Michael J. Sullivan's Blog, page 49
February 2, 2016
Riyria Hardcover Editions
Since the publication of The Death of Dulgath in hardcover, I've received a lot of emails from people who would like to have the other books of the series match. Unfortunately, Orbit never released their books (Theft of Swords, Rise of Empire, Heir of Novron, The Crown Tower, The Rose and the Thorn) in hardcover format.
They did sell book club rights to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club, but the Revelations versions sold out years ago. Today, people can only find them on the used book markets, and usually at a premium cost.
For several months now, I've been trying to negotiate the right for a limited edition hardcover run of the earlier books, and now Orbit has agreed! While we still have to nail down some details, the hard part is over -- getting permission. So Robin and I spent yesterday's lunch brainstorming the project and how to roll it out.
We most likely will utilize a Kickstarter campaign, and since the number of books is limited, we are likely to sell out (especially the rare editions) rather quickly. To make sure ardent fans don't miss out, we've started a wait list. People on this list will receive the Kickstarter URL before it goes live and will know the date and time of its launch. That way people on the waitlist will have the best chances of getting their copies. If you would like to sign up, here is the link to do so.
We hope you are as excited as we are about this opportunity. I love the way the hardcover editions of The Death of Dulgath look on my desk and shelf, and I can't wait until the entire Riyria saga sits beside it. I hope you are equally excited.
They did sell book club rights to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club, but the Revelations versions sold out years ago. Today, people can only find them on the used book markets, and usually at a premium cost.
For several months now, I've been trying to negotiate the right for a limited edition hardcover run of the earlier books, and now Orbit has agreed! While we still have to nail down some details, the hard part is over -- getting permission. So Robin and I spent yesterday's lunch brainstorming the project and how to roll it out.
We most likely will utilize a Kickstarter campaign, and since the number of books is limited, we are likely to sell out (especially the rare editions) rather quickly. To make sure ardent fans don't miss out, we've started a wait list. People on this list will receive the Kickstarter URL before it goes live and will know the date and time of its launch. That way people on the waitlist will have the best chances of getting their copies. If you would like to sign up, here is the link to do so.
We hope you are as excited as we are about this opportunity. I love the way the hardcover editions of The Death of Dulgath look on my desk and shelf, and I can't wait until the entire Riyria saga sits beside it. I hope you are equally excited.
January 31, 2016
Contract Review Assistance
It's been pretty busy around the Sullivan household.
I finished edits on book #2 and #3 of The Legends of the First Empire.Robin and I reviewed the copy edits for Book #1 of Legends of the First EmpireI'm trying to get edits on book #4 & #5 of Legends of the first empire done by April or MayRobin is almost done shipping a ton of books for the Kickstarter - and I mean that literally I think she is up to 2,300 pounds of books shipped to date.We went to New York to oversee the recording of The Death of DulgathWe released The Death of DulgathA few other things are going on that we can't talk about yet.Anyway, that preamble is a way of saying, I've been to busy to do my weekend "Helping Author's" posts. But a few things have happened that have made me take a break to pen this quick message.
First, The Author's Guild is finally turning their attention to something they should have been doing all along...fighting against some really terrible contract terms that authors have been subjected to for years. I hope they are able to move the needle. I'll write more about this later, but for now...go read the letter put out by The Author's Guild and if you agree with what they are trying to do, sign this petition.
Second, Kameron Hurley has written a fabulous post on non-compete clauses and rights grabs that is a must read for everyone, authors especially but readers as well. You can find it here.
Third, point number two has sparked a discussion on reddit, which you can find here. In that conversation it was mentioned that (a) many authors don't read their contracts and (b) authors can't always trust their agent when it comes to contract clauses and (c) many authors could use an IP attorney but can't afford one. So now we come to the point of this article.
It is not widely known, but my wife reviews contracts all the time - not just mine but plenty of other ones as well. No she's not a lawyer, and isn't even one on television, but she has an eye for things that can be disastrous to an author's career and has helped many from making huge mistakes. So, just like I do the "First Five Pages" thing, Robin will do the "Review a Contract" thing. Yes, it's free, and no, it shouldn't be considered "legal advice" but she'll point out areas that you should address with a professional.
