(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 11
I just want to point everyone’s attention to Drinkshares one more time before I stop doing these little weekly posts for this contest. If you’re pushing for some last minute preorders, you will want to check out the Crowdfunding episodes that I previously linked way back(It scared me how far back Part 8 was…) in The Story So Far Part 8. I’m also going to link the latest episode that is about what to do next once your campaign has succeeded(or failed, technically) - since a lot of these campaigns are reaching quill and nearing completion, it may be a good time to check out what to do next. Even if you don’t fall into this category, I highly recommend checking these videos out anyway as they are really entertaining and fun! Plus they’re doing a Halloween episode next and they’re going to be in costume - should be a fun time!
Drinkshares: Crowdfunding 101
Drinkshares: Crowdfunding 102
Drinkshares: Now What?
(The Fantastical Authors of Drinkshares and Where to Find Them: @C. Brennecke , @A.C. Weston , @Joseph Terzieva , @Rebekka S. Leber )
Welcome back to The Story So Far, my name is @Joey Angotti and I’ll be your guide for this evening! There are 9 days, after this one, left in the Geek and Sundry Fantasy Contest right here on Inkshares and it’s crazy to think that 3 months has already passed since we all started annoying, begging and tempting people with sweet incentives to preorder our entries. With time running out, a lot of the key spots in the Top 10 almost seem spoken for already but it’s never too late for a sudden surge to shake up the ranks and all authors(Except maybe the Lenas, let’s be real here for a moment lol) to stay on their toes. Either way, it’s been a blast to do these little write ups every week and receive the feedback from the authors and outside readers alike and I look forward to possibly continuing this tradition with the next contest. We’ll see where life takes us. For now, it’s taken us to the second to last edition of The Story So Far. Let’s get to it!
10. Sorcery for Beginners by @Matt Harry (110 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: N/A)
It’s never too late for some surprises, am I right?! Let’s all welcome Sorcery for Beginners by Matt Harry into the Top 10 going into the final two weeks. It’s astonishing to break through towards the end, especially in a contest with so many entrants. Mr. Harry has an amazing write up and summary of the book on his book page - for which I will share a snippet below - but I suggest reading it in its entirety on his page. Here’s part of what he has to say about the book:
“SORCERY FOR BEGINNERS is a middle-grade fantasy novel that deals with magic in the Internet Age. It is the first in a proposed series that will explain ancient, complicated topics such as spell casting, alchemy, and cryptozoology to the modern young person in an exciting way. Part novel, part “For Dummies” help guide, and every bit a fun, fast-paced adventure, SORCERY FOR BEGINNERS will appeal to fans of J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, and anyone who ever wanted to be a sorcerer, but didn’t want to do a bunch of hard, boring work. “
This is no ordinary late entry either, Mr. Harry has quite the resume and quite the following as his campaign has only been up for 3 weeks and has already surpassed almost 400 other entries. With multiple public articles under his belt, accolades from numerous contests and a Best Horror Film win from the Mississippi International Film Festival for a feature-length movie called Fugue that he wrote and produced himself - It’s pretty easy to see why he’s moving up so fast! If he had entered the contest sooner he might be an obvious choice for the Top 3 but with only 9-10 days left, it will be interesting to see if his following is strong enough to get him that far. Either way, I predict he’ll hit quill pretty easily enough that this book will be a good investment either way. Check out his author and book page and don’t miss out on the Youtube channel Field Day where you can watch some videos that Mr. Harry has worked on as well!
9. The Delicate Art of Soulripping by @Sara (129 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 8th)
The Delicate Art of Soulripping by Sara Polk has fallen to the 9th spot this week on The Story So Far. Ms. Polk has been a staple in this contest for a long time and her book about Oz and the concept of Reaping and Ripping Souls has captivated our hearts(and souls!) for many weeks here on The Story So Far. I really hope that everyone who hasn’t yet considered checking out this amazing work in progress that is so gripping and dark that it’s worth your read. At least check out what content Ms. Polk has provided for the story so far. If you haven’t had a chance to experience the start of Oz’s journey yet, there is no better time than the present to do so with the contest winding down. Win or lose, quill or not, I am sure that even if this is the last we’ve seen of Oz’s journey here on Inkshares, it won’t be the last of Ms. Polk’s journey in writing. The woman is unbelievably talented and deserves more readers!
