Steve Justice's Blog: Steve Justice's Blog

I Want It All – Queen

I haven’t been able to post much here recently besides a few reviews because I’ve been burning the candle at both ends and trying to do a little too much. Oh yep, shock horror, someone apologising on their blog for not posting as much as they should be (except I didn’t actually apologise) – so what’s new? I just wanted to keep this going, even if nobody reads it but me, so that one day a million years from now when I’m super rich and famous (and dead) people can look back and say, “Ohhh, so he sucks too, just like us~”

Update time! I haven’t been able to work much on new writing because of the astonishing fun I have been having working on an MA Thesis (where is the sarcasm font?). I don’t want to spoil the movie when it comes out, but my thesis is an application of Text World Theory (a framework of Cognitive Poetics, itself a part of Literary Linguistics) to the hidden worlds of the novels of Haruki Murakami. Yes, it is as fun as it sounds. Actually, as anyone who knows me already knows, I am a huge fan of the works of Haruki Murakami, which is why I chose to study his works, so that I actually find interesting. And Text World Theory is interesting to me, especially as an author. Trying to write a thesis, however, is hard work. Which is probably should be, but it still makes me long to return to writing fiction.

Talking of which, I am thinking of writing a sequel to my second novel, The Blood of the Clan (which can be found to your right if you’re looking on the blog, or on the books pages in my main website). My historical novel is proving surprisingly successful, especially in the UK, and while I had toyed with the idea of a sequel before and already have some ideas, I hadn’t planned to write one so soon. I like the idea of continuing the story while people are interested though. So, you heard it here first (maybe).

Aside from the thesis, I have been reading a fair bit and have a few new reviews to share. These can all be found on Goodreads, but I’ll add them here too. Just click on the image and you will be taken to the review. Share your thoughts if you have read these books too – a few crackers, I have to say!

In the meantime, I shall endeavor to get this thesis finished and back to writing the fiction that you and I both love. More updates to follow soon!

Review of The Serpent Cult by FP Spirit

The second book in this series continues the adventures of the Heroes of Ravenford…well, most of them, anyway. One of the biggest surprises in this book was how much the cast changed, a couple of deep, well-defined characters leaving to be replaced by a host of colourful sorts. Personally, I preferred the smaller, more detailed group of the first novel but some may enjoy meeting the new adventurers and those who help them.

I felt a lot of defining characteristics were lost in this novel as it seems almost everyone has some kind of magic, and multiple characters can now fly. I liked the weaknesses that were more evident in the first novel, but then I always tend to root for the underdog.

My favourite aspect of the novel, something the author does very well, was the way in which backgrounds were described. Spirit has a way of making the scenes come to life in front of your eyes, and in particular I liked the underwater scene. I could picture myself there!

I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a fun, light hearted fantasy story. Even if you haven’t read the first, you can enjoy this entry.

Review of Dark Currents by Lindsay Buroker

Following on from my review of the first book in this series, all of my fears were realised in Dark Currents. The steampunk background falls more and more into the background as the group discover technological advancements on a par with modern technology. The characters become more and more set in their roles, showing little sign of growth or diversity. In fact, the main change that takes place is a disappointing one in my opinion, as the main character changes from the confident, strong woman she was at the beginning of the first novel to becoming more and more reliant on the brooding assassin, constantly mooning over him and his tight-fitting black shirts. While this may appeal to fans of romance novels, I was disappointed such an interesting and strong female lead became so obsessed with a man.

While I do like the idea the author has of planning each of the following books to focus more on a different character in the group, I won’t be continuing with this series due to its predictability and lack of depth. However, if you do enjoy romantic novels (I don’t mean the theme of love, I mean the genre of romance) and are not overly concerned with character development or thematic depth, then Dark Currents is an easy read you may enjoy.

Review of The Emperor’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker

The Emperor’s Edge is the first book available in Lindsay Buroker’s extensive fantasy-steampunk series and is an entertaining story with some interesting characters only let down by falling into some repetitive tropes and vagueness in setting.

