Brightwill Reviewed in the Book Igloo!

Here's why reviews are important. Few books get attention from conventional press, and even fewer Indie titles get any recognition unless the author lands a deal worth millions.

So, what floats an indie title higher than the rest? Reviews. The ones you leave on the site you purchase the book from can help sink or float a book, consider it your opportunity to give the next reader who comes along some advice on whether or not they should read the book your reviewing and why.

Independent reviews are just as important because the sites they are posted on often have their own audiences that will read titles based on recommendations. They also help lend legitimacy to the book being reviewed, especially since most independent reviewers are not paid for their time. There's no incentive for them to puff a book up a couple extra stars, so you can be pretty sure the reviewer is being honest.

One book that has needed help is Brightwill. It didn't land well with the retailers, and I really didn't know how to market this book as well as I did my Spinward Fringe titles. Instead of selling thousands in the first couple months, it barely sold two hundred, so I went back to the drawing board and made it free, put it in front of people who were more interested in Fantasy, and got some honest opinions from a few trusted sources about the interior material,  the story.

The feedback I got was good, but as far as marketability went, it wasn't like most fantasy titles being released, it needed to discover its own audience. Thankfully more people are discovering it now that it's free. That brings us to the Book Igloo!

Caitlin Lynagh, an author herself, found Spinward Fringe Broadcast 0: Origins, read it and reviewed it on the Book Igloo (Check that out here).  When I thanked her for the review on Twitter I discovered that she was more of a fantasy reader than Science Fiction. Brightwill had just gone free, so I offered it to her.

Some time passed (less time than it would take for a reviewer at a major site or periodical would have taken), and to my surprise, I discovered that she finished a review of Brigthwill that demonstrates a clear understanding of the book, a very clear understanding. She also managed to review it well without dishing out any spoilers.

Long story short, if you're on the fence about reading Brightwill, then this review is for you. You will either be gently knocked back into your own familiar yard, or come leaping out into the unknown thanks to her well worded review. Here's the link!

Character Journeys in Broadcast 9: Warpath - Which one did you like the most?

  Several characters were focused on in Spinward Fringe Broadcast 9: Warpath. Each had a journey to undertake, whether it was emotional, physical, or political. While they all had a significant role in the overall story, I'm sure everyone had their most and least favourite.

In this survey, I'm asking about the characters we shared a point of view with specifically, so if you are worried that you aren't seeing women from the book listed, please don't. It just so happens that Broadcast 9 only had three chapters that looked at the universe from their point of view. It was an intentional experiment that I enjoyed, found more challenging than I expected and don't regret. Rest assured, we'll be looking at things from a couple female perspectives in Broadcast 10, as well as the male perspective. It's going to be mixed again.

Thanks to everyone who votes. Please discuss your choice in the comments section!

RL

[Work on Dark Arts continues at a good pace, check out the Facebook Page for daily updates!]

Flaws! Oh, Teh Flaws!

I realise that the version of Spinward Fringe Broadcast 9: Warpath that's out there has spelling errors. This is my mistake - I sent the formatter the pre-corrected version of the manuscript, and I apologise if this breaks immersion.

It will be at least a couple months before the corrected version gets uploaded to your devices (for free) in an update because I'll have to pay to get the formatting done again, but, trust me, it'll get done as soon as I can afford it because it's worth doing.

This is sometimes one of the drawbacks of one-room-operation publishing. The author has to keep a lot of plates spinning at once during release, and sometimes one hits the ground. With a situation like this, it's a pretty easy fix, it's just going to take some time. 

Again, I apologise.