8. Witherfist by @J. Graham-Jones (131 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 9th)
Astonishing are the titles that break the Top 10 and keep pushing each week with the end being so near. Witherfist by J. Graham-Jones is one of those titles. Having just cracked the Top 10 last week, she’s already up 7 readers since the last edition of The Story So Far and she continues to press her way up the ranks. With fierce competition ahead of her, Ms. Graham-Jones will need to continue to push her fans and followers to generate enough preorders to crack the Top 3. She seems to be taking that challenge head on as next week will be her first attempt at promoting Witherfist at a convention! Whether or not it’s successful enough to propel her into the Top 3 or not remains to be seen but with a late entry into the contest that still has 69 days left of campaigning, the convention run will be pivotal in helping her reach quill! It’s a journey worth joining and following even after the smoke clears and the dust settles on the Geek and Sundry contest.
7. The Living God by @Kaytalin Platt (154 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 7th)
Only going up 1 Reader and no update, I’m left with little new to report on The Living God by Kaytalin Platt - but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check this novel out! Now is the time if you’ve been waiting or putting this one off as it is easily one of the best campaigns to fall in to on Inkshares. The writing is fantastic, the story elements and plot are enough to lure you in but the woman behind the pen(keyboard would probably be a better term I suppose? lol) is the main selling point here. Ms. Platt has been helping fellow Inksharians and inspiring her readers all campaign long and she deserves our support! If you haven’t checked out her author page or The Living God page yet, now would be a great time to learn about both. Ms. Platt has provided a lot of helpful services to Inksharians and her incentives are tough to beat. Go on and give her page a look!
6. A Light in the Void by @J. S. Chlapowski (201 Readers / Last Week’s Rank 5th)
As the writer of this weekly thing, the 5th and 6th place spots have been some of the most fun to watch. Their isn’t a much more exciting battle going into the final two weeks than the one being waged between A Light in the Void by J.S. Chlapowski and The Last Faoii by Tahani Nelson. Both campaigns entered the Top 10 somewhat late and they’ve done nothing but battle since. Not to add fuel to a fire or a rivalry that doesn’t even technically exist - but it’s definitely been something very fun to watch here going into the final stretch. With 41 days left in his campaign and 223 preorders, Mr. Chlapowski is very close to quill even if he doesn’t make it into the Top 3. This is a safe campaign to watch and invest in as it’s still gaining steam and showing no signs of slowing down. I’d love some more comments from Mr. Chlapowski breaking down some of his methods for gaining all of these unique readers so late in the game but I also don’t expect him to give away any of his secrets until after the contest is over. It will be fun to see where this one ends up!
5. The Last Faoii by @Tahani Nelson (202 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 6th)
On the other side of the battle(so appropriate for this title by the way) is The Last Faoii by Tahani Nelson. It’s also time for the high praise moments of The Story So Far, you know what time I’m talking about! Yeah you do! Shut up! :D
It’s time to congratulate Ms. Nelson and her book, The Last Faoii, for reaching quill! She was 17 preorders away last week and hit that with little to no problems since then. Amazing job, Ms. Nelson! Welcome to the club and continue your fight for the Top 3! You’ve had such an amazingly fun campaign to follow and we all look forward to seeing where you finish in this contest!
I’d also love to direct everyone’s attention to her comments section where there is a beautiful story about when that accomplishment finally set in for Ms. Nelson. It’s a great read and I highly recommend it!
