David P. Forsyth's Blog: The Sovereign Spirit Saga, page 5
May 23, 2012
Great Support from Fellow Authors!
The free promotion of Voyage of the Dead was a great success. It wasn't the most copies I had ever given away and the book didn't make it to the Top 100, but the response from those who have read it and the support from other authors was truly inspiring.
Special thanks to Hugh Howey (author of the blockbusting Wool series) who took the time to Tweet my promotion to his fans in the same week he was signing with Random House and Twentieth Century Fox. And many thanks again to Paul Jones (author of Extinction Point and Towards Yesterday) who has Tweeted all of my Freebies to his fans. Several other authors sent tweets and made posts to spread the word, including Nathan Yocum (author of The Zona), Barry James (author of Dreams of Darkness), Edwin Stark (author of Eco Station One), and Linell Jeppsen (author of Story Time), not to mention MountainMama (promoter of M.O.D.). They all deserve my thanks and I hope you will check out their books too.
The promotion ends at midnight PDT tonight and it looks like Voyage of the Dead will hang onto a slot in the top 10 of Free Sci Fi Adventure to the bitter end. Better yet was a review that came in this morning from someone in Barbados who downloaded the book yesterday, read it, then bought the sequel and read it all night. Then they posted the following review on Amazon:
"May 23, 2012
By
Purusha Nsadi "phyrephoxed" (Christ Church Barbados) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Voyage of the Dead - Book One Sovereign Spirit Saga (Kindle Edition)
So I was faffing around on Twitter scoping for new authors and books to read when I came across a tweet that pointed me in the direction of this book and since it mentioned that it was free I figured I'd check it out. After all, if its free and it sucks then no harm, no foul, eh?
Well, if you want a damn good apocalyptic/zombie/survival read, Mr. Forsyth has started the engines on an amped-up, turbo-charged thrill ride with Voyage of the Dead. I haven't blown through a book like that since Hugh Howey's Wool Saga, and I purchased the second book, Flotilla of the Dead, as well and read both overnight. Its got zombies, survivors, guns, a swordswoman, and enough gore and action to satisfy any zombie apocalypse fan.
I like that Mr. Forsyth presents logical, plausible solutions for the fixes his characters get into and that he is obviously building this story with a goal in mind. You can feel the outlines of where he is headed with this story and I for one am quite chuffed to be along for the ride. It promises to be a blast!
Oh, and if Carl could post the design plans for the Suburban......:)"
I call that a successful promotion!
DPF
Special thanks to Hugh Howey (author of the blockbusting Wool series) who took the time to Tweet my promotion to his fans in the same week he was signing with Random House and Twentieth Century Fox. And many thanks again to Paul Jones (author of Extinction Point and Towards Yesterday) who has Tweeted all of my Freebies to his fans. Several other authors sent tweets and made posts to spread the word, including Nathan Yocum (author of The Zona), Barry James (author of Dreams of Darkness), Edwin Stark (author of Eco Station One), and Linell Jeppsen (author of Story Time), not to mention MountainMama (promoter of M.O.D.). They all deserve my thanks and I hope you will check out their books too.
The promotion ends at midnight PDT tonight and it looks like Voyage of the Dead will hang onto a slot in the top 10 of Free Sci Fi Adventure to the bitter end. Better yet was a review that came in this morning from someone in Barbados who downloaded the book yesterday, read it, then bought the sequel and read it all night. Then they posted the following review on Amazon:
"May 23, 2012
By
Purusha Nsadi "phyrephoxed" (Christ Church Barbados) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Voyage of the Dead - Book One Sovereign Spirit Saga (Kindle Edition)
So I was faffing around on Twitter scoping for new authors and books to read when I came across a tweet that pointed me in the direction of this book and since it mentioned that it was free I figured I'd check it out. After all, if its free and it sucks then no harm, no foul, eh?
Well, if you want a damn good apocalyptic/zombie/survival read, Mr. Forsyth has started the engines on an amped-up, turbo-charged thrill ride with Voyage of the Dead. I haven't blown through a book like that since Hugh Howey's Wool Saga, and I purchased the second book, Flotilla of the Dead, as well and read both overnight. Its got zombies, survivors, guns, a swordswoman, and enough gore and action to satisfy any zombie apocalypse fan.
I like that Mr. Forsyth presents logical, plausible solutions for the fixes his characters get into and that he is obviously building this story with a goal in mind. You can feel the outlines of where he is headed with this story and I for one am quite chuffed to be along for the ride. It promises to be a blast!
