Richard Lee Byers's Blog, page 40
September 21, 2013
As today's giveaway of THE IMPOSTOR #2: THE BLOOD MACHINE continues...
This is kind of cool. As a result of the giveaway of THE IMPOSTOR #2: THE BLOOD MACHINE, Amazon currently says this:
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,190 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
#2 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Superhero
#6 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Alien Invasion
#22 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Adventure
Pretty sure I've never had any book that hit #2 on any Amazon list before this.
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,190 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
#2 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Superhero
#6 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Alien Invasion
#22 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Adventure
Pretty sure I've never had any book that hit #2 on any Amazon list before this.
A gift for you! (Okay, it's also promotion, but still...)
Today (Sat., 9/21) is my birthday, but you get the gift. THE IMPOSTOR #2: THE BLOOD MACHINE is free today only. http://www.amazon.com/The-Impostor-Blood-Machine-ebook/dp/B00EODEPBY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1379696157&sr=1-1&keywords=the+impostor+2+the+blood+machine
September 14, 2013
The Usual Questions
I answered "The Usual Questions" (in other words, I was interviewed):http://www.festivale.info/questions/richardleebyers2.htm
September 13, 2013
Accursed RPG Kickstarter
The Accursed RPG Kickstarter, the brainchild of the talented Ross Watson and his equally talented partners Jason Marker and John Dunn, is now live. If you're a gamer, especially a gamer who's into dark fantasy and monsters, check it out:http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1231173913/accursed-rpg
September 12, 2013
I will be a guest at SwampCon Rising
I'm happy to announce I will be a writer guest at SwampCon Rising (SwampCon 2014.) I had a blast last year and am eager to return.
September 9, 2013
It's all Sword and no Sorcery.
The pithiest, most insightful thing I said this past weekend:"It's all Sword and no Sorcery."At the time, I was reviewing cover concept sketches with artist Jamie Stubkjaer for an eBook bundle of my non-shared world heroic fantasy stories. (Title: THE PLAGUE KNIGHT AND OTHER STORIES, coming soon to the Amazon Kindle Store.) One good thing about self-publishing is that you of necessity learn things you didn't know before. In this case, working with Jamie (and Elaine Polk before her) has deepened my understanding of what makes a good cover.
September 7, 2013
My programming schedule for Necronomicon 2013
We’re still a little more than a month out from the Necronomicon SF convention in Tampa Bay, but what the hell. Here’s my programming schedule anyway.
DAY
TIME
ROOM
EVENT NAME
Friday
2:00:00 PM
SALON A
Writing Basics--Creating Anti-Heroes, Rogues, and Villains
Friday
5:00:00 PM
SALON G
Social Media and the Author
Friday
11:00:00 PM
SALON C
Fan-Talk: Who is the Best Superhero?
Saturday
11:00:00 AM
SALON C
Sharing the Load: Collaborations
Saturday
5:00:00 PM
SALON B
Fiction: the Long and the Short of It
Saturday
8:00:00 PM
SALON C
Costume Contest Judges
Sunday
10:00:00 AM
SALON C
Hidden Gems: RPGs & Boardgames
Sunday
11:00:00 AM
SALON A
Basil & Mobius
http://www.stonehill.org/necro.htm
DAY
TIME
ROOM
EVENT NAME
Friday
2:00:00 PM
SALON A
Writing Basics--Creating Anti-Heroes, Rogues, and Villains
Friday
5:00:00 PM
SALON G
Social Media and the Author
Friday
11:00:00 PM
SALON C
Fan-Talk: Who is the Best Superhero?
Saturday
11:00:00 AM
SALON C
Sharing the Load: Collaborations
Saturday
5:00:00 PM
SALON B
Fiction: the Long and the Short of It
Saturday
8:00:00 PM
SALON C
Costume Contest Judges
Sunday
10:00:00 AM
SALON C
Hidden Gems: RPGs & Boardgames
Sunday
11:00:00 AM
SALON A
Basil & Mobius
http://www.stonehill.org/necro.htm
September 5, 2013
Channeling P. T. Barnum
Not too long ago, I appeared on panels at a convention. When introducing themselves, some of my fellow authors cited sales figures and dollar amounts they earn from writing.
The numbers were impressive. So much so that eventually I said to myself, “Damn! In the business for decades, dozens of novels published, and I’m the least successful writer at the event. How badly must I have screwed up for that to happen?”
But on further reflection, I’m not so sure it did. Maybe I’m simply in denial, but I suspect some (definitely not all, but some) of my colleagues were stretching the truth. I mean, what were the odds that everybody but me was a consistently bestselling superstar?