4. The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. by @Maggie Hoyt (227 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 4th)
Maggie Hoyt and her title, The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. hit quill last week and I couldn’t be any happier for her! But she’s not done yet, not by a long shot - with guaranteed copies of The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. landing in the hands of her readers she has not given up hope for making her way into the Top 3 of this contest. If there is anyone left in the Top 10 who is capable of breaking through, it’s Ms. Hoyt! She has been an underdog at times but she has also solidified herself as a prominent contender and has held the 4th place spot for weeks now. This will be her final chance at a push into the Top 3 and I expect her to give it her all! Check out The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. if you haven’t yet, be sure to view the amazing videos while you’re there and see why Ms. Hoyt has become one of the toughest books to pass in the Top 10.
3. Storm Song by @Allison Griner (287 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 3rd)
If the fierce battle between A Light in the Void and The Last Faoii can be looked at as the middleweight part of the card, then Storm Song and The Slave Prince are definitely the Heavyweights battling in the Main Event! The race has been tight between these two for weeks now and it will be interesting to see who lands in 2nd and who lands in 3rd. I’m sure neither of them really minds as long as their books remain in the Top 3. That being said, Storm Song by Allison Griner continues to be one of my favorite titles in the Top 10. If you haven’t checked out her book page, now is definitely the time. Ms. Griner has already reached quill so this is a safe investment and a title you will definitely receive one way or another in the future. Plus, like… At the end of the day it’s a story about pirates that came about through a Dungeons and Dragons campaign… Why do I still have to sell you on this? Preorder already!
2. The Slave Prince by @Jeyna Grace (294 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 2nd)
The Slave Prince by Jeyna Grace stands on the opposite side of the ring from Storm Song(in my head - they’re both amazing and much love to wherever they both finish!) and this campaign has been full of giveaways, amazing comments with(sometimes provided by google) definitions that lead to well thought out and inspiring messages from Ms. Grace herself and the type of writing that impacts you emotionally but also grips you in a way that you can’t stop and want more for hours after reading. Judging by the recent changes to the manuscript and the revelations it has shown to Ms. Grace herself without her even realizing they were there to be discovered, it is obvious that The Slave Prince will be outstanding and worth every penny. Please do yourself a favor and view her book page, view some of the chapters provided and be enveloped in Thom’s world. You will not be disappointed!
(Ms. Grace is also super close to the 300 unique readers milestone! Let’s help her get there!)
1. Sparked by @Lena (Helena and Malena) (438 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 1st)
Just when you think this campaign has lost some of it’s spark(I’ll see myself out…) - Sparked by Helena Echlin and Malena Watrous continues to pounce on the competition as it has jumped an, quite unbelievable at this point, *30* more unique readers since last week this late in the game! With less than 10 days remaining, this book has a chance to reach 500 unique readers before all is said and done. That is insane, people. Seriously. That’s almost 200 more unique readers away from 2nd place. Geez! OK, I’ll stop flailing about for a minute to talk about something even more important than that - Sparked is at 692 preorders, which means that Ms. Echlin and Ms. Watrous are extremely close to hitting the 750 preorders to receive full publishing even without winning this contest! It would be quite the groundbreaking accomplishment to literally achieve it all over the course of a contest and a single campaign that it would be silly not to be a part of it at this point.
Check out Sparked, check out the shared author page of Ms. Echlin and Ms. Watrous, dive into this world they have created and experience one of the most impressive campaigns (probably) in the history of crowdfunding. I’ve said this a lot about a lot of the titles but now is definitely the time to check out what all the hype is about and why these two amazing authors deserve your time and investment!
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It’s been quite the journey itself just writing these. I’ll be doing one last one next week but I’m not sure how I will do it yet. I’m off from work next weekend so it will be a long one if I decide to do all of the Top 10 one last time. If not, I may hold out for a bit and do a final wrap-up after the winners have been decided on Nov. 1st.
I’d like to say amazing job to all of the entries, even if you didn’t make it into any of The Story So Far editions or into the Top 10 - putting your work out there and entering a contest of this magnitude takes a lot of courage and whether you ran an amazing campaign or not, you’ve accomplished something here and you’ve gotten a taste of what it’s like and sometimes experience like that can go a long way in this wild world we live in. Don’t take defeat the wrong way - honestly, don’t even look at it as defeat. You put your best foot forward and gave it a try, the next time you take a swing at something like this, you’ll be better prepared mentally and physically and you’ll know exactly what it entails. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to be disappointed about. Don’t stop writing, hone your craft and make sure that the next time you give this a go you’re providing the best content you can.