Oh, and if Carl could post the design plans for the Suburban......:)"
I call that a successful promotion!
DPF
May 22, 2012
Interview and Free Promotion
Just a quick update to let you know that www.DigitalBookToday.com will be running an interview with me today (5/22) and I am offering Voyage of the Dead for FREE at the same time.
Anthony Wessel, the founder of Digital Book Today, has also reviewed both Voyage of the Dead and Flotilla of the Dead for The Kindle Book Review and rated each of them 4.2 Stars.
It's really nice to get reviews and exposure on a mainstream literary website and not just from the zombie and apocalyptic fiction crowd (not that I don't love you guys!).
Anthony Wessel, the founder of Digital Book Today, has also reviewed both Voyage of the Dead and Flotilla of the Dead for The Kindle Book Review and rated each of them 4.2 Stars.
It's really nice to get reviews and exposure on a mainstream literary website and not just from the zombie and apocalyptic fiction crowd (not that I don't love you guys!).
May 15, 2012
Sovereign Spirit Saga Discussion Forum
Since there isn't a thread on this subject yet and I am busy writing the third book, I thought it would be nice to get some input from readers on where you think the saga should take us.
I started a Discussion Topic based on Flotilla of the Dead titled Sovereign Spirit Saga Suggestions at http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8... I would love to have you all chime in!
To recap, Voyage of the Dead took us from the coast of Mexico up to San Diego, Oceanside and Malibu. Flotilla of the Dead took us to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, then out to Catalina Island and inland to an isolated valley, before returning to the new Safe Haven. That is just a geographic outline, of course, but where would you set course for next?
Feel free to comment on characters, plot lines, and the general direction you would like to see the saga go. I have my own ideas, but I would like to give those of you who care enough to follow the story a chance to influence it too.
I started a Discussion Topic based on Flotilla of the Dead titled Sovereign Spirit Saga Suggestions at http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8... I would love to have you all chime in!
To recap, Voyage of the Dead took us from the coast of Mexico up to San Diego, Oceanside and Malibu. Flotilla of the Dead took us to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, then out to Catalina Island and inland to an isolated valley, before returning to the new Safe Haven. That is just a geographic outline, of course, but where would you set course for next?
Feel free to comment on characters, plot lines, and the general direction you would like to see the saga go. I have my own ideas, but I would like to give those of you who care enough to follow the story a chance to influence it too.
May 6, 2012
FREE TODAY: Voyage of the Dead
Voyage of the Dead (the full book) is FREE today only on Amazon.
May 1, 2012
Breaking News... Great Sales!
I remember celebrating the sale of 100 copies of Voyage of the Dead in February. That was a milestone for my first book. Yesterday I was stunned when I realized that combined sales of Voyage of the Dead and Flotilla of the Dead had surpassed 1,000 copies in April!
Note: That does not include another thousand promotional giveaways of the first book and introductory teaser.
I know there is no way that sales will increase by another factor of ten in the next two months, so this is probably the most dramatic increase I will record. That's why I decided to share the news with you.
I'm also happy to report that both books have been consistently in the sci-fi and horror rankings. Flotilla of the Dead is actually selling more copies than Voyage of the Dead now and that means a lot of people who read the first book (free or paid) are willing to buy the sequel. That is the best news I could hope for!
I am also seeing reviews and comments from people who are thanking their friends for recommending my books. So I want to thank all of you again for liking my books and spreading the news. Now it's back to work on the third book!
Note: That does not include another thousand promotional giveaways of the first book and introductory teaser.
I know there is no way that sales will increase by another factor of ten in the next two months, so this is probably the most dramatic increase I will record. That's why I decided to share the news with you.
I'm also happy to report that both books have been consistently in the sci-fi and horror rankings. Flotilla of the Dead is actually selling more copies than Voyage of the Dead now and that means a lot of people who read the first book (free or paid) are willing to buy the sequel. That is the best news I could hope for!
I am also seeing reviews and comments from people who are thanking their friends for recommending my books. So I want to thank all of you again for liking my books and spreading the news. Now it's back to work on the third book!
April 24, 2012
Voyage of the Dead (full book) FREE 4/25 & 4/26
Voyage of the Dead will be FREE tomorrow and Thursday. Please spread the word.
