Are you someone with a quirky sense of humor? Are you sick of reading sugary-sweet and dumbed down books to kids?Are you a little bit tacky? (I knew I liked you for a reason!) This book is for you.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/10/04/if_it_seems_like_everyone_was_talking_about_lindsay_lohan_yesterday_here.html
What’s that you say? It’s "Mean Girls’ Day"? You may not even have known that there was such a thing. But indeed: October 4th is "Cinnamon Rolls Day." It’s "National Ships In a Bottle Day." It’s "Taco Day." And it’s "Mean Girls’ Day." Since we couldn’t let this one go by without any fanfare, we’re celebrating by posting Chapter 4. This is the one that comes right before things get weird. (Weirder?) In other words, the next chapter will begin to reveal how this novel fits into a fantasy contest. We were initially going to wait and post this chapter to celebrate hitting 600 preorders, but with just 5 to go from that milestone, it seems worth celebrating early (crossing our fingers to cross that line soon). But hey--I’m also al for eating dessert before the meal. Life’s short. Better to celebrate prematurely than not at all.
If you’re reading along, happy Mean Girls’ Day! Hope you enjoy. Oh yeah, and THE TOTE BAGS ARE IN! I’m going to figure out how to upload an image of someone stylish rocking one. From here til the campaign’s end, if you order 3 copies, you get a tote bag mailed to you with our compliments (and profuse thanks).
Warmly,
’Lena
Happy Friday!
I don’t know about you, but this week was exhausting. I’d say I’m happy for the weekend, but I’ve got to work on Saturday (part-time wedding photographer/videographer). It’s time to rally and keep pushing, both with this campaign and staying awake while interacting with humans. I find that when I get this rundown, I just got to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. I think that’s a good solution for a lot of things in life.
Campaign Update: We are 64 orders from making Quill! That is super exciting! We are still 5th in the contest. Help me out by recommending the book on Inkshares. It’s that cool black Recommend button next to those colorful social media icons at the top of The Living God page. While you’re there, why don’t you share on your social media as well?
And, this is really important! If you haven’t already, why don’t you leave a review? Its as easy as clicking the link right there and typing, "This book is really interesting! Check it out!"
Book Cover promotion is still going strong. If you haven’t yet placed a pre-order, and happen to need a flashy cover designed by a professional cover artist, a cover that isn’t pixilated or potentially going to get you sued for copyright infringement, I’m your girl. Here is just a PSA about copyright infringement. I point out the copyright thing because many authors don’t know that taking images from Google and using them in their promotions, whether as a book cover, a poster, or banner ad is illegal and it can really get you into trouble with copyright laws. I am part of a number of author web and Facebook groups and I can’t tell you the number of times I see copyrighted content being used by an author. This includes artwork found on Deviant Art (or any artist’s website). You have to have written permission (often a contract) to use artwork from an artist, and it often includes payment upfront or commission from book sales. Unless the artist is a friend, and then that is between you guys. Memes or GIFs are totally different and not included in this PSA, just images taken and passed off as belonging to some you or related to a work that you created, when in fact it was created for someone and something else. If you need imagery for your book or promotions I highly recommend stock photography websites. There are some free and some paid. My favorite free one is, I kid you not, Free Images.com. My favorite paid one is Deposit Photos.com, it is reasonably priced. Okay, end of PSA and sorry, that made this update got pretty long, but I thought it was something that would be helpful to you guys in the future.
Aleira grew up in Adrid, on its border with Mavahan. When she was five her family tried to flee the poverty and civil war in Adrid as refugees, her family was slaughtered and she was captured during a border skirmish with Mavhan forces. Aleira was sold as a slave to a small facility that specified in training Champions and Challengers. Since she was small and frail, she was branded with the mark of a Sparring slave, and never meant to be anything other than disposable practice meat. But, Aleira did not die. She fought, she killed, she lived. She survived to become the reigning champion of the female Challengers and was later bought by the royal family and given to Xalen as a wife. She did not know Xalen’s kindness at the time, but saught to show him that she was no man’s property. She beat him senseless on his wedding night, which earned his respect as well as his admiration. They grew to love each other. After losing her child, Aleira vowed that she would make Mavahan pay and that, when the time came, every slave would taste freedom.
