Michael J. Sullivan's Blog, page 56

Fully funded, a staff pick, and in the top 20 of all time

Yes, all those accomplishments have occurred in under 4 days of the Death of Dulgath Kickstarter.


People keep writing me with statements such as, "How can you be surprised, didn't you expect this to happen?"   Well, I guess that depends on what part of "this" you are talking about.Did I expect the project to fund? Yes, of course, if I didn't think it was possible, I wouldn't have done the Kickstarter in the first place.
Did I expect it to happen so quickly? No, absolutely not. Ideally, I wanted to run the Kickstarter for 30 days, but given I launched on the 4th of June, I didn't want it ending during a holiday weekend.  So, I had two choices, move it up or move it back. If I thought it would fund quickly I would have moved it up. To be honest, I thought there was a real chance that we'd be "working hard" to get that last bit of funding toward the end; so, I stretched it out.  Wish I could go back and change that.
With regards to Staff Picks, there are 6,931 live projects and only 557 Staff Picks. That's just 8%.  Being in the top 8% of anything is difficult, but if you've spent any time on Kickstarter, you know some of the coolest things of all times started out there. Projects such as Lumio, Pebble Watches, Coolest Coolers, and even a hugely successful campaign to bring back Reading Rainbow.  When you look at just publishing projects, which is a relatively small sub-segment of Kickstarter, there are only 55 Staff Picks, and if you narrow it to fiction there are only 7!
As for being one of the highest funded projects of all time, well, I did have a high goal. So, if it funded it would hit spot #33. I did think it would surpass Hollow World (at spot #20) because that was (a) science fiction rather than fantasy - which isn't what I'm known for (b) not part of a series (c) my first Kickstarter and I've learned a lot since then. But again I thought we would be 3 - 4 weeks into the campaign before that would hit. So, yes doing it before day four comes to a close was beyond my expectations...by a long shot.So, the obvious question is, what's next?  Well, there are plenty of things...a poster of Marc's artwork for Dulgath, interior illustrations, paper upgrade, gold-foil stamping, but there is one that I thought was WAY beyond my goal, that may be possible now.  What is it?  Well since we will have a hardcover print run, why not go for broke and do the trade paperback editions as well? Yes, it's a lot of additional money, but given the strength of the campaign, we just may be able to reach it.

Thank you for funding the Kickstarter!!