The first thing worth pointing out is that this book is permanently free. It is the first book I have ever picked up for free randomly and I was pleasantly surprised. The quality of writing is good, though the style is simple for the sake of moving the action along quickly. I soon realised the reason for this being free is that it is the first in a series of seven (or by now, perhaps more) books. I don’t have a problem with this sales tactic at all (it worked on me – I enjoyed the first book enough to purchase the second) but it is worth knowing that if you become invested in this series, you will be in it for a while.

Anyway, the story itself starts off very quickly with a range of interesting characters, all of whom have some intriguing background elements. And speaking of backgrounds, I liked the idea of combining certain elements of fantasy with steampunk. The pace of the story always moves quickly from one part of the adventure to another.

I liked this book a lot, so why not five stars? The main reason is that the story, which starts out as a very interesting novel, falls into the usual traps that dog large series. The characters become more one-dimensional as time passes, becoming more like caricatures of themselves that repeat the same actions or reactions again and again. The background also becomes less vivid, the steampunk features becoming less pronounced as the story goes on, at times feeling like a near modern-day setting with swords.

Despite this, I still recommend giving The Emperor’s Edge a try. You can’t really go wrong with the price and it is an entertaining story. Just don’t expect too much of the characters or the steampunk setting and you will be in for an entertaining read.

Review of The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

Murakami’s shortest published work (by a long way) is a fable of sorts that does not provide enough to justify a price tag matching that of his longest novels.

Coming from a long-time Murakami fan (I own every one of his English publications) it feels almost like sacrilege to say it but I was disappointed by The Strange Library. A lot of fuss was made in the media about this book, about the illustrated aspects of it, but most of the illustrations were pages from old reference books that didn’t resonate with me personally on an artistic level. Of course, that could be down to me, but I don’t think anyone could feel that they got their money’s worth with this, a short story that can be finished in less than ten minutes.

When you add into this the fact that this story was translated from a book aimed at children in Japan, it seems that the publishers have put a lot of hype into something that didn’t deserve it. That isn’t to say that The Strange Library isn’t an enjoyable read because every fan of Murakami will enjoy it, and every fan will probably want to add it to their collection like I did. However, while I have re-read all of Murakami’s novels at least once (and some multiple times), I can not imagine myself ever returning to Murakami’s Strange Library in the future.

There you have it. A very short review for a very short story.

You’re the Best…Around! – Joe Esposito

That’s right, boys and girls, let the excitement of the Karate Kid’s battle course through your veins in preparation for the reveal of my top 5 indie books of 2014!

What were the requirements to be included in this monumentally prestigious list? Well, I had to read your book. And I had to like it. A lot.

So without further ado (not that there was much ado in the first place), here we go. In no particular order:

Contention by Paul Cunningham

Underrated even by indie standards, Contention is a fantastic piece of historical literature that tells the story of the year Rome had four emperors through the tales of soldiers and servants, each with their own defined way of speaking. Paul Cunningham succeeds in bringing these narrators to life, even if they only appear once for a short time, and makes this chapter of Rome’s history interesting even if you’re not a history buff. If you are, and I am too (high-five!), then you will truly love this book. This is Paul’s first novel so send him some love, pick up a copy and leave a review.

When A Hard Rain Falls by Jeffrey Miller

In all honesty, I could have chosen any of Jeffery Miller’s books to recommend as I read them all this year. He is an exceptional writer who specialises in serving up slices of small-town America as well as exploring human relationships. When A Hard Rain Falls focuses on a single father who decides to take his two sons camping, a trip that quickly becomes dangerous due to a torrential storm that hits the area. More deadly than the storm, though, is the ever-nearing ominous presence of a man on the run. This thriller is one of Miller’s most recent works and is highly-polished – truly a novel that would not be out-of-place on any person’s bookshelf.

