First Step Into A Larger World

Earlier this week, The Blade Bearer went up on Amazon.

This was all very exciting until I noticed the enormous typo on page 1. Queue me frantically editing the text then reloading it to KDP. Then I notice the video I enthusiastically uploaded says at the end that the book is only available chapter by chapter through Patreon  (my original idea for selling it). So down comes the video. 

It's then that the enormity of building a readership hits me. How how do I get all you lovely people out there to find, preview, read and buy the book? 

So last night I made it free for a couple of days. I'm not in it for the money after all. Lo and behold,  this morning two people have 'bought' the book. Two amazing, wonderful human beings.

UPDATE (because the world is waiting to hear): after twenty-four hours, ten delightful people have downloaded The Blade Bearer. Here's hoping at least one leaves a positive review...

There's a big world out there...

I've spent the last few days trying to better understand the world of self publishing online. I'm amazed at how many options are out there, and how much there is to learn.

The one thing I've already learned is not to jump in too quick on more than one platform. I learned this the hard way when When I set up this website then also created a Facebook page and a Patreon page.

I'd heard from someone that you could use Facebook to promote your website, so I went running into a paid promotion without really thinking about my aims or, indeed, whether it was the right thing to do. I spent a modest sum of money but it produced nothing. Just the other day I read a blog that said not to bother with Facebook promotions. So, lesson one, there is a ton of experience out there, so take your time and read what others have said. I'll link to some of the better blogs I've read, but what really impresses me is how many people are willing to share their experience. Despite the massive, almost unimaginable competition for readers, authors are still happy to encourage beginners to get stuck in and give it a go.

The second thing was deeply annoying. After a bit of light googling I realised it was wise to change the name of my principal character. In the text this was an easy find and replace, but on my various digital platforms it was a pain in the neck. I had to manually update every reference to the character on all the platforms, change images, redo videos, and on and on. It took ages and turned me right off writing the character's name ever again.

So, simple lessons. One, wander the blogs and read the tales of those that have travelled this road already. There is wisdom there. Second, don't go rushing into set up every possible digital medium because the weight of it may just drag you right down.

Fantasy in the First Person

When I first started writing Will's adventures, I quickly realised that they had to be written in the first person. Even though I hadn't read much fantasy fiction, I knew that this was rare. After all, how can you tell an epic tale, with tons of characters and lots of exciting events, when everything has to be seen through the eyes of one person?

Excellent question, and one I struggled with when writing the novel and still struggle with now that I'm continuing with the story. All I can say is that I love the directness of the first person, the sense that Will is sitting by your side, sharing his experiences. Indeed, the novel originally opened with a prologue where Will does just that: sits down by a fire in a wind-battered tavern and says he's going to tell his tale. I also find it easier to write in this voice.

A first person narrative does limit what you can do. How long before the writer is constantly having to contrive more and more outlandish coincidences or plot points to get his or her narrator to the scene of the action. Also, the temptation is to fill the story with lots of other stories told by other people, but that doesn't really work either. You lose the immediacy of the first person, of the feeling that the story teller might be there with you, telling you about their experience.

Of course, there are moments in Will the Wayfarer where other people tell their stories, hopefully in their own voice. But I tried to keep these to a minimum and let Will be our guide throughout.

The solution, I found, was simply not to worry about it. Just let Will tell his story and see where it goes. If there are other events happening 'off screen' then that's fine. It just means more responsibility on the writer to ensure that the experience is a satisfying one for the reader. And it is the you, the reader, who will determine if it works or not.