So, if you have a contract and want her to look at it, send a copy to my email (michael.sullivan.dc@gmail.com) make the subject ROBIN'S CONTRACT REVIEW as the subject to make sure it stands out and she'll take a look.
Okay, that's it for now - a kinda "Sullivans helping Authors" post. I hope some of you take advantage of it.
I finished edits on book #2 and #3 of The Legends of the First Empire.Robin and I reviewed the copy edits for Book #1 of Legends of the First EmpireI'm trying to get edits on book #4 & #5 of Legends of the first empire done by April or MayRobin is almost done shipping a ton of books for the Kickstarter - and I mean that literally I think she is up to 2,300 pounds of books shipped to date.We went to New York to oversee the recording of The Death of DulgathWe released The Death of DulgathA few other things are going on that we can't talk about yet.Anyway, that preamble is a way of saying, I've been to busy to do my weekend "Helping Author's" posts. But a few things have happened that have made me take a break to pen this quick message.
First, The Author's Guild is finally turning their attention to something they should have been doing all along...fighting against some really terrible contract terms that authors have been subjected to for years. I hope they are able to move the needle. I'll write more about this later, but for now...go read the letter put out by The Author's Guild and if you agree with what they are trying to do, sign this petition.
Second, Kameron Hurley has written a fabulous post on non-compete clauses and rights grabs that is a must read for everyone, authors especially but readers as well. You can find it here.
Third, point number two has sparked a discussion on reddit, which you can find here. In that conversation it was mentioned that (a) many authors don't read their contracts and (b) authors can't always trust their agent when it comes to contract clauses and (c) many authors could use an IP attorney but can't afford one. So now we come to the point of this article.
It is not widely known, but my wife reviews contracts all the time - not just mine but plenty of other ones as well. No she's not a lawyer, and isn't even one on television, but she has an eye for things that can be disastrous to an author's career and has helped many from making huge mistakes. So, just like I do the "First Five Pages" thing, Robin will do the "Review a Contract" thing. Yes, it's free, and no, it shouldn't be considered "legal advice" but she'll point out areas that you should address with a professional.
So, if you have a contract and want her to look at it, send a copy to my email (michael.sullivan.dc@gmail.com) make the subject ROBIN'S CONTRACT REVIEW as the subject to make sure it stands out and she'll take a look.
Okay, that's it for now - a kinda "Sullivans helping Authors" post. I hope some of you take advantage of it.
January 28, 2016
Goodread's 200 Most Popular Lists
I thought I was pretty Goodread's savvy, and I am for the most part. But until a reader pointed out this feature I didn't know it was there.
Apparently Goodreads uses its mass of data to find the books that have been published in a given month and ranks them by how popular they are. I don't know the complete algorithm but certainly the number of times a book shows up on a shelf has something to do with it.
In any case, I was curious, of course, about my most recent release and my next book to come out. To my delight both are making their respective lists.
Most Popular Books Published in December 2015 - The Death of Dulgath #21Most Popular Books Published in June 2016 - Age of Myth #2How cool is that! I can't believe how excited people are for the new series - I know I am. Thanks to all the goodreads readers who are showing your support for the books by putting them on their shelves. I'm forever grateful. June can't arrive soon enough!
Apparently Goodreads uses its mass of data to find the books that have been published in a given month and ranks them by how popular they are. I don't know the complete algorithm but certainly the number of times a book shows up on a shelf has something to do with it.
In any case, I was curious, of course, about my most recent release and my next book to come out. To my delight both are making their respective lists.
Most Popular Books Published in December 2015 - The Death of Dulgath #21Most Popular Books Published in June 2016 - Age of Myth #2How cool is that! I can't believe how excited people are for the new series - I know I am. Thanks to all the goodreads readers who are showing your support for the books by putting them on their shelves. I'm forever grateful. June can't arrive soon enough!
