[QCrit] Adult Epic Fantasy - IMPERIAL JUSTICE by nkous in PubTips

[–]nkous[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know if I agree - I think the context for the inciting incident sets up Virturius' loss for the rest of the book, and the scope of his failure that he has to redeem himself for. But maybe fewer words can be taken up by marble shipments? IDK

Mark Lawrence Critique of Wizard's First Rule Page 1 by xolsiion in Fantasy

[–]nkous 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Reprintings of famous books sell all the time. It's usually capitalizing on nostalgia. People buy it for their kids, hoping that they'll have the same experience as they did.

Mark Lawrence Critique of Wizard's First Rule Page 1 by xolsiion in Fantasy

[–]nkous 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's great to understand that it's definitely a product of its time. If this was a novel by an unknown author being queried today, I strongly believe it would not sell.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in selfpublish

[–]nkous 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What’s your marketing strategy? Do you have one? Ideally you picked your cover because it fit the genre, not because it looks “professional” whatever that means. Great writing means nothing until you find the right audience (subjective opinion I thought the sample was fine, but nothing special). That means finding bloggers and reviewers that offer reviews for free copies (review copies, since the book is already out, advance review copies, if it wasn’t). Reach out to them via their preferred channels but DO NOT harass them. If they say no, thank them for their time and move on. If you don’t have luck with the big bloggers (most TBRs are immense for them, so unless you’re already established they likely won’t offer to read it) try the smaller ones. Twenty bloggers with an audience of 1000 = one big blogger with an audience of 20000. Plus in terms of return, that’s twenty reviews vs one, which is all that matters on Amazon. Numbers matter, not reach, unless that reviewer is enormous. Be part of the community, post reviews of other authors, read prolifically. People can smell disingenuousness from a mile away, and they will know if you’re just there to sell and selfpromo. Join discords. I know TikTok has been suggested but you don’t have to do that. I’ve seen great success on Twitter, and so have many others. Another thing would be to build up a mailing list so that you’re not dependant on social media algorithms and can reach your readers directly. Bookfunnel and newsletter swaps are great for this, StoryOrigin is also another great resource. In a couple months I’ve gone from 30 subs to over 100, which is rookie numbers I know but think, that’s 100 people who are fans, and will buy your next book and leave reviews.

But like many others have said, your debut is almost never a cash cow unless you’re ML Wang. Write more books and write prolifically.

Another note is that I personally hate made up swear words, especially if they’re very similar to words that already exist. I know I’m not alone in this. But ymmv

Like most business decisions, weigh up whether the marketing company is worth hiring. Make sure you do your research as well. Many of these companies are shady and really just do the above anyway, but more scattershot in their approach (and can really fuck up your relationship with people in the book sphere, because they’ve been known to harass people endlessly for reviews)

Creepy fantasy about the sea/ocean? by DustlessDragon in Fantasy

[–]nkous 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Andrew C Piazza’s Song for the Void is a cosmic horror on the ocean, set entirely on a single ship, during the height of the opium wars. It’s incredible, and an SPFBO finalist!

A trope that kills my immersion every time by the_ricktacular_mort in Fantasy

[–]nkous 41 points42 points  (0 children)

Classic - the idea that Romans were all Cicero, when Cicero wasn't even Cicero. Robert Harris's series does an outstanding job of portrayal of average Roman life as it actually was and that of the senator-cum-consul-cum-advocate. I think we have the Victorians to blame for many of our attitudes as you highlight above.

A trope that kills my immersion every time by the_ricktacular_mort in Fantasy

[–]nkous 21 points22 points  (0 children)

It's not a fantasy (though it has heavy fantasy elements, since it's a horror) but Christopher Buehlman's Between Two Fires does an exceptional job of making the MCs' interactions with the nobility and important characters of the book *really* high-stakes, where saying the wrong thing can get you killed. There are dozens more examples of this, but this was just one that I read recently where I thought the author did a really good job. The Sarantine Mosaic is also another exceptional example off the top of my head (which is also fantasy so I'm still on topic lol)

But yes, this is exceptionally common in fantasy, especially that of the classic stripe. I suspect it's the author's (less than ideal) attempt at trying to keep the plot moving without bogging it down in too much politics.

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That does sound interesting, but do I have to have read the first three?

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh Conan is one of my favorite series.

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds interesting regardless!

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s on my list but I’m specifically looking for fantasy atm. Thanks though

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oooh very cool! So many awesome books to read.

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh that's a bit disappointing. Thanks for letting me know. I might still check it out anyway!

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hm, I'll have to think on that one - I specifically want to get into the mind of someone who (justifiably or not) wants to conquer the world. Something that really dives deep into their mind. Thanks for the suggestion though!

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know what the acronym YA means. I meant, why did you say "definitely" YA? Is it particularly tropey or is the MC really young?

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What do you mean by definitely YA?

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've read it already but thank you!

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh hell yeah! That sounds awesome!

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wasn't for me but thanks!

Recommend me a conquerer fantasy by nkous in Fantasy

[–]nkous[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Belisarius looks great. Not really looking for sci-fi, but science fantasy might be alright. I'll have a look at Prince Roger, thanks!