Setzer/Seismic Girls/
CHAPTER ONEThe earthquakes started when Esther was in high school.
She had never expected the ground beneath her feet to be anything but steady. After all, this was Oklahoma, the middle of the middle—a place so stagnant that most people mistook the first tremors for a large truck passing by or the rumble of distant thunder.
As time passed and the tremors grew more frequent, there was some alarm, then speculation, t. . .
Setzer/Seismic Girls/
CHAPTER ONEThe earthquakes started when Esther was in high school.
She had never expected the ground beneath her feet to be anything but steady. After all, this was Oklahoma, the middle of the middle—a place so stagnant that most people mistook the first tremors for a large truck passing by or the rumble of distant thunder.
As time passed and the tremors grew more frequent, there was some alarm, then speculation, t. . .
Hello dear readers,
If you preordered Sparked, we are so grateful to you and so excited for you to read it. In fact, we made a spooky new book trailer for you.
Check it out: www.sparkedbook.com
Or just go to our Inkshares page: https://www.inkshares.com/books/sparked
As you know, Sparked reached the initial goal we set and will be published by Inkshares in 2017. But being published is just the beginning. We also need Inkshares to put marketing muscle behind the book and to distribute it into bookstores. To get that, we need 750 preorders in total and we are well on our way, but we still need help.
We only need 189 more orders to cross the finish line.
To help us get Sparked into bookstores, then it would be fabulous if you could take a moment to do this:
Forward this email to one person who might be interested in Sparked.
That could be parents who have a teenager (a kid as young as 10 or 11 is fine, since the book won’t be out for a year). Or a young or old aspiring writer who could use our free coaching offer (transferable and non-expiring): http://www.bay-ata.com/sparked/free_coaching.php. Or an adult who loves reading young adult fiction.
We also have a special gift for anyone who orders 3 copies from now until the end of the campaign: a SPARKED tote bag, designed by Inkshares author Kaytalin Platt. It’s really cute, and who doesn’t love "merch" (or at least saying the word "merch"?) And we will send it to you ASAP-no thumb twiddling while you await that tote bag!
Thank you so much again!
Warmly,
Helena and Malena
(Long post, Wall-o’-text incoming)
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[It’s important to note that this takes a bit of time to write and all numbers and placements are based on where everyone is when I write this. It may be different now but it should be close.]
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You can view last weeks here: The Story So Far Part 8
Welcome back to The Story So Far, my name is @Joey Angotti and I’ll be your guide for this evening. We’re in Week 9 and it’s October 2nd. Let that sink in a bit… Yeah, it’s crazy banana pants! That means as of this moment there is literally less than a month left in this Geek and Sundry fantasy contest. The time is flying and also running out for those still trying to win this thing. That being said, there weren’t too many changes from last week, but there have been plenty of updates from the Top 10 authors. Let’s discuss!
10. Flames in the Dark by @Tara Roquemore (94 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 10th)
Flames in the Dark by Tara Roquemore has only gone up one Reader from last week but continues to hold on to the 10th spot. This final month is crucial for Ms. Roquemore and her (wonderfully written) book, as there is still a lot of ground separating her from the 3rd place spot. Whether she cracks the Top 3 or not, this book deserves to hit quill at least. As I’ve stated before, it is one of the most interesting titles on the whole site. If you want to receive more updates besides the ones shared through Inkshares, be sure to check out her Facebook Author Page!
9. Chronicles of An Domhan by @Conri (107 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 8th)
Chronicles of An Domhan by Conri didn’t go up in readers from last week and has fallen down to the 9th spot. Despite having one of the fastest rising books in the entire contest, it really is a shocker to see it falling this far down in the Top 10. The content and collaboration between artists that makes up the Chronicles of An Domhan are some of the most fleshed out in the entire contest. Judging by the lack of new unique readers, I will assume you all didn’t take my advice on checking out Mr. Conri’s latest updates. (Queue the nun chick from Game of Thrones with the whole “Shame, Shame, Shame” bit) I’ll hit you all up with the ol’ link-a-roo again in case you missed it last week: Codex An Domhan I: The Faith and Duty of the Marshals. Go check it out!
