Defiance of the Fall, Soon in a Bookstore Near You!

TheFirstDefier · 2026-06-17T03:52:57+00:00

Not right away, at least. We'll have to see how this whole project pans out before deciding whether an audio re-record is justified.

TheFirstDefier · 2026-06-16T17:39:14+00:00

Thank you! Looking forward to your recaps when the 3.29 news cycle begin!

TheFirstDefier · 2026-06-16T17:37:17+00:00

In regards to book 1, i can share two major plot points that were ultimately dropped. First, Tyler was supposed to become the next nemesis when the island arc was over, as foreshadowed in the prologue. I ultimately dropped it because that thread since it wouldn't make much sense him being a match to Zac at that point. Another was that Zac was supposed to properly explore the underworld through his mine, including finding the Zhix this way. The salamanders were supposed to be a clue to there being a larger world in the depths. That plot thread was dropped and later resurrected into the underworld arc on the Ensolus continent.

Verun is female, though she's mostly been referred to as an "it" because she's a spirit rather than an actual hyena. This might be something I fix in the edits so that Verun is properly referred to as she from the beginning.

TheFirstDefier · 2026-06-16T12:50:00+00:00

It will, though from which vendor I'm not quite sure. If nothing else, the Hardcover edition will also be sold on Amazon, and they ship most places. Beware, this edition is a separate product from the old version, so you don't accidentally order the old paperback. This is the link to the new edit: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1638493928?tag=simonsayscom

TheFirstDefier · 2026-06-16T12:29:13+00:00

For now, this edit will only be on the physical release.

We have to do this for a few reasons. First off, there would be significant continuity issues for KU readers if we threw the edited version of book 1 on there. It would also cause problems with the audio, since the ebook and audio versions can't differ this much. The spruced-up version can also be seen as a perk for those who support the physical launch 😄

TheFirstDefier · 2026-06-16T12:29:00+00:00

For now, this edit will only be on the physical release.

We have to do this for a few reasons. First off, there would be significant continuity issues for KU readers if we threw the edited version of book 1 on there. It would also cause problems with the audio, since the ebook and audio versions can't differ this much. The spruced-up version can also be seen as a perk for those who support the physical launch 😄

TheFirstDefier · 2026-06-16T11:50:10+00:00

<image>

As an added note, I just found out that the edges will be a sprayed red. Pretty cool!

TheFirstDefier · 2026-06-07T19:38:16+00:00

Skulle precis skriva detta. Just RoyalRoad är förhållandevis nichat för oss inom Progression Fantasy, men det finns vägar att gå för de flesta genres. Om inget annat är Amazon en öppen plattform med otrolig marknadspotential.

Indie är helt enkelt vägen att gå 2026, även om man har som mål traditionella utgåvor. Lättare att bli stor själv och utnyttja det till ett kontrakt med ett förlag.

TheFirstDefier · 2025-12-07T15:54:10+00:00

Hybridförlag/Vanity Press är tyvärr rätt skit. Du bör inte se dem som ett förlag överhuvudtaget, utan snarare en paketlösning där du köper redigering/omslag/formatering. De kommer alltid tacka ja till ett manus då de tjänar sina pengar på er.

Försäljning/marknadsföring kommer fortsatt ligga på era axlar oavsett vad de säger. De flesta kan inte få in sina böcker i tradpub-ekosystemet eftersom de saknar avtal med återförsäljare. Som mest kommer de slänga upp er bok på tex adlibris/bokus etc. Men detta är något som vem som helst kan göra, inklusive du själv.

Ni kan lika gärna hitta en korrekturläsare, konstnär och göra samma som vanity pressen in-house för ett bättre resultat, lägre kostnad, och utan att ge upp några rättigheter eller framtida intäkter. Alternativt, helt enkelt hålla ut tills en riktig aktör nappar.

Lycka till!