A Few Lives Lost by J Glen Percy

Oooh I didn’t want to like this book. It ticks a lot of boxes that scream “Trendy”. It defines itself as “Young Adult” fiction, it has a dystopian setting, it has a bit of a love story…Hunger Games already has enough boring sequels, ammirite? Well, fear not – this is a story that quickly establishes its own presence and its own identity. The US has collapsed as a country, the states making their own authoritarian governments. The main character, a young adult naturally, escapes into the wild with his younger sister, as well as a couple of unexpected companions. As much a story of (young adult) man versus nature as (young adult) man versus man, A Few Lives Lost is an unexpectedly gripping story that keeps you turning the pages until the very end. It is the first in a series and though I haven’t read what comes next, I’m sure I will in the coming year.

Paul Carter is a Dead Man by Ryan Bracha

Another dystopian novel, this time set in Britain. The overarching premise is that criminals are judged by the public online and then, if found guilty, crews are sent to hunt them down. Some of these crews become quite popular if they are savage enough, creating a new coliseum-style entertainment that serves to entertain and distract. One of Bracha’s greatest achievements in this book, aside from providing a very entertaining read, is to create a dystopian future that is very plausible. Everything is explained well and is chillingly believable. Bracha also provides some very humourous moments – all in all, a great story told well.

Luckbane by Tony Breeden

It is very rare to come across a truly original story. It is common to hear people say there is nothing new under the sun or that there are only six different types of story. Well, those people haven’t read Luckbane. It is absolutely barmy, and in a good way. In the future (uh oh, you think, another dystopian novel) the ultimate escape is video games, video games where you fight dragons and monsters in a mystical fantasy world. So, a fantasy novel? No wait, there’s more! Finally technology finds a way to transform normal people into wizards and warriors, as well as bizarre supernatural creatures, and those people gather on a planet to fight it out with sword and sorcery. So…sci fi? Who knows! And who cares – this is a rollercoater of a read that deserves a look no matter what genre you like.

And that’s all she wrote, folks. My top five picks for the year. How about you? What was your favourite indie novel? Let me know and I’ll be sure to check it out.

And please support an indie author or two by picking up one of their books. You have my personal guarantee (wowsers!) that you will enjoy at least one of the books recommended up. So hold back on that final beer and splash a few bucks on an ebook. It means the world to these authors. Let’s make 2015 a good year for indie writers!

Now that ain’t working; that’s the way you do it – Dire Straits

Despite some questionable lyric choices (who’d have thought Dire Straits would use the word “faggot”?) it is a classic song, at least this side of the pond.

“Money for nothing” – something a lot of indie authors have to deal with. Not getting money for doing nothing; that may be what some people think happens with writing but we know much better, don’t we? Lots of work for little pay is the average life of an indie author.

No, by quoting from this 1980s gentle rock classic, I mean spending money and getting nothing. It is no surprise that with the explosion in the number of indie authors kicking around these days there has also been a huge increase in the number of websites offering marketing and promotion services. Every indie author is looking for a way to rise above the crowd, to leap up like a beautiful Scottish salmon rising majestically from the icey waters of obscurity.

Just remember what happens to most salmon when they swim upstream.

Yes, there are many websites out there that will gleefully snap you up and take your money and you will get absolutely not a single sale more for the investment. However, that’s not to say all promotional websites are a waste of money. Everyone who has tried promotional websites will have their favourites and failures, but in my experience of trying to find which are most successful, the results seem to often be a consequence of genre. There are a lot more people looking for romance novels than anything else, and a lot more websites pandering to that particular market.

So if you, like me, have attempted to write something not so easily defined, something you might dare to class as “literary fiction”, what sites are right for you?

I have just finished a three day promotion of my first novel, “The One: The Tale of a Lost Romantic in Seoul” at 99 cents and 99 pence. It was by no means my most successful promotion in terms of numbers, perhaps because I decided to try a new way of doing it. For each day of my promotion, I used (a) different website(s) to see if it would be clear which were more successful for sales.

While there are a lot of circumstances that influence sales, such as which day of the week and which day of the promotion, hopefully this advice will help one or two of you in planning your next promotion or sale.

