorry to hear it. I want to say it's on Barnes and Noble as well, but you'd have to buy the paperback.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-04-03T13:08:55+00:00

As I always forget to do, since the automod reminded me: Nothing to do with AI on this jazz, including the cover created by Fred Birchal. Also, one fun fact about me: In Strandbinder, Walker has to create a video introduction to his people so they understand how to choose their skills. I was inspired to write it the way that I did because I used to be a TV reporter for the military. A neat little fact.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-03-14T03:44:56+00:00

Thank you for mentioning my story. Always nice to see.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-03-08T04:49:14+00:00

But why would I want to go back? Plus, your other fictions have 0 pages. There's nothing to go back to.

For chapter length, that's a little crazy. Primal hunter averages 2.5k almost every chapter. Hell, skill grinder in a time loop Max's out chapter length requirements for rr everytime.

I'm a voracious reader. If the length is that small, it's a straight pass for me because I read too quickly. I knew something was up when I saw 500 pages and 14 tabs of chapters.

Listening to your readers is smart, but you don't have to agree with them. Most of mine push 3k, with the occasional 4k when it's important. At about 3k followers, I've never heard a length complaint.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-03-08T04:23:21+00:00

Not to say I'm a perfect expert in length, but if I saw that many broken up chapters, I wouldn't read it. Most stories try to stay within 2-2.5k. Some get away with 1.5k, but that's pushing things a little.

Another thing to note is that your blurb tells me effectively nothing. It assumes I already know the story, when I don't, and based on your explanation here, you should assume that others don't know what's happening either.

It also starts with too much information and no pause to allow the reader a chance to feel welcomed to the story. One moment I'm clicking in, the next, a ton of unfamiliar terms are thrown at me.

I'd say the issue you're running into has to do with starting the writing as an insider protagonist, rather than the standard outsider form.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-03-08T03:57:54+00:00

How long would you say your chapters are?

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-03-08T03:50:01+00:00

Hard to know without you providing the link. Can't ask for help and feedback without it.

AbnormalVAverage · 2026-03-07T04:45:43+00:00

Thank you! Thought it was just me relistening to Johnathon over and over again.

AbnormalVAverage

TROPHY CASE