January 15, 2016
An Interview at The Grim Tidings Podcast
I really enjoy doing interviews via podcasts. Especially because typing and editing written interviews can be quite time-consuiming. Recently the guys over at
Grim Tidings Podcast
had Robin and myself on the show to talk about a wide range of topics including Kickstarters, hybrid authorship, how we picked T.C. Powell's short story to be included in The Death of Dulgath and a whole bunch of other things. I was honored by the flattering intro they put together. And they are graciously having Robin back in the near future to discuss Goodreads in more detail.
If you like the interview, checkout the site for conversations with other authors such as: Anthony Ryan, Mazarkis Williams, Sebastien de Castell, Kameron Hurley, R.A. Salvatore, Tim Marquitz, John R. Fultz and many more.
If you like the interview, checkout the site for conversations with other authors such as: Anthony Ryan, Mazarkis Williams, Sebastien de Castell, Kameron Hurley, R.A. Salvatore, Tim Marquitz, John R. Fultz and many more.
January 12, 2016
The Death of Dulgath Artwork Earns Best of 2015 Stabby
A huge congratulations to Marc Simonetti whose artwork for The Death of Dulgath won Reddit /r/fantasy's best artwork for 2015!
Marc always does such amazing work and so of course I return to him again and again for covers whenever I can. What has he done for me to date?
French, Hungarian, & Bulgarian editions of The Crown ConspiracyFrench, Hungarian, & Bulgarian editions of AvemparthaFrench, Hungarian, & Bulgarian editions of Nyphron RisingEnglish edition of Hollow World English edition of The Death of Dulgath English edition of Age of Myth
Marc has created covers for top names in fantasy including: George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, Barndon Sanderson, Terry Pratchett, and dozens of others. He truly is one of the best artists working in the business today.
As for the Stabby itself, I was fortunate enough to win one of my own a few years ago. Here I am wielding it. Like the Gemmell Award it's one of the few trophy you can also defend yourself with--an actual dagger.
Again a big congratulations to Marc, and I'm so pleased to have played a part in this award by asking him to do the artwork for The Death of Dulgath's cover. I'm looking forward to many more future projects with him.
Marc always does such amazing work and so of course I return to him again and again for covers whenever I can. What has he done for me to date?
French, Hungarian, & Bulgarian editions of The Crown ConspiracyFrench, Hungarian, & Bulgarian editions of AvemparthaFrench, Hungarian, & Bulgarian editions of Nyphron RisingEnglish edition of Hollow World English edition of The Death of Dulgath English edition of Age of Myth
Marc has created covers for top names in fantasy including: George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, Barndon Sanderson, Terry Pratchett, and dozens of others. He truly is one of the best artists working in the business today.
As for the Stabby itself, I was fortunate enough to win one of my own a few years ago. Here I am wielding it. Like the Gemmell Award it's one of the few trophy you can also defend yourself with--an actual dagger.
Again a big congratulations to Marc, and I'm so pleased to have played a part in this award by asking him to do the artwork for The Death of Dulgath's cover. I'm looking forward to many more future projects with him.
January 6, 2016
The Death of Dulgath Makes Fantasy Faction's Best of 2015 List!
I'm honored to find Age of Myth on a number of Most Anticipated Lists and The Death of Dulgath is hitting quite a few best of the year listings. The latter is pretty amazing considering the book came out so late in the year. The audio and print hit in mid-December and the ebooks sometime in October.