I’m curious what others think on the general subject of authors misrepresenting their levels of success. So, if the topic interests you, please weigh in on the following:
How frequently and flagrantly do you think writers exaggerate their accomplishments?
When we do, is that a despicable con and a violation of the audience’s trust? Or is “Fake it until you make it” just Basic Marketing 101? Should we all be channeling P. T. Barnum?
The numbers were impressive. So much so that eventually I said to myself, “Damn! In the business for decades, dozens of novels published, and I’m the least successful writer at the event. How badly must I have screwed up for that to happen?”
But on further reflection, I’m not so sure it did. Maybe I’m simply in denial, but I suspect some (definitely not all, but some) of my colleagues were stretching the truth. I mean, what were the odds that everybody but me was a consistently bestselling superstar?
I’m curious what others think on the general subject of authors misrepresenting their levels of success. So, if the topic interests you, please weigh in on the following:
How frequently and flagrantly do you think writers exaggerate their accomplishments?
When we do, is that a despicable con and a violation of the audience’s trust? Or is “Fake it until you make it” just Basic Marketing 101? Should we all be channeling P. T. Barnum?
September 4, 2013
I am vengeance. I am the night. I am...Batfleck!
"I am vengeance. I am the night. I am...Batfleck!" is my new column on Airlock Alpha.http://airlockalpha.com/node/9794/i-am-vengeance-i-am-the-night-i-am-batfleck.html
A mysterious encounter at Gen Con 2013
I haven’t related this incident previously, but NOW IT CAN BE TOLD! (Because I finally got around to cleaning the business cards and such out of my badge wallet, found a particular item, and was reminded of what occurred.)
It happened at the “Night of Dungeons & Dragons” event, where I was autographing at one spot along a string of tables with my fellow Sundering authors Bob Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, Erin M. Evans, and Troy Denning. A guy came through the line, but instead of getting a signature, he handed me a square of cardboard and moved on.
When I looked at the card, it was a pass for one comp admission to the Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theatre, “San Francisco’s Destination for Adult Entertainment.”
This surprised me partly because, as usual, Gen Con was in Indianapolis. The Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theatre was 2,000 miles away. So why did my benefactor, whom I believe to be a theater employee, deem it worthwhile to give me the pass?
I can think of two hypotheses.
One is that I look like a man who, if you COULD just get him inside the theater, would run amok buying Nude Dances in the VIP Green Door room. So the guy gave me the pass in the same spirit that you buy a Powerball ticket. You know the bet probably won’t pay off, but you figure that if it does, it’s going to rain money.
If that’s what he was thinking, it gives me worthwhile insight into how others interpret my appearance and demeanor. But I actually prefer my other hypothesis.
I want to believe that all the people working at the theater are D&D fans. That when Bethany Bare, Raven Love, and Valentina Poly finish with the tedium of making “girl-on-girl fantasies come true right in front of you” in the Ultra Room, what REALLY excites them is racing back to the dressing room, hunkering down at the table with its hex mat, miniatures, and polyhedral dice, and guiding their 6th level halfling rogue, 4th level human wizard, and 8th level half-elf ranger on through the Cavern of the Bleeding Skull. That’s just a fun thing to imagine.
http://www.ofarrell.com/home.html
It happened at the “Night of Dungeons & Dragons” event, where I was autographing at one spot along a string of tables with my fellow Sundering authors Bob Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, Erin M. Evans, and Troy Denning. A guy came through the line, but instead of getting a signature, he handed me a square of cardboard and moved on.
When I looked at the card, it was a pass for one comp admission to the Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theatre, “San Francisco’s Destination for Adult Entertainment.”
This surprised me partly because, as usual, Gen Con was in Indianapolis. The Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theatre was 2,000 miles away. So why did my benefactor, whom I believe to be a theater employee, deem it worthwhile to give me the pass?
I can think of two hypotheses.
One is that I look like a man who, if you COULD just get him inside the theater, would run amok buying Nude Dances in the VIP Green Door room. So the guy gave me the pass in the same spirit that you buy a Powerball ticket. You know the bet probably won’t pay off, but you figure that if it does, it’s going to rain money.
If that’s what he was thinking, it gives me worthwhile insight into how others interpret my appearance and demeanor. But I actually prefer my other hypothesis.
I want to believe that all the people working at the theater are D&D fans. That when Bethany Bare, Raven Love, and Valentina Poly finish with the tedium of making “girl-on-girl fantasies come true right in front of you” in the Ultra Room, what REALLY excites them is racing back to the dressing room, hunkering down at the table with its hex mat, miniatures, and polyhedral dice, and guiding their 6th level halfling rogue, 4th level human wizard, and 8th level half-elf ranger on through the Cavern of the Bleeding Skull. That’s just a fun thing to imagine.
http://www.ofarrell.com/home.html