8. The Delicate Art of Soulripping by @Sara (122 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 6th)
The Delicate Art of Soulripping by Sara Polk has fallen to 8th place. As we enter into this final month of the contest and resources are starting to run dry it becomes harder and harder to secure unique readers each week and that is becoming clear from the current Top 10 changes we’re seeing here in the first week of October. That being said, if there was ever a final month for The Delicate Art of Soulripping to bounce back in this contest - it is October! This is easily the creepiest and darkest of the Fantasy Novels in the contest and could easily be giving the current Crypt TV Collection Contest writers a run for their money. Halloween will be here before you know it and the rise of this extremely intriguing book by Ms. Polk should coincide with it. Check it out to get in the holiday spirit!
7. A Light in the Void by @J. S. Chlapowski (134 Readers / Last Week’s Rank 9th)
A Light in the Void by J.S. Chlapowski continues to rise in the ranks of the Top 10 and has increased in 30 unique readers since last week! As a Hockey fan, I can tell you the importance of getting hot at the right time - especially towards the end of the Season(or contest in this case) - just look at the Penguins last year(as a New York Rangers fan, this pains me to type) but they got hot at the right time and won the Stanley Cup. I’m not saying Mr. Chlapowski can win the whole thing just yet, but he’s easily one of the hottest entries going into the final month. Jumping up 30 unique readers in just a week this late in the game is eye-opening and shows that A Light in the Void deserves your attention. Head on over to the book page and let Mr. Chlapowski know what you think about his upcoming novel!
6. The Last Faoii by @Tahani Nelson (136 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 6th)
Having gone up 16 unique readers from last week, Tahani Nelson and her book The Last Faoii continues to have one of the strongest campaigns in the Top 10. A *ton* of stuff has been going down on her book page and in her comments section. A $100 VISA giftcard was the most normal thing going on there. We got a new book trailer(which is awesome!) by the amazing @Christopher Lee , there is a new blurb describing the book as well as a new section about Ms. Nelson herself in the About the Author section. On top of all of that, Ed Kemmick of “Last Best News” wrote a really great article about Ms. Nelson and The Last Faoii. You can check that out right here. If you’re not a part of the fight just yet, you need to pick up your blade and get in there already!
5. The Living God by @Kaytalin Platt (140 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 5th)
The Living God by Kaytalin Platt continues to go up in readers each week, one of the most consistent in the contest but Ms. Platt has been in the 5th place spot for quite some time now. With the final month of the contest upon us, it’s time for that last surge that can push her into the Top 3. It’s not like she hasn’t been trying up until this point, her story is solid, her comments section is often updated and full of outstanding character bios and details about the book. Here is what @Pontus Karsten , author of The Orb of Rahnos had to say about it:
“After having read through the first two chapters, this book definitely has my attention. It most certainly has the "just one more page before I put it down" feeling that every writer hopes to accomplish. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of it as soon as I have time. Definitely and undoubtedly a book I would recommend.”
Mr. Karsten definitely hit on a lot of similar feelings I have about The Living God, it definitely has that “one more page” feel and you all need to go check it out and find that out for yourself! That last surge should happen and you can be a part of it!
4. The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. by @Maggie Hoyt (200 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 4th)
While we’re on the topic of final surges, The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. by Maggie Hoyt has had quite a few surges since the start of this contest. Most recently? Jumping up 20 unique readers from last week to hit exactly 200 readers!(As of this writing anyway, possibly more than that by now!) Congratulations to Ms. Hoyt for being the 4th entry into this contest to hit 200 readers and for continuing to be one of the most impressive campaigns in this whole contest. She’s also very close to hitting quill, with less than 25 preorders to go. You should head over to her book page and check out her comments section where she is very grateful for the support thus far but still needs a lot more support if she’s going to catch up to Storm Song and crack the Top 3.