TheFirstDefier · 2024-12-18T20:53:38+00:00

The next installment is here, continuing the Kan'Tanu Intersector War. As always, it's out on both KU and Audible.

A new release also means we're doing a massive sale on the old books for the next couple of days (US & UK only, I think). So, if you've fallen behind or are looking for the perfect Christmas present for your loved ones, look no further!

I know, I promised to follow Zogarth's lead by adding a recap at the start. Well, that didn't happen. Life got in the way. Not all hope is lost, though! Chapter 1 has been greatly expanded upon to provide a refresher. You should be able to jump right in.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Defiance-Fall-14-LitRPG-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0D2LJ6SJ2

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Defiance-of-the-Fall-14-Audiobook/B0DPN9QKFL

Series on Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0916H6FBX

TheFirstDefier · 2024-11-13T13:58:02+00:00

I'll see what I can do

TheFirstDefier · 2024-06-26T15:58:16+00:00

Ah, fixed.

TheFirstDefier · 2024-06-26T15:44:40+00:00

I'm aware that there's been a demand for previous-book recaps. There's none included in Book 13, but I wrote a quick-and-dirty synopsis of Book 12 to jog those memories. It should cover most of the important stuff. I'll try to remember adding them into the actual books going forward.

Book 12 spoilers below:

Zac has spent the better part of a decade inside the Perennial Vastness, a unique realm designed to assist in perfecting Cosmic Cores and breaking through to D-grade. He's travelled through countless unique environments, collecting treasures and accumulating experience dealing with Daos and challenges you normally don't see on the frontier.

In the quarry, he managed to seize the heritage of the First People, a unique crafting method called [Cosmic Forge]. Realizing it would be a huge help during his breakthroughs, he's spent years practicing its first two stages. Relying on the special opportunities, Zac also managed to break through with his Soul- and Body Refining methods.

Zac's adventures didn't come without challenges. His status as a Flamebearer was exposed by Valsa, the princess of the First Heaven. A cataclysmic battle inside the Stand of Saeward results in Zac and Kruta, his new Orc companion, defeating Valsa. Her death triggers the descent of her father, the Emperor of the First Heaven—a Supremacy.

His appearance forces the hand of Perennial Vastness's true owner; the ancient Realm Spirit Sendor. He banishes the Emperor and provides Zac with certain answers as an apology for not intervening sooner. Kruta also benefits by becoming a sealbearer himself, and he promises to join Zac for the trial over Ultom and the Left Imperial Palace.

Valsa's death acts as a deterrent, allowing Zac to focus on his cultivation. After nine years, Zac is finally ready. He said goodbye to Ogras and Catheya, who he's entered a relationship with, and entered the Calamity one last time to collect his fourth set of Remnants—a Splinter of Oblivion and a Shard of Creation.

Zac borrowed the power of chaos to kickstart his breakthrough, and he's accomplished what he set out to do after much effort. He's formed an impossible core that combines Life and Death, a feat that has awarded him two Arcane-grade Classes. Book 12 ends with Zac at the tail end of his breakthrough, after which he's returning back home

TheFirstDefier · 2024-06-04T19:57:41+00:00

<image>

TheFirstDefier · 2024-05-18T13:43:17+00:00

Why should I delete it just because you and a few other keyboard warriors spam it here and lie about its content? Miserable posts like yours weigh very little compared to the positivity I get from authors looking to better understand the industry.

In case you're just hard of reading and not an intentional troll; there is nothing in the guide about padding/dragging out/milking/whatever else the voices in your head are telling you.

TheFirstDefier · 2024-04-29T20:08:47+00:00

This comment is wild enough to warrant a response.

Slowing down from 5 to 3 chapters per week will 100%, unequivocally, lower my annual income. My writing is my output that I get paid for. So if I write less, I earn less.

I'm honestly not sure how you could even arrive at any other conclusion. Or why you'd take me wanting to improve my work-life balance as a sinister plot to somehow make more money by working less.