Well, what can I say...you guys are the most amazing backers ever!  I truly thought it would take pretty much the entire allotted time to fund, but you did it in 47 hours and 26 minutes!
Guess I'll have to get going on the stretch goals ;-) That's an amazingly short period to raise $26,000.We are already on our way to becoming one of the most successful fiction Kickstarter projects ever.  How cool is that?  Here's how we are stacking up against the other fiction based projects that have been created in the US:The highest number of first-day backers (559 - next closest was 406 backers)The second highest first day-pledges ($23,179 - highest was $33,185)Already the 33rd highest funded project#1 most popular project in fiction AND all of publishing#1 in "New and Noteworthy" for all of publishing (out of 656 projects)It's doing even better than Hollow World, which I thought was a huge success. In fact, we already have 77% of it's members and are running about 400% higher in contributions on a day-to-day-comparison.I'm so very happy that we'll see "the boys" in a hardcover edition. Thanks again for the amazing support and I'll get some additional stretch goals up soon. If you are just learning about the Kickstarter, you can join the party at this link .
Fully funding also means the short story contest is opening, and here is everything you need to know to enter:Create two word filesQuery - single spaced preferably 1 page (If you are unfamiliar with writing queries,  this resource  should help.)Short Story - double spaced, 1" margins, 12 point font (Times New Roman Preferred, Courier discouraged), Page number in footer, Name, email, and word count in header, maximum word count 7,500.Email them to: sullivan.short.story.contest@gmail.com with subject of SUBMISSIONIn the body of the email include the following:Name (please use an actual name, not an Internet "handle")AgeShort Story TitleShort Story Word CountShort Story GenreHas this story been previously published? (Yes | No)If yes, a brief indication of where and howWhich best describes your previous publishing history? (None | Self | Small-press or Magazine | Big-five, More than one on list)If you are not familiar with the contest, you can check out the "Helping Author" section of the Kickstarter (it's at the very end). Basically, I'm going to bundle in a short story with my novel and pay the author more than twice the going professional rate.Emailed submissions must arrive before 7/16/2015 12:00 midnight EST.Pay rate: $0.15 a word for up to 5,000 words, and yes, shorter works are perfectly acceptable. 5,000 words is not a "preferred" length; it's the size I picked to budget the prize amount.The story may be a maximum of 7,500 words, but the payout will not exceed $750.While I'll consider any work regardless of genre or style, it should be noted that the audience who will be reading the story will be fans of my work. So, to capture THEIR attention it may be best to submit something that you suspect my readers would enjoy. What does that mean? Well, I write light, fun, classic fantasy with a bit of humor. If you aren't familiar with my work, you can ask for some free samples via this sign-up form .The author retains all rights. NOTE: If the work hasn't been previously published, you'll lose first-publication rights, but there's nothing I can do about that. Bottom line, you'll be able to publish the work elsewhere and earn whatever income you can outside this contest.The contest is open to people regardless of locale, who will be responsible for taxes based on their country. US residents must provide a tax identification number (social security or business FEIN). A 1099-MISC form will report income to the IRS.The contest is open to all writers regardless of past publishing history.While I would prefer a never-previously-published piece, I'll consider all works.You do not have to be a backer of the Kickstarter to participate in the contest, although I would appreciate you telling friends or loved ones about the project if you think they would be interested.
If you have any questions about the contest, you can send an email to sullivan.short.story.contest@gmail.com. Robin will be watching it and responding every other day or so.
Good luck with the submissions -- and thank you all for the amazing Kickstarter support.

How Amazing Are Riyria Readers?

Pretty freaking amazing. Talk about exceeding expectations!  We're not even 24 hours into the launch of the Kickstarter for the next Riyria book, and we're already at 84% funded. You wonderful people have pledged almost $22,000 toward the $26,000 goal.

So, I must admit that when we launched the Kickstarter, we thought it would have a "big first day" but truly we didn't know it would reach this height. In the first 12 hours, we had almost hit $20,000.

Of course getting to full funding is the big goal for today. As soon as our goal is reached, I can start setting up ISBN's for the hardcover editions, get the contest running for the included short story, and start the distribution logistics for bookstore placement.

While there is no doubt that I'm doing this Kickstarter for my particular project, I'm also doing it as an experiment that can help other authors. In today's  turbulent publishing environment, writers need a wide range of tools at their disposal to make a living from writing. I hope the success of this Kickstarter will encourage others to try them out as well. If we do end up getting bookstore placement of The Death of Dulgath, then we may develop a model that other authors can use. Hybrid authorship truly represents the best of both worlds for authors, and my goal is always to do what I can to help others learn from my experimentation.

Robin has started writing a "Kickstarter Primer" book that we'll be giving away for free for anyone who wants it. If you would like to be notified when it is available, you can sign up to receive a copy from here.

Thanks again, everyone for all the amazing support. I'm hoping we'll get fully funded today and then we can move on to some cool stretch goals!

Announcing the Kickstarter Launch Day

Thursday June 4, 2015 at 12:00 EST will be when the Kickstarter  for The Death of Dulgath (third Riyria Chronicle novel) will launch. You can check it out now at the link above to see what level you want to pledge at and figure out any add-ons you might want to purchase. There are a number of additional perks for early backers.  For instance:100 Discounted Early-bird ebooks50 Discounted Early-bird trade paperbacks50 Discounted Early-bird hardcover editionsAnyone who pledges in the first 48 hours will receive a free short story, Professional Integrity. This was released in the Blackguards anthology released through Ragnarok Publications. It will be delivered just as soon as rights revert back to me, which will be in early September.For those who aren't familiar with this project, it's intention is to raise $26,000 of the $33,600 needed to do a hardcover print, warehouse the books, and distribute them through retail stores.  If the project doesn't fund, there will still be a book, but it will be released only as a trade paperback, ebook, and audio versions. Plus, we'll not be able to provide the cool add-on stuff like t-shirts, posters, and coffee mugs.
Robin has worked hard to produce this Kickstarter, and, like all she sets her mind too, has done a bang-up job. I think this will be a lot of fun. I hope you'll join us. 