3. Storm Song by @Allison Griner (224 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 3rd)
Storm Song by Allison Griner continues to hang on to the Top 3 spot as we go into the final weeks of the contest. Possibly as I write this, Ms. Griner is running a Dungeons and Dragon’s event that I am REALLY jealous that I can’t be at right now! As many of you know by now, her main character - Thoster Chatwyn - began as a D&D NPC that she created back in her college days and grew into much more. To pay homage to Thoster’s roots, she’s running a D&D event based on a story set in her book’s universe. How. Cool. Is. That? Seriously! If you check out her comments section she’s uploaded a bunch of character sheets and info she’s using to run the event. You should all go check that out! Wish I could be there! Hopefully she takes a lot of pictures! On top of all of that, she’s literally one preorder away from quill as I write this(249) so let’s help her reach another milestone!
2. The Slave Prince by @Jeyna Grace (242 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 2nd)
The Slave Prince by Jeyna Grace is still in 2nd place as we enter into this final month of the contest. Ms. Grace has run a solid campaign with giveaways and awesome quotes at the top of her comments. From what I’ve read of The Slave Prince it is shaping up to be a fantastic novel that would be awesome to see on store shelves in the near-future. The Salt X Paper winners have been announced and Ms. Grace is going to donate money to charity as a way to pay it forward. This is the type of campaign you can proud of to be a part of and now is the time to support Ms. Grace on her journey. November will be here before you know it, Ms. Grace has been in the Top 3 since this contest began - let’s help keep her there!
1. Sparked by @Lena (Helena and Malena) (388 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 1st)
The powerhouse that is Sparked by Helena Echlin and Malena Watrous broke into the Top 10 just a few weeks ago and never looked back. Now at almost 400 unique readers and 588 preorders, this book might hit the 750 preorder goal before this contest even ends. This is no easy feat. Anyone that has ever crowdfunded anything in their life, myself included, knows that this is a really impressive campaign that these two amazing authors are running right here on Inkshares. Each week their preorder count rises, each week they receive new reviews and comments on their writing. People are excited for this book and for good reason! Barring any unforeseen miracles for another author in this contest, Sparked is the odds-on favorite for 1st place in this contest with the final month upon us. That 750 preorder goal is within reach and we can help them get their and be a part of one of the most impressive campaigns in crowdfunding history. Also, if you preorder 3 copies of the book they’ll send you a Sparked Tote Bag… That’s just awesome! Go check it out if you haven’t yet!
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With the final month here and the contest winding down for some authors and resources being spent there was not a lot of changes to talk about this week. I had some ideas I wanted to run through that could have extended the length of this one but I felt it was a good quick recap to start off the month. I’ll save my other ideas for the last few editions. This has been a wild ride so far, looking forward to seeing this through. Good luck everyone! Let’s have a great final month of this contest!
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I’m not sure people who aren’t tagged are even reading this or slightly interested. Also, people not using the forums enough could not be seeing this as well. Any and all extra exposure of this forum post would be appreciated!(It’s a lot of work to not be seen by more people on the site!) - A mention on your books page or more comments could keep this afloat and make sure more people see this post - therefore more exposure and good things for your entry! Plus it might get more people involved on the forums which is good for Inkshares as a whole, imo.
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Shameless Plug: Back to 25 reviews on Amazon. I’m really trying to hit 30 so if anyone could help out with that, I would really appreciate it! Even if you don’t want to leave a review without actually owning or completely reading the book - I would definitely love some feedback on the Chapters posted on my Heroes of Khroma book page or on the preview on Amazon. Thanks to everyone that has written a review or supported, you’re all amazing and fantastic. Even if you didn’t leave a review or support - you’re still cool. Much love!
-J.A.A Soldier’s Crest
Lastly I want to thank Inkshares for making this site and giving aspiring authors like us a chance to share our stories. I also want to thank all the Inksharians, especially those in the Top 10, for giving me some interesting stories to read and write about.
Cheers!
(I post it first then add the links after, so if you click on it right away you may not see the links. Just know that they’re gonna be added in an edit right after! Thanks for your patience and sorry for the inconvenience!)
EDIT: Links added. Let me know if any mistakes!