Celebrations – true celebrations – with other cultivators could last long into the week. The fact that Wu Ying was not just raised as a new Elder but also the Head of a new department ensured that the celebrations had continued throughout the night and across multiple days.
The gifts from his peers and fellow Elders had flowed in on the regular. He had only had time to take a quick br...
2023-07-07 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostI thought I was done with last week's post and then realised, I probably need to explain WHY I write across so many series. I've written about it before, of course on Multiple Projects and Mythbusting.
But it was a post written focused on the business end and why it might seem like ...
2023-07-05 17:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostNascent Soul. Deep into Nascent Soul territory. That was the only reason the Sect Head could have exerted his will so strongly and destroyed his work. Well, that and the fact that this was his territory his sect. Depending on the Sect Head’s dao, that very fact could offer him greater leverage upon the environment and the elements around.
Not that Wu Ying had a grasp of the Sect Head’...
2023-07-04 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostApologies on the silence, there's a bunch of things going on in the backend that has been keeping me rather busy. Some of it is going to go into business side updates, so... we'll see how it works out.
Anyway, let's get into the updates.
A Thousand Li
Book 9 of A Thousand Li is nearly done. Edited, proofed, audiobook completed and we're just getting things sor...
2023-07-03 21:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostWu Ying danced across platforms of fast dispersing air, his form blown from hidden platform to hidden platform. Beneath him, spikes of metal and waves of sand rose up in an attempt to catch the wind cultivator, even as blasts of flame tore through the sky, altering the flow of air and wind alike. All across the dome, formations flared to life and faded, blocking missed blows and attacks.
...
2023-06-30 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostAlright, second post about publishing schedules and timelines. This time, let's talk about multi-year timelines, because some of us are working on 2-3 year timelines for what we write.
Now, we're going to use me as an example, with an expected yearly output of roughly... 650k words a year. (2021 - 667, 2022 - 719k)
The Money Maker
Firstly...
2023-06-28 16:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostWu Ying stood there, arms down by his side as he stared at his latest opponent. Elder Mo, Head of the Outer Sect, led his charge with the tip of his spear. Killing intent filled the spear tip, a killing intent that had been sharpened by decades of study and training, of existence and focus. Behind that killing intent came the sharpness of the metal, the razor edge that it had been honed to and ...
2023-06-27 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostWu Ying entered through the main gates, even as Fa Yuan departed his side after offering one last conciliatory smile. He was to enter the main arena itself, to stare up at the Elders who were to judge him. Standing at the gates, waiting his entrance were a pair of cultivators he had never seen before, clad in stylized bright green and blue robes with the sect sigil imprinted on the left chest. ...
2023-06-23 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostI'm interrupting the second part of my previous post because the KENP rate payout for May has come out. It's $0.004093 or so, which is ridiculously low. Second lowest of the year, and in comparison, we've recently had as high as $0.0046 or so. Now, mind you, this is the US$ rate and some of the others might change, but since most of our income comes from the US, a big changehere is significant....
2023-06-21 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostA week. Wu Ying had been able to acquire a week grace period before he was to speak with the Elders, present himself before them, justify any actions he might have taken and most of all, be judged whether he was suitable to be raised to the rank of Elder with all the responsibilities and rights it entailed.
During that week, Wu Ying spent additional time speaking with his parents, his fri...
2023-06-20 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post“Brother Feng, is all well with our passes today?” Wu Ying cried out jovially, as he proffered his sect seal once more. Yang Mu echoed his actions, her own red seal conjured from her storage ring.
“Brother Long, you tease me. But I thank you for not making my job more difficult,” Han Ying said. He held the sect seal to a jade tablet, watching the information appear before he hande...
2023-06-16 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThought it might be fun to get a glimpse of what a publishing schedule and shenanigans can occur when you've got a bunch of work coming out along with some thoughts.
It also (hopefully) be useful for others to plan out their own timeline.
Step-by-Step
One of the basics items is to figure out how long your work is going to take to write. Add extra time as n...
2023-06-14 16:00:09 +0000 UTC View PostDinner that evening went long into the night, before the group broke up as the day began to fade. By common and unspoken agreement, they chose to speak only on lighter matters, catching Wu Ying up on the lives of his friends in the intervening time. Matters of greater importance, the changing landscape of the sect and the politics that surrounded them were left alone for another time.