Authors Helping Authors: Bundled short story with my next novel

Providing a helping hand to authors is something I've spent a lot of time at.  Long before my installment "Authors Helping Authors" I've written hundreds of blog posts and articles, not to mention numerous panels at conventions. Those have been great at providing helping to a lot of authors from a standpoint of education, but I wanted to do more to get them noticed.

My wife, who is brilliant, came up with an incredible idea. "Hey, why not include the short story from a new or unknown author with your book."  Generally, my sales run from 30,000 - 100,000 per story, so that's a lot of eyeballs.

While that alone would be enough incentive, I'm all about authors earning money. I've written for a few anthologies before, many of them for free (like Unfettered - to raise money for Shaw Speakman's medical bills). The "paying" gigs usually result in a few hundred dollars.  The pro rate as dictated by the SWFA is somewhere around $0.06 a word, which is ridiculous.  We're going to pay $0.15 a word for up to 5,000 words.

But money isn't the only thing that an author gets when being "published" by someone other than them. They also get structural editing support and copy editing. So, we're going to be doing that as well. For structural, both Robin and I will work with the author to make the story as good as it can be. For copy editing, we'll pay the same editors who are working on the larger novel to put that extra polish on the apple.

Now, as far as "whose" short story we'll bundle, and "which author" will get picked, we'll handle that in the time honored tradition of...well traditional publishers.  Along with the short story, the authors will submit a query letter. If the query piques our attention, we'll read the short.  The best short will win.  Pretty simple really.

I'm the first to admit that writing queries is (a) no fun; (b) hard to do, and (c) authors rarely get feedback on them.  For this contest, we're going to critique every query received, so even those that don't win will get something for entering. Plus, if we do send you on to round two and read your story, we'll provide some feedback on it as well.

Now, the next question most people have asked with regards to this contest (I've posted about this online at various places such as Amazing Stories, Reddit, SffWorld, and Fantasy Faction) revolves around the content of the shorts.  I'm open to any genre. What I want is a really good story, period. That being said, the audience reading it will be those that like my work, so you may (or may not) want to take that into consideration. The only thing I'm going to disallow is erotica or stories with explicit sex.  That won't go over well with my audience, so it's not going to provide the "leg up" I want.

Now as impossible it is to believe, there are probably some people who hear about this contest that have no idea about the type of work I write.  No problem, I have put together a sample of some short stories that star Royce and Hadrian (the two main protagonists of the Riyria books - the series this short will be bundled with). They range from 3,400 - 7,200 words and will give you a good feel for my style.  You can get a free copy of these samples by signing up for the contest at this link.

Oh, which brings me to the last thing...submission deadlines. To be honest, I don't know when I'll be open for submissions.  I'm going to be launching this with my Kickstarter for the hardcover printing of this book (no purchase is necessary to participate).  The big issue is I have a tight deadline for the novel that can't be pushed back because of the short story, so I expect the submission window to be rather short.  For this reason, I'm having people start their stories and queries now. That way, when the submission does open up, you'll be ready.  To be notified when submissions are open, here is a link to sign up (same one as above).

That's about all I can think of for now. Full details can be found by clicking on the link, so check it out before asking questions here, but if you do have any questions or comments, by all means share them here. Oh, and speaking of sharing. If you are part of a writing community, share this post or the link to the contest details within it. The more the merrier!

Win a copy of the next Riyria Novel

The excitement around the next Riyria book continues to grow and it's time for a giveaway...or even better two!

Each one is offering one of 3 copies and you can enter both to double your chances to win.