Well, one of the most prestigeous lists is the one compiled by Fantasy-Faction. And I'm pleased to find The Death of Dulgath among some truly amazing company. Here is the full list:
Uprooted by Naomi NovikKnight’s Shadow by Sebastien De CastellThe Fifth Season by N.K. JemisinFool’s Quest by Robin HobbThe Liar’s Key by Mark LawrenceBlack Wolves by Kate ElliottThe Iron Ghost by Jennifer WilliamsThe Vagrant by Peter NewmanEmpire Ascendant by Kameron HurleyThe Grace of Kings by Ken LiuThe Shepherd’s Crown by Terry PratchettThe Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim ButcherThe Dread Wyrm by Miles CameronTwelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P. BeaulieuGemini Cell by Myke ColeThe Skull Throne by Peter V. BrettThe Builders by Daniel PolanskyGuns of Dawn by Adrian TchaikovskyThe Library at Mount Char by Scott HawkinsA Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. SchwabThe Hunter’s Kind by Rebecca LeveneShadows of Self by Brandon SandersonRuin by John GwynnSix of Crows by Leigh BardugoHalf a War by Joe AbercrombieThe Boy Who Wept Blood by Den PatrickBeyond Redemption by Michael R. FletcherIn Midnight’s Silence by T. FrohockStarborn by Lucy HounsomThe Death of Dulgath by Michael J SullivanLord Of Ashes by Richard FordFirefight by Brandon SandersonA Court of Thorns and Roses by SJ MaasSwords and Scoundrels by Julia KnightTower of Thorns by Juliet MarillierQueen of Fire by Anthony RyanSword of the North by Luke ScullThe Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth DickinsonThe Price of Valor by Django WellerThe House of Shattered Wings by Aliette De BodardThe Autumn Republic by Brian McClellanThe Providence of Fire by Brian StaveleyThe Iron Ship by K.M. McKinleyTrial of Intentions by Peter OrullianSorcerer to the Crown by Zen ChoThe Dragons of Heaven by Alyc HelmsSky Born by David DalgishThe Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly BlackThe Dragon Engine by Andy RemicSkin by Ilka Tampke
If you are looking for some new reads, check out the list, read some sample chapters, and hopefully you'll find something new to dig into. I hope you find something you love.
December 31, 2015
Voting Open for Best Fantasy Novel of the Year on Reddit
Well, it's that time of year again, reddit's /r/Fantasy voting is open for a number of rewards and The Death of Dulgath has been nominated for Best Fantasy Fiction of 2015 and the cover design that was created by the amazing Marc Simonetti is nominated for Best Artwork Released in 2015. To vote, click on the picture below or on this link.
Now, I don't expect to win, and this isn't a plea to vote for my book, I'm just letting people know the competition is open so you can weigh in on your favorite. To be honest, I'm just hoping not to embarrass myself by coming in last place.
Here are the nominees:
And for those who want a text list of the nominations here you go:
Aeronaut's Windlass, The by Jim ButcherAsh and Silver by Carol BergAutumn Republic,The by Brian McClellanBeyond Redemption by Michael R FletcherBlack Wolves by Kate ElliottCarry On by Rainbow RowellCourt of Fives by Kate ElliottCrooked by Austin GrossmanCrown for Cold Silver, A by Alex MarshallDarker Shade of Magic, A by V.E. SchwabDeath of Dulgath, The by Michael J. SullivanDevil's Only Friend, The by Dan WellsDread Wyrm, The by Miles CameronFifth Season, The by N. K. JemisinFirefight by Brandon SandersonFool's Quest by Robin HobbGameshouse, The by Claire NorthGrace of Kings, The by Ken LiuGuns of the Dawn by Adrian TchaikovskyHalf a War by Joe AbercrombieHalf The World by Joe AbercrombieKaren Memory by Elizabeth BearKnight's Shadow by Sebastien de CastellLast First Snow by Max GladstoneLetters to Zell by Camille GripLiar's Key, The by Mark LawrenceLibrary at Mount Char, The by Scott HawkinsLong Black Curl by Alex BledsoeMalus Domestica by SA HuntMechanical, The by Ian TregillisPrice of Valor, The by Django WellerProvidence of Fire, The by Brian StanleyRadiance by Catherynne ValiantShadows of Self by Brandon SandersonSkull Throne , The by Peter V. BrettSon of the Black Sword by Larry CoreySorcerer to the Crown by Zen ChoThe Shepherd's Crown by Terry PratchettTouch by Claire NorthTower of Thorns by Juliet MarillierTraitor Baru Cormorant, The by Seth DickinsonTwelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P. BeaulieuUpdraft by Fran WildeUprooted by Naomi NovikVagrant, The by Peter NewmanWatchmaker of Filigree Street, The by Natasha PulleyI have been fortunate enough to win a Stabby in the past. The nice thing about this competition is how cool the trophy is... a beautiful engraved dagger. Here I am showing off my prior Stabby win.