This world can be tough to navigate, it can take its toll on you - but that’s what’s so amazing about the Fantasy genre, right? We can escape this rough world we live in. It’s why we CREATE our own. Now write that scene you’ve been stuck on, finish those edits you’ve been “too busy” playing Overwatch to finish(this one might hit too close to home - oops!), get out there and get ready to invite us to your world that YOU created! Because, damn it (wo)man, we want to go there!
Gonna take my inspirational cap off now, I’ll see you ladies and gents next week in some shape, form or capacity. Until then, I’m Joey Angotti - this has been The Story, YOUR story, So Far. Good luck and God bless!
(I’m hoping to do this with the next contest and the contests that follow as well, so if anyone has any more feedback or ideas to spice this up a bit for the next go(or the last edition), I’m all ears. Feel free to message me on here or reach out on Twitter(@SoldiersCrest))
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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: I’m now at 28 reviews on Amazon! So close to 30! Only need two more! I would have hit my goal of 30 but Amazon took two reviews down for some reason(still trying to figure this out lol) but hopefully they will add them back. If not, maybe I can get some more help right here on Inkshares to reach my goal! It really helps me out and helps me get more exposure on Amazon.
I also want to mention that if you’re starving for more preorders, I’m also willing to preorder your book a second time if you buy my E-Book on Amazon. It’s not a bad deal for you all, especially if you’ve hit quill or are close to hitting quill. The review costs you nothing, the E-Book is only $8.99(the book is pretty good too!) and I’ll be giving you two preorders($20 value). The review is easy to see once it pops up, but just let me know in a Direct Message if you’ve purchased the E-book. Easy way to get 2 preorders! :)
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!
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!
-J.A.
(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: Holy typos, Batman! Used my Typo-repellent Bat-Spray, no big. Links added.
(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.]
----
You can view last weeks here: The Story So Far Part 11
I just want to point everyone’s attention to Drinkshares one more time before I stop doing these little weekly posts for this contest. If you’re pushing for some last minute preorders, you will want to check out the Crowdfunding episodes that I previously linked way back(It scared me how far back Part 8 was…) in The Story So Far Part 8. I’m also going to link the latest episode that is about what to do next once your campaign has succeeded(or failed, technically) - since a lot of these campaigns are reaching quill and nearing completion, it may be a good time to check out what to do next. Even if you don’t fall into this category, I highly recommend checking these videos out anyway as they are really entertaining and fun! Plus they’re doing a Halloween episode next and they’re going to be in costume - should be a fun time!
Drinkshares: Crowdfunding 101
Drinkshares: Crowdfunding 102
Drinkshares: Now What?
(The Fantastical Authors of Drinkshares and Where to Find Them: @C. Brennecke , @A.C. Weston , @Joseph Terzieva , @Rebekka S. Leber )
Welcome back to The Story So Far, my name is @Joey Angotti and I’ll be your guide for this evening! There are 9 days, after this one, left in the Geek and Sundry Fantasy Contest right here on Inkshares and it’s crazy to think that 3 months has already passed since we all started annoying, begging and tempting people with sweet incentives to preorder our entries. With time running out, a lot of the key spots in the Top 10 almost seem spoken for already but it’s never too late for a sudden surge to shake up the ranks and all authors(Except maybe the Lenas, let’s be real here for a moment lol) to stay on their toes. Either way, it’s been a blast to do these little write ups every week and receive the feedback from the authors and outside readers alike and I look forward to possibly continuing this tradition with the next contest. We’ll see where life takes us. For now, it’s taken us to the second to last edition of The Story So Far. Let’s get to it!