The first one is being done through Goodreads:


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Goodreads Book Giveaway The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan Giveaway ends August 18, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to Win But there may be some not on the site (why I'm not sure...it's well worth joining!), so there is a parallel giveaway going on as well. You can enter it from this link . It does reward people who are on goodreads and have added my books to their shelves (as they have more entries into the drawing). So that's another good reason to join goodreads.

If you aren't familiar with what the book is about.  Here's a little teaser:


Three times they tried to kill her. Then they hired a professional. She hired Riyria.When the last member of the oldest noble family in Avryn is targeted for assassination, Riyria is hired to foil the plot. Three years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and a cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start their thieves-for-hire enterprise. Things have gone well enough until this odd assignment to prevent a murder. Now they must venture into a forgotten corner of southern Avryn—a place whose history predates the First Empire. As usual, challenges abound as they try to anticipate the moves of an unknown assassin before it’s too late. But that's not their only problem. The Countess of Dulgath hides a dark secret she's determined to keep hidden. Then there's the little matter of Riyria's new employer...the Nyphron Church. 

So go enter, and tell your friends. This book is designed to be a good entry point for both new and veteran Riyria readers.

A great review I had to share

 
I got a message on Facebook from someone who linked me to her Amazon review of The Jester . For those that don't know, this is a short story that was originally published in the Unfettered anthology (edited by Shawn Speakman and released by Grim Oak Press).  I've made it available for sale on the various platforms, at the lowest price they allow ($0.99).  But my intention was never to "make money" on this short. I want to share it with others, hopefully to entice them to read more of my works.  So, in case you don't now, you can it for free from me or audible.  If you've not read any of my work, or read the novels but not the shorts, please use the links to get your free copy. And to let you know why you should even bother, well here's the review that I enjoyed so much:

 A Delightful Read!, March 9, 2015By A. LynnetteThis review is from: The Jester: A Riyria Chronicles Short Story (Kindle Edition)Being thrown into a deadly, watery trap isn't your typical idea of treasure hunting, but Royce and Hadrian definitely make it intriguing and entertaining! The two friends are serving as escorts/protection for a woman named Myra, who possesses pieces of a map that leads to riches galore. However, it's cursed in a sense, because the dwarven Jester who distributed the map pieces wanted to teach the greedy and cowardly nobility a lesson.

In this tight space, where Myra, the pig farmer Wilmer, and Royce & Hadrian are trapped, we see glimpses of each personality, and even of the motivations that brought them this far on the trip. Hadrian cares more about others and their safety, and Royce (a professional thief) reminds his friend to save his own bacon if he wants to make it out alive. These two men are very different, yet at the same time, their banter and implicit trust of one another is natural and central to the story.

I have to catch myself to make sure I don't let any spoilers slip, but suffice it to say, this is an entertaining read that will make you want to crave the next Royce & Hadrian adventure (and yes, I WILL be following these two).

Interview at SFFWorld

When I first started publishing I credited a few thing to my success:Fantasy bloggers / fan sitesGoodreadsNowadays that list has expanded a lot to include things such as:the amazing group at reddit's r/fantasy sub (which is a fan site of sorts)a constant flow of new booksshort stories as giveaways an email list - which I should use and haven't muchKickstarterAnd many, many more.Even though the list has grown the importance of the blogger /fan sites still remains at the top of my list. After all, these are places where people eat, drink, and sleep fantasy and what's better than a bunch of people all sharing their love for the genre?  Not much I can think of.
One of the sites that I think does an exceptional job of uniting writers and readers is SFFWorld. They have a great forum and do interviews, reviews, and in general keep people up to date with what is happening in the fandom sphere. The other day they posted an interview they did with me, and even if you're not interested in that, I highly recommend you stop by as they have a ton of other interviews and I'm sure one will pique your interest. 
Here's a link to the one they did for me.
I hope you'll find it, and others, interesting.