I was also nominated in two other categories - but asked to remove myself. The first was Best Self-Published Book of 2015. While it is true that The Death of Dulgath is a self-published novel, I didn't want to steal the spotlight from those that self-publish and don't have the marketing support of a big traditional publisher. The other category I pulled myself from contention was the Most Active Author nomination. The reason for pulling my name from that one was because it's essentially what I won the Stabby for last time. I say essentially because the best contributor in the forum award used to be just one category but now it's been split into author and non-author categories. So, again, I wanted to step aside and give others who haven't won this amazing award a chance to get their own Stabby.
In any case, I truly feel that it's an honor just to be nominated, and I encourage you go vote for whichever book you enjoyed the most in 2015. Cheers!
December 29, 2015
The Death of Dulgath is a December Customer Favorite
Just got a notification from Audible.com that The Death of Dulgath was named a December Customer Favorite. Want to see the other 19 books on the list? Here's a link.
In the email they explained:
"The books featured on this list are those which debuted on Audible in December, and received the best (and most) ratings from our customers."So thanks, everyone who has been listening, rating, and enjoying the books - I'm so glad you are enjoying them!
December 22, 2015
The Death of Dulgath debuts in a big way
I'll probably never be a New York Times Bestseller. Nor do I expect to make the USA Today's Bestselling list. For those that don't know, such lists are compiled on a weekly basis to show what books sold the most over the past seven days. There are plenty of books on these lists that had one good week, and then faltered from there. I'll always take a consistent seller over a one-week break out.
Still, I can't help but be thrilled that I finally have a book on one of the major Top 10 Weekly Lists. In this case it was hitting Audible Bestseller for Fiction list. Last week saw the release of a bunch of Harry Potter books on audible, so the competition was tough, but The Death of Dulgath still carved out a spot. Here's the complete list.
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale (Pottermore from J.K. Rowling)2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster, narrated by Marc Thompson (Random House Audio)3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale (Pottermore from J.K. Rowling)4. The Rolling Stones by Robert A. Heinlein, narrated by Tom Weiner (Blackstone Audio, Inc.)5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale (Pottermore from J.K. Rowling)6. The Martian by Andy Weir, narrated by R.C. Bray (Podium Publishing)7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale (Pottermore from J.K. Rowling)8. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, narrated by Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey and India Fisher (Penguin Audio)9. The Death of Dulgath: The Riyria Chronicles, Book 3 by Michael J. Sullivan, narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds and the author (Audible Studios)10. The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore, narrated by Euan Morton (HarperAudio)
The really cool thing about hitting this list is all the various papers that publish it. Here's some of the places I've seen it posted so far:
The New York TimesABC NewsSan Francisco ChronicleLas Vegas SunI want to thank Tim Gerard Reynolds for his amazing narration, Audible.com for producing a fabulous recording, and all you listeners out there who helped make it's debut such a big success.
December 17, 2015
Appreciate success when it comes
The publishing business isn't an easy one, and I'm always anxious in the days around a books release. Will it fall into oblivion? Will people notice it exists? I have no illusions about my place in the "fantasy genre." I consider myself a scrappy up-and-comer, who just might make it one day (if I keep working really hard). Still, from time to time I do break into an area I never expected to be...like sandwiched between George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien on the Amazon Bestseller List for Epic fantasy books.
I've been there before...even made the number one spot on occasion (but that was due to a daily deal, and so it doesn't feel nearly as satisfying). The Death of Dulgath is hitting it without deep discounting, which is very rewarding. Yes, as my daughter was so quick to point out it's shiny and new, and the other books are better because they are always at the top of the charts. Thanks, Sarah, you can always keep your ole dad grounded. Still, I'll take it. After all, you have to appreciate any success as it comes.
A hearty thank you to all the people who are giving the book a try. I hope you enjoy the read!
