This is an update of updates!

Nerdist Comp Update

So we're just about at the end of the Nerdist competition, and it's looking like
Ghosts of War is going to be able to hold onto 18th place. Now that may not be a winning position, but to be 18th out of 335 other entries is pretty dang great, and that is thanks to the 140 of you awesome people who picked up one or more copies during the comp.

You guys have also helped make Ghosts of War the 13th most popular currently funding book on Inkshares, how cool's that? (and it's only just out of 12th) After the competition ends and the winners shift into 'In Production' mode, it'll move up to the 8th most popular funding book. Very cool.

Cover Update

In the last few days you may have noticed a slight change to the cover of Ghosts. Well your eyes aren't deceiving you. I'd noticed that when it was shrunk down (like on the Nerdist leaderboard) that the title wasn't very clear in red, and that Cole didn't seem big enough.

So I remedied the problem.

Book Update

I am happy to report that there were some words written this week that will actually be in the book and weren't just an Inkshares update. Some of them have come through doing a few edits and additions to existing chapters, quite a few were in expanding some outlines for forthcoming chapters and there were even a couple of hundred words that were completely brand new and gloriously shiny.

Now that the competition is over I'll be able to focus much more on the writing side of things. All that promotion can get very draining on the creative flow.

Did someone say competition?

You might have seen it on the project page but in case you haven't...

So if you're on of the 140 followers yet to hop on the Ghosts Train, hopefully this might tempt you to come aboard. We've got a 50% conversion rate going so far on followers to readers, and I'd love nothing more than to make that 100%.

In closing, I'd like to defer to Mr Jesse Pinkman to sum up my feelings about the success we've brought to Ghosts of War thus far.

I promised I'd follow up with a word of thanks to any author who generously helped me spread the word about Blood Dawn this weekend while I busied myself with the story. Well, I worked hard -- until 3am yesterday -- and I did it! 20 more page of Blood Dawn not just written, but, according to my editor in an email I just received an hour ago, I wrote one of the most fascinating dialogues in the book to date.

What I find AWESOME, is that while I buckled down, 10 new readers stepped up and bought a copy of Blood Dawn. To those readers who were following and decided to jump on board, thank you so much! And guess what? We're now at 196 copies, which means there are only 9 more pre-orders to go until ... the 100 for $100 draw!

A special thanks to Andrew J. Ainsworth, who spread word to his followers about Blood Dawn and generated some great momentum. Readers, if you haven't heard of These Old Bones, Andrew's great fantasy book which is currently doing amazingly in the Nerdist Collection Contest, go and show your support now. It is the final two days now of the contest, so at this point each and every new reader counts. If you like adventure fantasy with magic and awesome world building, then definitely check out this book.

Andrew isn't the only author who I owe a special thanks to. Pat Jamison, a new Inkshares author who is still feeling out the ground, has generously assisted me with graphics and web design over the last few weeks has offered to make me small graphics and banners, and to redesign my website as a thank you for connecting him to the growing Inkshares author community. Pat is just wonderful, and he is also one of my DRAGON backers (Patazamazzon). I'm just overwhelmed with gratitude at the support I've been shown from the Inkshares community. Blood Dawn would not be where it is today without it.

You can check out Pat's handiwork by visiting the new pages on my website. Although the whole site he made is great, I'm particularly fond of the Blood Dawn page he Here is the link:

http://www.epicfantasywriter.com/blood-dawn/

Pat also made me a timeline for Blood Dawn, as a visual way to share with readers my schedule and what I have lined up to ensure the manuscript I deliver to Inkshares this April is polished to perfection. Check it out:

Pat's novel is called The Stones of Ragnarok, about a CIA and CSIS worker who must stop the end of the world at the hands of ancient Viking stones. Although he's not funding yet, I'm sure Pat would love your support. Go and check his project out and please follow him if it interests you. Click here.

Finally, in spirit of the mad dash toward the finish for those who are in the Nerdist Collection Contest, I want to point out one special author who I also owe a great deal of thanks so: AC Weston, artist extraordinary, and my official dragon lady. You may recall an earlier update where I shared her excellent artwork -- my dragon logo. I am in the process of coloring it in and will soon share with you the colored Blood Dawn logo, which will be used on the t-shirts I'm giving out to DRAGON backers if Blood Dawn reaches its funding goal.

AC Weston's book, She is the End, is an excellent, action-packed space opera novel told in twelve episodes. Please go and have a look at this great book and consider showing your support while there is still time in the contest.