10. Sorcery for Beginners by @Matt Harry (110 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: N/A)
It’s never too late for some surprises, am I right?! Let’s all welcome Sorcery for Beginners by Matt Harry into the Top 10 going into the final two weeks. It’s astonishing to break through towards the end, especially in a contest with so many entrants. Mr. Harry has an amazing write up and summary of the book on his book page - for which I will share a snippet below - but I suggest reading it in its entirety on his page. Here’s part of what he has to say about the book:
“SORCERY FOR BEGINNERS is a middle-grade fantasy novel that deals with magic in the Internet Age. It is the first in a proposed series that will explain ancient, complicated topics such as spell casting, alchemy, and cryptozoology to the modern young person in an exciting way. Part novel, part “For Dummies” help guide, and every bit a fun, fast-paced adventure, SORCERY FOR BEGINNERS will appeal to fans of J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, and anyone who ever wanted to be a sorcerer, but didn’t want to do a bunch of hard, boring work. “
This is no ordinary late entry either, Mr. Harry has quite the resume and quite the following as his campaign has only been up for 3 weeks and has already surpassed almost 400 other entries. With multiple public articles under his belt, accolades from numerous contests and a Best Horror Film win from the Mississippi International Film Festival for a feature-length movie called Fugue that he wrote and produced himself - It’s pretty easy to see why he’s moving up so fast! If he had entered the contest sooner he might be an obvious choice for the Top 3 but with only 9-10 days left, it will be interesting to see if his following is strong enough to get him that far. Either way, I predict he’ll hit quill pretty easily enough that this book will be a good investment either way. Check out his author and book page and don’t miss out on the Youtube channel Field Day where you can watch some videos that Mr. Harry has worked on as well!
9. The Delicate Art of Soulripping by @Sara (129 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 8th)
The Delicate Art of Soulripping by Sara Polk has fallen to the 9th spot this week on The Story So Far. Ms. Polk has been a staple in this contest for a long time and her book about Oz and the concept of Reaping and Ripping Souls has captivated our hearts(and souls!) for many weeks here on The Story So Far. I really hope that everyone who hasn’t yet considered checking out this amazing work in progress that is so gripping and dark that it’s worth your read. At least check out what content Ms. Polk has provided for the story so far. If you haven’t had a chance to experience the start of Oz’s journey yet, there is no better time than the present to do so with the contest winding down. Win or lose, quill or not, I am sure that even if this is the last we’ve seen of Oz’s journey here on Inkshares, it won’t be the last of Ms. Polk’s journey in writing. The woman is unbelievably talented and deserves more readers!
8. Witherfist by @J. Graham-Jones (131 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 9th)
Astonishing are the titles that break the Top 10 and keep pushing each week with the end being so near. Witherfist by J. Graham-Jones is one of those titles. Having just cracked the Top 10 last week, she’s already up 7 readers since the last edition of The Story So Far and she continues to press her way up the ranks. With fierce competition ahead of her, Ms. Graham-Jones will need to continue to push her fans and followers to generate enough preorders to crack the Top 3. She seems to be taking that challenge head on as next week will be her first attempt at promoting Witherfist at a convention! Whether or not it’s successful enough to propel her into the Top 3 or not remains to be seen but with a late entry into the contest that still has 69 days left of campaigning, the convention run will be pivotal in helping her reach quill! It’s a journey worth joining and following even after the smoke clears and the dust settles on the Geek and Sundry contest.
7. The Living God by @Kaytalin Platt (154 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 7th)
Only going up 1 Reader and no update, I’m left with little new to report on The Living God by Kaytalin Platt - but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check this novel out! Now is the time if you’ve been waiting or putting this one off as it is easily one of the best campaigns to fall in to on Inkshares. The writing is fantastic, the story elements and plot are enough to lure you in but the woman behind the pen(keyboard would probably be a better term I suppose? lol) is the main selling point here. Ms. Platt has been helping fellow Inksharians and inspiring her readers all campaign long and she deserves our support! If you haven’t checked out her author page or The Living God page yet, now would be a great time to learn about both. Ms. Platt has provided a lot of helpful services to Inksharians and her incentives are tough to beat. Go on and give her page a look!