I decided to use two promo days after both Voyage of the Dead and the sequel, Flotilla of the Dead, broke into the top 100 Kindle Science Fiction Adventure rankings yesterday. Voyage of the Dead fell back last night, but Flotilla of the Dead is still hanging in there.
This tells me that readers of the first book are willing to buy the second book. That speaks louder than any reviews or ratings. So I am more than happy to give away thousands of the first book! Any help you can offer in spreading the word is appreciated.
I am hard at work on the third book, Deluge of the Dead, and my motivation is magnified by readers like you who seem to appreciate my efforts. Thanks again!
I decided to use two promo days after both Voyage of the Dead and the sequel, Flotilla of the Dead, broke into the top 100 Kindle Science Fiction Adventure rankings yesterday. Voyage of the Dead fell back last night, but Flotilla of the Dead is still hanging in there.
This tells me that readers of the first book are willing to buy the second book. That speaks louder than any reviews or ratings. So I am more than happy to give away thousands of the first book! Any help you can offer in spreading the word is appreciated.
I am hard at work on the third book, Deluge of the Dead, and my motivation is magnified by readers like you who seem to appreciate my efforts. Thanks again!
April 23, 2012
Voyage and Flotilla in Top 100 Sci-Fi-Adventure!
I just noticed that Flotilla of the Dead is #88 in Paid Science Fiction Adventure in the Kindle Store today. Shockingly, Voyage of the Dead is at #89! That's right, both books are sailing in formation up the charts. Full speed ahead!
April 15, 2012
Great Reviews for Flotilla of the Dead
I had a pleasant surprise when I turned on the computer today. There were new reviews for Flotilla of the Dead on Amazon and GoodReads. First, thank you Faye! I'm glad you liked it so much.
The review that really shocked me was from The Kindle Book Review. It says:
"Is book #2 as good as #1 in the series? Yes.
"Book #2 is a very different storyline than #1. Which is good.
"Book #2 ends like a good series book should. Reaching some significant conclusion, leaving a couple in the air, and briefly laying the groundwork and giving a couple of hints for the next book.
"The plot and storyline lends itself easily to being a long and enjoyable series. A second author could easily create a series within a series. An example of this would be all of Star Wars books that were created out of the original storyline.
"This reviewer rates this book 4.2 stars (rounded down to 4 stars). Remember, a 4 star rating means a fan of this genre will enjoy the book.
Anthony Wessel reviews books for The Kindle Book Review and is the founder of DigitalBookToday.com - Helping Readers Find Authors in a Digital World."
Thank you Mr. Wessel! I am also happy to announce that DigitalBookToday.com will be running an interview with me next month. Stay tuned for details.
The review that really shocked me was from The Kindle Book Review. It says:
"Is book #2 as good as #1 in the series? Yes.
"Book #2 is a very different storyline than #1. Which is good.
"Book #2 ends like a good series book should. Reaching some significant conclusion, leaving a couple in the air, and briefly laying the groundwork and giving a couple of hints for the next book.
"The plot and storyline lends itself easily to being a long and enjoyable series. A second author could easily create a series within a series. An example of this would be all of Star Wars books that were created out of the original storyline.
"This reviewer rates this book 4.2 stars (rounded down to 4 stars). Remember, a 4 star rating means a fan of this genre will enjoy the book.
Anthony Wessel reviews books for The Kindle Book Review and is the founder of DigitalBookToday.com - Helping Readers Find Authors in a Digital World."
Thank you Mr. Wessel! I am also happy to announce that DigitalBookToday.com will be running an interview with me next month. Stay tuned for details.
April 13, 2012
Deluge of the Dead (in progress)
Well, I've started writing Deluge of the Dead. As if to honor the occasion there is a big thunderstorm passing over Malibu right now dumping over half an inch per hour and unleashing massive thunder and lightning. Luckily, the power and internet are still working. Looks like my timeline was off by one day (it rains on April 14th in the book), but not bad forecasting for Southern California (where they say it never rains). LOL.
I'm excited about writing "Deluge of the Dead" and hope to complete it well before Christmas (but no promises this time). I have some interesting twists and turns sketched into the outline.
Sales and reviews of both Voyage of the Dead and Flotilla of the Dead are going well. Flotilla was back up to #75 in paid sci-fi-adventure last night. It looks like a lot of the people who read Voyage are buying Flotilla too. That is truly encouraging, because a few handfuls of good reviews do not speak as loudly as hundreds of silent readers who choose to buy the sequel.
