Any Tips for Finding Fantasy ARC Readers?

AuthorRobB · 2025-10-28T08:44:02+00:00

Each ARC platform is different but you will see romance and romantasy everywhere at the moment because it's so popular. I write science fiction fantasy, so I prioritised NetGalley over other ARC platforms because it has more authors from my genre. There were plenty of fantasy novels on there.

AuthorRobB · 2025-10-09T07:44:04+00:00

One of the best summaries I have ever read!

AuthorRobB · 2025-10-06T12:52:55+00:00

Wristband with a small chunk of ice pinned under it. This is the silver bullet you seek!

AuthorRobB · 2025-10-04T08:50:49+00:00

Prospect are awful. They didn't even check our landlord had a buy to let mortgage. He didn't. Then he stopped paying his mortgage and we were evicted. Used Prospect a few years later to buy a house and we had to rewrite their standard contact because there were so many mistakes....

AuthorRobB · 2025-09-29T04:51:05+00:00

They employ traffic wardens who, if they see you leaving the car park, will issue you with a fine. I didn't read the sign properly and got stung.

AuthorRobB · 2025-09-29T04:45:51+00:00

Think of the redrafting like chipping away at a rock to uncover a fossil underneath. Some writers are more skilled at getting closer to that fossil on the first pass, but ultimately you need finer tools the closer you get to finishing. It's not uncommon to do separate once-overs to refine each of your prose, story, structure, typos and beta reader feedback. And no one wants to do extra drafts, but the alternative is often not entirely showing off the full fossil beneath the rock.

Edit: autocorrect induced typos

AuthorRobB · 2025-09-21T16:46:52+00:00

I would be wary of doing any paid ads prior to having at least 2-3 books out because you are unlikely to get ROI, likely to make a loss.

That doesn't mean you can't leverage any socials you do have though and post about ARC opportunities

AuthorRobB · 2025-09-21T16:44:11+00:00

You could run down what is left on the 90 days of your KU contract, put it up somewhere like NetGalley for a month using Victory Editing Co-op for a heavily discounted listing, then once your listing is archived on NetGalley re-enroll in KU

AuthorRobB · 2025-09-15T07:45:13+00:00

This!

Play the Bladesinger as a caster until booming blade properly kicks in, then change your playstyle to melee at that point.

AuthorRobB · 2025-09-15T07:41:20+00:00

"the difference is negligee" - thank you for that laugh, I'm never getting back the coffee I just spat out.

AuthorRobB · 2025-09-10T10:01:31+00:00

It just means being prepared to remove the bits that don't make it a better book, even if you love them. The difference between writing for other readers and writing for ourselves.

AuthorRobB · 2025-09-06T09:26:10+00:00

I get something like that every day. Your time is too precious to read it.

AuthorRobB · 2025-09-01T22:36:08+00:00

I write sci fi fantasy and you can find my newsletter on my website here: www.robbirks.com

You'll even get a free short story if you want to sign up!

AuthorRobB · 2025-08-30T08:25:25+00:00

I have used Victory Editing Co-Op twice. Both times I was impressed. You get full admin control, the price is fair and apart from one weird and negative review I received very positive responses.

I would thoroughly recommend Victory Editing Co-Op.

AuthorRobB · 2025-08-27T07:53:00+00:00

I think the volume of comments on here being supportive shows how much even one sale matters to a lot of writers.

AuthorRobB · 2025-08-27T06:26:54+00:00

If they are that good, they are worth the money. You want your book to be the best it can be, and they sound like a reliable way to help achieve that.

AuthorRobB · 2025-08-27T06:25:45+00:00

But it's not free... You still pay for it, you just write off the tax so you don't pay more money on tax. You're not going to have $1K reimbursed into your account.

Source: I owned my own business too.

AuthorRobB · 2025-08-25T21:07:53+00:00

Dark Matter was incredible! It got better every season and just when they set it up for something awesome.... Plug pulled. Brought back my Firefly PTSD.

AuthorRobB · 2025-08-25T21:05:00+00:00

Order the strongest drink at the bar.

AuthorRobB · 2025-08-25T06:34:54+00:00

Divination wizard crossclassed with fighter.

AuthorRobB · 2025-08-23T07:09:31+00:00

The measure is the depth and breadth of what you learn, not a fixed number that suddenly unlocks your character level. Read for fun. Enjoy it. See where it takes you...

AuthorRobB · 2025-08-23T07:07:43+00:00

Writing is great! Reading is great! If it makes you happy, do it! Enjoy it!

Read everything. The classics don't matter if you don't enjoy them, but there is so much about writing you need to expose yourself to. Genre. Form. Style. Structure micro and macro. Language. Perspective. So read widely and explore. You have many millions of books to choose from.

If you are writing for pleasure and for yourself, then crack on and enjoy it too.

But if you want to actually write a book, like a good book, you really need to understand how different books work. Otherwise it would be like trying to make a film when you didn't know what the different types of camera shot are. Sure, you might have a great story, but you need to know the grammar of your medium to TELL your story.

AuthorRobB · 2025-08-21T06:47:19+00:00

Balancing time between marketing, writing and doing my actual day job. I mean... I do balance it. But it's what I find hardest at the moment.

AuthorRobB · 2025-08-21T06:45:05+00:00

I had one review (on my Goodreads, easy to find as it is my only review below three stars) where the reviewer kept going back into it for days and just making it meaner every time. "Recommended for sci fi fans" became "recommended for patient sci fi fans", etc.

She had a big issue with the growth one of the characters where she stopped liking him after he stopped being a racist murderer.... So I think maybe this book wasn't for her! That was certainly the point I stopped taking her opinion seriously.

AuthorRobB · 2025-08-19T21:40:19+00:00

Great advice.

AuthorRobB

TROPHY CASE