6. A Light in the Void by @J. S. Chlapowski (201 Readers / Last Week’s Rank 5th)
As the writer of this weekly thing, the 5th and 6th place spots have been some of the most fun to watch. Their isn’t a much more exciting battle going into the final two weeks than the one being waged between A Light in the Void by J.S. Chlapowski and The Last Faoii by Tahani Nelson. Both campaigns entered the Top 10 somewhat late and they’ve done nothing but battle since. Not to add fuel to a fire or a rivalry that doesn’t even technically exist - but it’s definitely been something very fun to watch here going into the final stretch. With 41 days left in his campaign and 223 preorders, Mr. Chlapowski is very close to quill even if he doesn’t make it into the Top 3. This is a safe campaign to watch and invest in as it’s still gaining steam and showing no signs of slowing down. I’d love some more comments from Mr. Chlapowski breaking down some of his methods for gaining all of these unique readers so late in the game but I also don’t expect him to give away any of his secrets until after the contest is over. It will be fun to see where this one ends up!
5. The Last Faoii by @Tahani Nelson (202 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 6th)
On the other side of the battle(so appropriate for this title by the way) is The Last Faoii by Tahani Nelson. It’s also time for the high praise moments of The Story So Far, you know what time I’m talking about! Yeah you do! Shut up! :D
It’s time to congratulate Ms. Nelson and her book, The Last Faoii, for reaching quill! She was 17 preorders away last week and hit that with little to no problems since then. Amazing job, Ms. Nelson! Welcome to the club and continue your fight for the Top 3! You’ve had such an amazingly fun campaign to follow and we all look forward to seeing where you finish in this contest!
I’d also love to direct everyone’s attention to her comments section where there is a beautiful story about when that accomplishment finally set in for Ms. Nelson. It’s a great read and I highly recommend it!
4. The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. by @Maggie Hoyt (227 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 4th)
Maggie Hoyt and her title, The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. hit quill last week and I couldn’t be any happier for her! But she’s not done yet, not by a long shot - with guaranteed copies of The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. landing in the hands of her readers she has not given up hope for making her way into the Top 3 of this contest. If there is anyone left in the Top 10 who is capable of breaking through, it’s Ms. Hoyt! She has been an underdog at times but she has also solidified herself as a prominent contender and has held the 4th place spot for weeks now. This will be her final chance at a push into the Top 3 and I expect her to give it her all! Check out The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. if you haven’t yet, be sure to view the amazing videos while you’re there and see why Ms. Hoyt has become one of the toughest books to pass in the Top 10.
3. Storm Song by @Allison Griner (287 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 3rd)
If the fierce battle between A Light in the Void and The Last Faoii can be looked at as the middleweight part of the card, then Storm Song and The Slave Prince are definitely the Heavyweights battling in the Main Event! The race has been tight between these two for weeks now and it will be interesting to see who lands in 2nd and who lands in 3rd. I’m sure neither of them really minds as long as their books remain in the Top 3. That being said, Storm Song by Allison Griner continues to be one of my favorite titles in the Top 10. If you haven’t checked out her book page, now is definitely the time. Ms. Griner has already reached quill so this is a safe investment and a title you will definitely receive one way or another in the future. Plus, like… At the end of the day it’s a story about pirates that came about through a Dungeons and Dragons campaign… Why do I still have to sell you on this? Preorder already!
2. The Slave Prince by @Jeyna Grace (294 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 2nd)
The Slave Prince by Jeyna Grace stands on the opposite side of the ring from Storm Song(in my head - they’re both amazing and much love to wherever they both finish!) and this campaign has been full of giveaways, amazing comments with(sometimes provided by google) definitions that lead to well thought out and inspiring messages from Ms. Grace herself and the type of writing that impacts you emotionally but also grips you in a way that you can’t stop and want more for hours after reading. Judging by the recent changes to the manuscript and the revelations it has shown to Ms. Grace herself without her even realizing they were there to be discovered, it is obvious that The Slave Prince will be outstanding and worth every penny. Please do yourself a favor and view her book page, view some of the chapters provided and be enveloped in Thom’s world. You will not be disappointed!