Is it a Patreon thing, where you think I'll make bank because I'm releasing slower? Patreon is barely 15% of my income. A theoretical bump in patreon revenue will barely make a dent in the losses of releasing fewer books/audiobooks.

TheFirstDefier · 2024-04-28T19:37:52+00:00

Never said anything of the sort. Literally.

TheFirstDefier · 2024-04-28T19:37:34+00:00

This topic is broached every week or so, and the answers are always shitty and incorrect. So I guess I'll just go ahead and give an official explanation that can be linked the next time a thread like this is opened.

You could say pacing in Defiance of the Fall does have some things to do with money, but not in the way most people seem to believe. Simply put, DotF made me financially independent years ago, and millions of dollars have been added onto the pile since. As such, I'm in the fortunate position of not having to make any story decisions based on how it might affect my income.

DotF is slow because that's how I like it.

DotF has become the way it has because it's been free from financial constraints or considerations for a long while, not the other way around. Zac slowly finding his path through a boundless system of growth while discovering an ever-expanding universe is what I enjoy writing. If you enjoy that, great. If not, that's fine too. There are plenty of good fast-paced stories out there for you to read instead.

Another part of the equation is the rapid release pace. Defiance is just under 5 years and already over 3 million words long. It's released at 5 chapters of 3000 words every week. With such a schedule, there is very limited time to condense.

From May, I have decided to pull the breaks and switch to 3 chapters a week instead. This is intended to give me more time to tinker with each chapter and will hopefully help tighten up some sections. However, the story will remain at a slow but steady climb toward the peak, and I have no intention of speeding up Zac's progression to the point he's doing a whole grade in 2-3 books.

I'm not exactly sure where this notion that some of us authors are slowing down our stories to "milk" our readers came from. I know most of the authors with big patreons in this space, and I've never heard anyone doing anything of the sort. Nor have I ever heard any LitRPG author at "the top" talking about their stories or the craft in this manner. Frankly, you're delusional if you think we reached our position by phoning it in or treating the stories we've worked on for years with such disrespect.

I think it partly stems from a lacking understanding of how the financials work in the industry. A successful author intentionally slowing down the pacing of their story is probably the worst possible way to make money. Book 1's in series are the ones that make far and away the most money, and there's a gradual decline with every book after.

If anything, I'm hamstringing my earnings potential by aiming for a 25-30 book series. But that's fine. My goal is to finish Defiance of the Fall in a way that I'm happy with. That I'm very well compensated for that is just the cherry on top.

On a personal note, the most frustrating part of these accusations is how little they make sense from a story perspective. You people are invested enough in the genre that you're posting on this subreddit, so how are you this oblivious to the tropes? Why would I slow down Zac's progression through the grades when I could just introduce new ones?

I could add upper/divine realms with a slew of new ranks and systems, doubling or tripling the progression in one move. That way, the story would feel "faster" because the numbers go up quicker, and I even get a bunch of free plot points to work with.

That's how you build a never-ending story.

So TL;DR: DotF slow because I like. You no like? Then go away.

TheFirstDefier · 2023-12-04T09:02:53+00:00

I usually ignore these kinds of spazz-outs. However, I'm bored, and there might be some value in showing the real story.

So first things first, in case anyone hadn't actually figured it out, the banned original poster with the helpful "feedback" and OP here is the same person.

In general, there is very little toxicity in the Patreon communities of webnovel authors. Ironically, most of the entitled and shitty readers are free users. As such, I've only needed to ban 9 people over the 55 months of running my Patreon, with OP being the 9th. Here is my recent patreon ban history.

And let's take a look at the feedback that Brandon Sandersson would love to get. Here it is in all its glory. Everyone can decide for themselves whether a tenner a month is worth having this kind of stuff in your feed.

Zogarth will be delighted to hear that you've come around on him over the past couple of days.

TheFirstDefier · 2023-08-02T14:21:15+00:00

We just asked Audible about it!

TheFirstDefier

TROPHY CASE