Thank you for your continued support. This is an amazing team we have, and I have every bit of confidence it's going to continue to grow, and together we will make the dream that is Blood Dawn a reality.

It is my hope also that as readers you will spread the word about Inkshares and the excellent, growing catalog of books they have, to help us not just see Blood Dawn as a real book on bookshelves, but to let this community where readers get to vote on which books get published thrive.

This part of the update is for the followers who haven't yet purchased a copy of the book. Maybe you've just wanted to keep tabs on me while I clawed my way up to 17th after most everybody already had a three-week head start. If so, I hope you've enjoyed the show and -- if you've any interest in helping the show go on -- and to see me finish at a higher position than now, please lend your support at last.

In other news, Laura Bynum -- author of The Hide (buy her book; her prose is amazing!) -- was gracious enough to interview some of the contest participants, myself among them. She had me read an excerpt from a chapter I've not posted, detailing my favorite character -- Carina (yup, not Ray) -- interacting with a bartender on Earth from whom she requisitions contraband foodstuffs. Hear me read aloud, in all of my mush-mouthed Brooklynite glory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ5s2-IKV_8

You can see her blurb about Disintegration, and find links to the other authors she interviewed, here: https://wordsontheoutside.wordpress.com/authorindex/

We're two days from the end. The USA Men's Hockey Team may have performed a Miracle back in 1980, but I don't foresee me defeating the Soviets over these next 48 hours. That is, again, unless you've got at least 305 readers hiding somewhere. You could give me one hell of a boost if you'd either just jump in (if you haven't yet) or recruit one or two folks you know to claim their free copy.

While suddenly overtaking the juggernauts in the top-5 is unlikely, I can clearly visualize getting at least 17 more readers over the next two days and overtaking the 15th spot. That's well within reach.

To those of you who have supported me already, I especially need you now. Some of the spectators may not be invested in this project's success, but wouldn't you -- a dyed-in-the-wool supporter -- like to see Disintegration -- the project you've invested in --- continue to climb? To finish the contest strong and to be in prime position to go the long haul?

Yes? Me too!

If you could get at least one more person you know to climb aboard, you'd be a truly pivotal part of my book's continued success. Tell them about the credits: $5 for signing up, $5 for following my book + getting followed back. It costs them nothing but time ... and it pushes Disintegration closer to the printing press.

Please help this fledgling author realize his dream.

I've held 5th place for over a week now and there are only 1.5 days left in the contest! Keep spreading the word and sending your readerly friends my way and we'll nail this publishing contract and possible film adaptation. We're already there!

I am so thankful for every investment in my book. I hope you will view my dedication to my craft as an investment in you, especially when you're finally holding a hardcover edition of my book in your hands.

I'm happy that your generosity isn't something that can be bought. It's freely given. In the end, that will make for a sweeter, hard-earned victory, shared by you and I. Thanks guys!

I just wanted to thank you all for your incredible support. With your help, I hope to stay in the Top 20 for the next two days, until the competition finishes on September 30th. Now for some updates:

Exciting news- Talkers was featured on the very talented Laura Bynum's blog "Words on the Outside." If you want to hear me read one of my favorite chapters check it out. Even if you don't, check out her page, she is doing wonderful work for independent writers!!

 Here it is on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmHOLRYeOXU&feature=em-upload_owner

And here it is on the referring, author index page:
https://wordsontheoutside.wordpress.com/authorindex/

  

THANK YOU Baltimore Comic Con!

I'm an introvert. All who share this interior life understand the inner cringe and urge to flee that greets any demand to put yourself out there, to ask for help, to beg people to support you and your creativity. It's real. It's physical. It can make you feel sick.

This competition has pushed me to ask, beg, follow up, remind, and nudge to the point of nagging. I hate nagging almost as much as I hate self-promoting and cockroaches. But I've done it, and I'm not quite finished.

So.

If you're one of ENHANCED's 55 followers who have not pre-ordered it yet, please do. And ask a friend to, also.

Why? Because whether you're an adult or young adult, ENHANCED is exactly the kind of story you'll love if you loved Harry Potter. Because it's an excellent story with complex characters with exciting arcs and development. Because there's danger, and good and evil are not always easy to tell apart.

I'm not suggesting we'll overtake any of the Top 5, but if we could finish in the Top 10, word is, Inkshares will still promote us toward our 1,000 goal. We can do it with your help.

Here's me, once again, begging you to pre-order 1 copy of our book if you haven't already. Now you'll have to excuse me... I think I might be sick.