I shall go through each of the sites I used and state my general opinon on them as well as a general hit or miss rank. Please do note that this is all based on personal experience, so please let me know in the comments if you have had a different experience.

Up first is:

eBookSoda – $10

This was my first time using eBookSoda and for a mere 10 bucks, it is worth a gamble. They do have requirements regarding reviews, but they are very relaxed at only an average of 3.5 out of 5. They also accept new released with no reviews (within three months of publication). All in all, very friendly, except my sales were a complete bust that day and I didn’t even make back the small investment. So for me, I won’t be using them again, but perhaps genre fiction would be more successful. Verdict: MISS

Free Kindle Books and Tips – $25

This was also my first time using FKBT. They claim to be able to reach 675,000 people, which is pretty impressive if true. It should also be noted that despite the name, your book does not have to be free, it just has to be discounted. There are a number of different options available for promotions, starting at $25 and running up to $200 depending on whether you wish to be featured or not and the price you are selling your book at. I chose the cheapest option because I am tightfisted wanted to spread my marketing budget across a number of sites. Requirements aren’t too bad, they want 4 stars out of 5 across 8 reviews, 4 of which should be verified purchases. They also have a seperate promotion offer for new releases, so yay for that. This site promoted my novel on, by far, my most successful day of sales and while there is no way to know if all the sales came from this site, I will most definitely be using them again in the future. The price is good and the sales don’t lie. Verdict: HIT

Choosy Bookworm – Free!

This was either my second or third time using Choosy Bookworm because there are so few sites that offer any sort of free promotion. They do offer featured and guaranteed slots at prices running up to a reasonable $20, but I have stuck with the free option every time. They do say they receive 10 submissions for every free slot they have available so you may be rejected but that hasn’t happened to me yet (because I’m awesome, obviously). This promotion ran on the same day as FKBT, so it contributed towards my best sales day. Verdict: HIT

BookSends - $20

My first time using BookSends left me feeling decidedly “meh”. The promotion went out on the “middle” day for sales, not the best but not the worst. They claim to have over 100,000 “active readers” on their lists, and also claim that the likes of Harper Collins and Penguin Books have advertised with them, which seems a little hard to believe but I can’t be bothered investigating the claim. I may be willing to give them a try in the future, but I doubt it. Verdict: MISS

Awesome Gang – $10

Even if you don’t advertise with Awesome Gang, I strongly suggest you get involved with the community in the Facebook group. The person who runs it, Vinny, is a really nice guy and offers some great advice. That said, this is my second time advertising with Awesome Gang and I’ve not been disappointed with the results either time. For only ten bucks, it is definitely worth your time. Verdict: HIT

Digital Book Today – $30

The most expensive of my promotion sites is also one I am unsure of. It was my first time using Digital Book Today, and their website is a bit of a mess (not that mine is anything special). They claim to get 100,000 visits a month and they have an absolute catalogue of promotional options, running from free to expensive (I think, I still can’t work out everything on the website) but I still am not sure how much this site contributed to my sales. That could be said of any of the websites, of course, but in the end considering the higher price of this website, I think I will have to give it a pass next time around. Verdict: MISS(ish…maybe)

The Fussy Librarian -$14

This blog post is getting to long, so let’s cut to the chase. I like The Fussy Librarian a lot. It used to be free to advertise with them but they had to start charging due to demand. Requirements are 4.0 or above over 10 reviews – they are proud of their fussiness, an aspect I don’t mind at all. $14 is the most expensive option, prices go down from there. I’ve used them a few times and been happy. Verdict: HIT

Okay, that’s enough! I know a bunch of other sites that I have tried on my previous promotions, and some I have not tried yet, but I will talk about them another time.

I would love to hear your suggestions or success stories in the comments. In the meantime, come back soon as I plan to list my favourite indie books of 2014, and I won’t even include my own on the list!

It’s not about the money money money – Jessie J

Okay, so I’m not one to usually use a scantily clad singer to make a point, but this song has jumped into my head a few times during my time being involved in the indie writing scene.

Let me ask you a very simple question:

Why do you write?