Wow! Lightning almost hit the house and thunder shook it like a leaf! It is POURING outside, a virtual DELUGE! How do you think my zombies would react to being outside in that???
Comments below or messages to me are more than welcome. I would love to get fan input on how they envision the zombies' reaction to heavy rain. I'll be writing about it over the next week, so this is your chance to influence the story. Please chime in!
I'm excited about writing "Deluge of the Dead" and hope to complete it well before Christmas (but no promises this time). I have some interesting twists and turns sketched into the outline.
Sales and reviews of both Voyage of the Dead and Flotilla of the Dead are going well. Flotilla was back up to #75 in paid sci-fi-adventure last night. It looks like a lot of the people who read Voyage are buying Flotilla too. That is truly encouraging, because a few handfuls of good reviews do not speak as loudly as hundreds of silent readers who choose to buy the sequel.
Wow! Lightning almost hit the house and thunder shook it like a leaf! It is POURING outside, a virtual DELUGE! How do you think my zombies would react to being outside in that???
Comments below or messages to me are more than welcome. I would love to get fan input on how they envision the zombies' reaction to heavy rain. I'll be writing about it over the next week, so this is your chance to influence the story. Please chime in!
April 3, 2012
Intro Edition Free for the Next 2 Days
I plan to blow all of my freebie days to promote the Sovereign Spirit Saga during the "real time" apocalypse. The 30,000 word intro to Voyage of the Dead will be free 4/4 and 4/5. The full edition will also be free soon (to coincide with an interview and link on a popular website).
One thing that you could all help with (besides spreading the word) is reviews and ratings for the intro version of Voyage of the Dead Introductory First Look or actually at http://www.amazon.com/Voyage-Dead-Int...
You will see that the nice reviews on Amazon were hurt yesterday by a 1 star review from someone who didn't get past the scene where the President was criticized. A 2 star review last month had the same complaint. Neither reviewer read as far as the mission to Cabo!
I never wanted or expected to please everyone, but I want all of you to know that I would have made the last president look incompetent too (and would have received 5 stars from the same reviewers for doing so), if I had written this novel four years ago. What kind of zombie apocalypse story would it be if the president were competent enough to deal with it? :(
So, if you have not weighed in on the Intro Edition (or the full one for that matter), please do.
The apocalypse continues (especially with your help). Thank you!
PS: Any questions on my politics are welcome (I'm an Independent in Malibu -- not a GOP hotspot). Comment below or email/message me with ANY qustions. With an MA in international relations, you should know that I love to debate. However, I don't like people who try to suppress ideas they don't agree with -- especially in fiction -- with bad reviews on a book they admittedly only read a small fraction of. But that's just me. Sorry to anyone offended by the dialog of my characters on the day of the END OF THE WORLD!!! Good thing There wasn't too much cussing. :)
One thing that you could all help with (besides spreading the word) is reviews and ratings for the intro version of Voyage of the Dead Introductory First Look or actually at http://www.amazon.com/Voyage-Dead-Int...
You will see that the nice reviews on Amazon were hurt yesterday by a 1 star review from someone who didn't get past the scene where the President was criticized. A 2 star review last month had the same complaint. Neither reviewer read as far as the mission to Cabo!
I never wanted or expected to please everyone, but I want all of you to know that I would have made the last president look incompetent too (and would have received 5 stars from the same reviewers for doing so), if I had written this novel four years ago. What kind of zombie apocalypse story would it be if the president were competent enough to deal with it? :(
So, if you have not weighed in on the Intro Edition (or the full one for that matter), please do.
The apocalypse continues (especially with your help). Thank you!
PS: Any questions on my politics are welcome (I'm an Independent in Malibu -- not a GOP hotspot). Comment below or email/message me with ANY qustions. With an MA in international relations, you should know that I love to debate. However, I don't like people who try to suppress ideas they don't agree with -- especially in fiction -- with bad reviews on a book they admittedly only read a small fraction of. But that's just me. Sorry to anyone offended by the dialog of my characters on the day of the END OF THE WORLD!!! Good thing There wasn't too much cussing. :)
The Sovereign Spirit Saga
This blog will focus on the "The Sovereign Spirit Saga" - including "Voyage of the Dead" and "Flotilla of the Dead" (coming soon). Fans are encouraged to comment or message the author.
...more
- David P. Forsyth's profile
- 150 followers