Asteroid Made of Dragons switching from Hardcover to Paperback.

After several conversations with Inkshares and receiving a lot input from their sales and marketing experience, I have decided to change the physical version of the book from hardcover to paperback.

Why This Stinks

I've self-published two novels before this, both in paperback and e-book. This was my first chance to see my work in hardcover and I was filled with a childlike glee. As a life-long lover of books and reading - the smell, the heft of a hardback, it's magic. For an author, it's the brass ring - it's legitimacy, it's solid paper and pride. I also kind of loved the innate 'joke' of a preposterous title like AMOD being presented in the most respectable of formats.

Why This is a Good Thing

Quite frankly, it means Inkshares will be able to market and sell my book in a LOT more independent bookstores around the country. For a debut author - it's a lot harder to get small bookstores to take a chance on the cost and shelf-space of a hardback. More stores, more shelves, more eyes, more readers - that's always the goal. Until I am a SUPER BIG DEAL*, it just didn't make sense to increase the risk for smaller bookstores. That's where I want to be! A lower cost in general also helps me win over casual readers - lowering the risk of entry is important all the way through.

*November 10th, 2017, if you're curious.

This also means that AMOD will be almost the same trim size as my previous works, so they'll all look nice together on the shelf. 

What this Means for You

• If you pre-ordered the book while I was funding - not much. You paid the 8.99 or 9.99 pre-order cost. You will still be receiving your copy of the book as planned - it's just going to be a little bit softer, a bit more pliable.

• If you've pre-ordered the hardcover since the campaign was funded and paid the full 24.99 list price - you get a refund! The new paperback cost of the book is going to be right at $15.00. The switch on the campaign page will happen later this week, and you should get a notification of the refund shortly thereafter.

Complaint Box

I feel more than a little dodgy about this for those of you that funded me during the campaign. I promised you one thing, now I'm delivering something slightly different. I do want to make clear that this was 100% my decision -- Inkshares was ready to print hardcovers if that's what I truly wanted, even if it meant going against their clear advice to the contrary. I  know that it's the best decision for the book, but I can empathize quite easily with those of you who were very excited to get those gleaming new hardcovers.

So! Questions or complaints - please direct them my way. Either here, or my email - gderekadams AT gmail DAWT com, or just come yell at me on Twitter: @gderekadams.

POST-MORTEM, DAY FIVE

Be fearless.

In the 1990s, I was part of a couple of different radio sketch comedy groups. With the first, I was so nervous about performing that I did very little behind the mic (the fact that we were recording at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation headquarters did not help). With the second, Dead Air, I had no choice.

Dead Air was started by four writers; we had several auditions to get actors (and one for other writers, but that didn’t pan out). At the first recording session, we found that the female actors were amazing, but the male actors? Meh. We didn’t ask all but one of them back to the second recording session. But, of course, that left us with a huge hole in the cast. Three of the four writers ended up performing. Including me.

At first, I was given small straight man roles. But Scott, the unofficial director, must have seen something in me, because he started giving me crazier roles. This was a gamble, inasmuch as I was (and remain) a quiet, laid back person. To both our surprises, I rose to the occasion, giving some truly crazed performances.

To do this, I learned an invaluable lesson from famous comedians (people like Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell): be fearless and commit. No matter how bizarre a character is, you have to be totally committed to the character’s reality and you have to have no fear of falling flat on your face or looking ridiculous. If there is even a shadow of fear in your performance, the audience will sense it and you will lose them.

How does this relate to something like the Inkshares/Nerdist contest? Well, I always hated asking other people for favours. As people who have been following my personal history will appreciate, I never wanted to impose on anybody because I didn’t feel I deserved anybody’s support. I suspect asking for help does not come naturally to a lot of people, who fear being turned down. However, you cannot expect to do well in a contest of this type if you have that attitude.

So, I tried to be fearless. I asked everybody I knew for help. I asked a few people I knew only tangentially for help. I asked complete strangers for help. To my delight, most of the people I knew were happy to help, including some that I didn’t think I was especially close to. People actually like helping others – who knew? A couple of people I knew explained why they felt they could not help, which was cool. Others didn’t respond, which was fine. Most of the people I cold contacted didn’t respond, but that’s understandable; when I start getting requests for help from strangers, I don’t honestly know how I will respond. For me, it’s actually really important that I was able to act against my personality to help my career.

One thing I realized is that you don’t get what you want out of life if you don’t do everything you can to get it. That doesn’t mean you have to be a jerk. But you do have to be fearless.