New Book Title Announcement

The Death of Dulgath will be the title of the third Riyria Chronicle novel. What is it about?  Well I'm glad you asked.  Here is the working "back of the book" blurb (which may change by the time publication rolls around):

Three times they tried to kill her. Then they hired a professional. She hired Riyria.
When the last member of the oldest noble family in Avryn is targeted for assassination, Riyria is hired to foil the plot. Three years have past since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and a cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start life as thieves-for-hire. Things have gone well enough until they receive the odd assignment to prevent a murder. Now they must venture into a forgotten corner of southern Avryn—a place which predates the empire.  As usual, challenges abound as they try to anticipate the moves of an unknown assassin before it’s too late. But that's not their only problem as The Countess of Dulgath hides a dark secret she's determined to remain that way. Then there's the little matter about Riyria's new employer...the Nyphron Church.

From the best-selling author of The Riyria Revelations, comes the third installment of The Riyria Chronicles. While part of a series, this novel can be read and enjoyed by those new to Riyria without fear of spoilers for the other works. For those who do wish to experience all the Riyria books, they can be read in either of the following orders:

PUBLICATION ORDER: Theft of Swords • Rise of Empire • Heir of Novron • The Crown Tower • The Rose and the Thorn • The Death of Dulgath

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER The Crown Tower • The Rose and the Thorn • The Death of Dulgath • Theft of Swords • Rise of Empire • Heir of Novron

Other important facts:
Release date: Nov 15, 2015
Formats: ebook, audio, hardcover (hopefully), trade paperback
Cover Artist: Marc Simonetti
Narrator: Tim Gerard Reynolds
Publisher: Riyria Enterprises, LLC - or in other words me!*
Anticipated length: 130,000 words (384 pages)
Interested in beta reading? Sign up here.
Interested in the Kickstarter, pre-orders, and pre-release promotions? Sign up here.

More details as they become available!

*It's the only way to get the book released by the end of the year

Tiptee Awards recognize Hollow World in their long list as worthy of attention

Okay, so I'll admit I never got into this writing gig for critical acclaim, I just wanted to write books I wanted to read, and have been more than thrilled that so many others have felt similarly.  I do think Tachyon Publications (the publisher of Hollow World) was a bit disappointed that my Kickstarter followed by traditional release took the book out of the running for the fantasy awards, but I still have no regrets with how that book was released.

Anyway, the Tiptree Awards were recently announced and it was nice to get a nod from them.  Here is a list of books they felt were worthy of attention.

Corinne Duyvis, Otherbound (Amulet 2014)Meg Elison, The Book of the Unnamed Midwife (Sybaritic Press 2014) At the same time that the Tiptree winners were announced, this book won the Philip K. Dick Award.L.S. Johnson, “Marigolds” (Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History, edited by Rose Fox and Daniel José Older, Crossed Genres 2014)Laura Lam, Shadowplay (Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry 2014)Ken Liu, “Knotting Grass, Holding Ring” (Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History, edited by Rose Fox and Daniel José Older, Crossed Genres 2014)Sarah Pinsker, “No Lonely Seafarer” (Lightspeed Magazine, September 2014)Michael J. Sullivan, Hollow World (Tachyon 2014)Deborah Wheeler, Collaborators (Dragon Moon Press 2013)Cat Winters, The Cure for Dreaming (Amulet 2014)The winners for 2014 went to:
Monica Byrne’s The Girl in the RoadJo Walton’s My Real Children The Tiptree honor list included:Jennifer Marie Brissett's Elysium Seth Chambers', “In Her Eyes”Kim Curran's “A Woman Out of Time” Emmi Itäranta's Memory of WaterJacqueline Koyanagi's Ascension Alisa Krasnostein and Julia Rios for editing Kaleidoscope Pat MacEwen's “The Lightness of the Movement”Nnedi Okorafor's LagoonNghi Vo's “Neither Witch nor Fairy”Aliya Whiteley's, The Beauty   While inclusion on the long list means I'll be recognized Memorial Day weekend at WisCon, I won't be attending because I'm hard at work writing the Third Riyria Chronicles book.  My congratulations and hopes for a great time go out to all the other honorees.