(Ms. Grace is also super close to the 300 unique readers milestone! Let’s help her get there!)
1. Sparked by @Lena (Helena and Malena) (438 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 1st)
Just when you think this campaign has lost some of it’s spark(I’ll see myself out…) - Sparked by Helena Echlin and Malena Watrous continues to pounce on the competition as it has jumped an, quite unbelievable at this point, *30* more unique readers since last week this late in the game! With less than 10 days remaining, this book has a chance to reach 500 unique readers before all is said and done. That is insane, people. Seriously. That’s almost 200 more unique readers away from 2nd place. Geez! OK, I’ll stop flailing about for a minute to talk about something even more important than that - Sparked is at 692 preorders, which means that Ms. Echlin and Ms. Watrous are extremely close to hitting the 750 preorders to receive full publishing even without winning this contest! It would be quite the groundbreaking accomplishment to literally achieve it all over the course of a contest and a single campaign that it would be silly not to be a part of it at this point.
Check out Sparked, check out the shared author page of Ms. Echlin and Ms. Watrous, dive into this world they have created and experience one of the most impressive campaigns (probably) in the history of crowdfunding. I’ve said this a lot about a lot of the titles but now is definitely the time to check out what all the hype is about and why these two amazing authors deserve your time and investment!
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It’s been quite the journey itself just writing these. I’ll be doing one last one next week but I’m not sure how I will do it yet. I’m off from work next weekend so it will be a long one if I decide to do all of the Top 10 one last time. If not, I may hold out for a bit and do a final wrap-up after the winners have been decided on Nov. 1st.
I’d like to say amazing job to all of the entries, even if you didn’t make it into any of The Story So Far editions or into the Top 10 - putting your work out there and entering a contest of this magnitude takes a lot of courage and whether you ran an amazing campaign or not, you’ve accomplished something here and you’ve gotten a taste of what it’s like and sometimes experience like that can go a long way in this wild world we live in. Don’t take defeat the wrong way - honestly, don’t even look at it as defeat. You put your best foot forward and gave it a try, the next time you take a swing at something like this, you’ll be better prepared mentally and physically and you’ll know exactly what it entails. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to be disappointed about. Don’t stop writing, hone your craft and make sure that the next time you give this a go you’re providing the best content you can.
This world can be tough to navigate, it can take its toll on you - but that’s what’s so amazing about the Fantasy genre, right? We can escape this rough world we live in. It’s why we CREATE our own. Now write that scene you’ve been stuck on, finish those edits you’ve been “too busy” playing Overwatch to finish(this one might hit too close to home - oops!), get out there and get ready to invite us to your world that YOU created! Because, damn it (wo)man, we want to go there!
Gonna take my inspirational cap off now, I’ll see you ladies and gents next week in some shape, form or capacity. Until then, I’m Joey Angotti - this has been The Story, YOUR story, So Far. Good luck and God bless!
(I’m hoping to do this with the next contest and the contests that follow as well, so if anyone has any more feedback or ideas to spice this up a bit for the next go(or the last edition), I’m all ears. Feel free to message me on here or reach out on Twitter(@SoldiersCrest))
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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: I’m now at 28 reviews on Amazon! So close to 30! Only need two more! I would have hit my goal of 30 but Amazon took two reviews down for some reason(still trying to figure this out lol) but hopefully they will add them back. If not, maybe I can get some more help right here on Inkshares to reach my goal! It really helps me out and helps me get more exposure on Amazon.
-J.A.I also want to mention that if you’re starving for more preorders, I’m also willing to preorder your book a second time if you buy my E-Book on Amazon. It’s not a bad deal for you all, especially if you’ve hit quill or are close to hitting quill. The review costs you nothing, the E-Book is only $8.99(the book is pretty good too!) and I’ll be giving you two preorders($20 value). The review is easy to see once it pops up, but just let me know in a Direct Message if you’ve purchased the E-book. Easy way to get 2 preorders! :)
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!
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: Holy typos, Batman! Used my Typo-repellent Bat-Spray, no big. Links added.