I admit I’m something of a literary snob. I’ve spent the entire of my adult life studying literature and then teaching it. I admire qualities such as  deep characterisation, structured plots, interesting theme and style choices, and well-crafted sentences. I’m not saying I achieve all these things as a writer myself; these are qualities I strive for and qualities I think every writer should consider.

And I think many do. Indie books have something of a bad reputation compared to traditionally published books, so much so that many people outside the indie scene don’t know anything about it. If they can’t get it in a bookstore, they aren’t interested. That reputation is unfair, and in the last year I have read some absolutely phenomenal books by indie authors, books I plan to make a list of before the end of the year.

However, I can see where the reputation comes from. There is some rubbish out there, I think we can all agree. Part of that comes from the absurd idea that writing is a path to making a quick buck. The success, and inflated media coverage, of series like Harry Potter, Twilight, and Fifty Shades of Grey (three series which, probably not coincidentially, I think are awful) has made people who have never read a book before decide they can be writers.

And they can be writers – I encourage everyone to write – but advances in technology, namely ebook publishing, have resulted in poorly produced books, often unedited and without professional covers, flooding the indie book market.

Now some of these may be people trying their best to produce a book they truly care about, and that is fair enough. In time they will learn to improve their craft, and probably get better covers and even hire an editor. Even if I don’t like the genre personally, I can respect anyone who does have a passion for their chosen area of writing and pursues it.

Unfortunately, I think there is a large number, perhaps a majority, doing it for the money more than anything else. There are a huge number of posts on any online forum about writing asking questions about what books make the most money. The boom in erotica after the success of Fifty Shades of Grey isn’t by chance. People saw the money she made and thought “I want a bit of that”.

Nothing wrong with wanting to make money from writing; my goal is also to make a living from my writing one day. However, I would never write purely in the pursuit of money. I would never sit down to start a book thinking, “What genre is hot these days? How quickly can I get a series of books out to maximise sales?” I believe following that path may lead to some quick sales, but not to enduring popularity. And certainly not to any form of literary excellence.

So if you are an author, and I welcome you if you are, ask yourself what you are writing for when you next open up that document. Are you looking to improve the genre in which you write? Produce something new? Entertain your audience? Experiment with style?

Are you challenging yourself as a writer and a reader? Or are you just trying to make some cash.

Because as the young lady in dire need of more clothes says, it’s not about the money money money. Or at least, it shouldn’t be.

Don’t call it a comeback – LL Cool J

Yep, as the inestimable Ladies Love Cool James once said, don’t call it a comeback. Though it kind of is.

My “internet presence”, which still sounds like a ghost to me, has been very quiet lately as I have been busy getting stuff done. What stuff you ask? Or maybe you don’t as you have your own stuff to do. I’ll tell you anyway.

Firstly, I have redesigned my website at www.stevejusticeauthor.com. Part of that is opening my blog at WordPress, which I will try to update regularly. There you can find the latest news from this blog and my various social media pages, as well as information about my latest books and my upcoming works.

Secondly, I have relaunched my debut novel with a new cover. Here it is!

New cover for “The One: The Tale of a Lost Romantic in Seoul”

I’m really pleased with the new cover as I think it really shows the theme of the story. If you haven’t picked up a copy of the paperback yet, now is a good time! If you have a copy of the ebook, the cover should be updated automatically whenever Amazon feels like it.

Lastly, and most excitingly, I have just published my second novel! It is a historical novel set during the Roman invasion of Scotland in the 1st Century AD. You can find out more info on the book’s page on my website, or at Amazon. Here is a look at the cover:

Cover for “The Blood of the Clan”

Another great job by my cover designer, Keri Knutson at Alchemy Cover Designs. I strongly recommend her if you need any covers made.

Right, that’s enough for now. I hope to meet many new people through the blog and I will be using this page to promote indie authors and services, not just my own work. Please like my Facebook page, follow this blog, follow me on Twitter, Instagram, etc. etc. etc. and send me a message if you have any information about promotions or services you would like me to share.