Mor...
2023-06-13 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostI'm looking for two or three alpha readers for a new series that I'm working on.
As an alpha reader - I am looking for you to provide feedback and commentary, specifically on the numbers. You'll have to be comfortable going through both an Excel sheet and the numbers in the book to make sure they are correct and/or note where they might be wrong.
If interested please leave a com...
Hours passed, as the pair wiled the time away. The teapot was exchanged for their own, tea leaves from kingdoms far and wide made their appearance. Snacks – purchased along the myriad towns and villages they had visited and stored away for such time, before greedy hands found them – were extracted from storage rings, to supplement the meager supplies offered to them by the gate guards.
<... 2023-06-09 13:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Settling scores for profit and power
The land rush is over. With just a few open stakes remaining two years after the System’s arrival on Earth, the incoming alien groups turn on each other in a cutthroat struggle for dominance.
These conflicts are ripe opportunities ...
2023-06-08 14:15:01 +0000 UTC View PostAs usual, my plans for writing business posts gets disrupted by various conversations I've been having out in author world. In this case, by someone's assertion that permafree no longer works as well as it used to.
Part of the assertion was that they gave away thousands of books and only had like five or so (I'm paraphrasing, can't recall exact numbers) readthroughs to book two. So, obvio...
2023-06-07 13:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostThe red paifang that stood as entrance, gateway and marker for the sect proper loomed before them. Hanging between both columns that made up the corners of the paifang across the beam that connected them was the name plaque of the Verdant Green Waters sect. The words were carved onto the wood with great skill and a deep dao inspiration had been embedded within, such that the meaning of the word...
2023-06-06 13:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostOver a decade ago, Long Wu Ying was cast out of the Verdant Green Waters sect for defying the Elders and mounting a rescue of the captured orthodox sect members by the dark sect. The victims of the kidnapping included his martial sister, Fairy Yang and numerous prodigies of the orthodox sects. Though successful, many were slain and others injured during...
2023-06-02 13:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostWell, as many of you know, we released the second short story anthology for the System Apocalypse. This time around, we did it slightly differently, in that we lowered our initial payment amount to $0.04 per word, kept each story shorter so we could have more contributors and then increased the final pay via a Kickstar...
2023-05-31 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostAlright, we recently ran the Return to the Realm Sale which highlighted and put on sale / gave away free book 2's.
Now, obviously, I don't have results from those who took part. However...
2023-05-24 14:59:02 +0000 UTC View PostWu Ying took the lead the day after. As much as the team had wanted to leave, to escape and put further ground between them and their pursuers, they had only stumbled a short distance away from the battle location before slipping into a deep earthen depression created by a sloping hill and a fallen tree.
Their sleep was fitful, the constant use of alchemical pills to restore body and ener...
2023-05-19 13:00:01 +0000 UTC View PostRecently went through my project P&L documents, looking at the various profit and loss figures for the numerous side projects.
I don't track the P&L information for all my work. Certain projects like the 'major' books, I know without a doubt will turn a profit. Quite often, those projects turn a profit in the first month, or at the least, breakeven.
Mind you, I'm defin...
2023-05-17 15:59:02 +0000 UTC View PostYang Mu had created these escape formations all through their journey since the appearance of the Ma Than Vong. Each night, she had planted the formations guarding them and embedded the escape formation within the very same formation to ensure their safety. Now, the group skipped across space, each campsite a beacon for the energy that threw them forth.
At the same time, Yang Mu screamed ...
2023-05-16 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostWu Ying woke to the sense of chi rushing inwards, concentrating. Every cell in his body ached, bones and muscles conducting a deep sense of wrongness within. He rolled to the side as a wracking cough took him, forcing blood and phlegm from his mouth and lungs. Bits of pieces, portions of his body that should have stayed within came with it, even as his vision swam and the world rung.
When...
2023-05-12 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostBeen noticing quite a bit of recent talk about pathways to success as an author. Also, noticing that some people are making full pronouncements on the proper way to have an author career. I'll admit, it's been bugging me a little.
Especially when said people are known quantities and on the larger side of either major path (indie or trad).
The use of absolutes is always a littl...
2023-05-10 17:59:02 +0000 UTC View Post“Hold on. Just hold on…” The words were urgent, sent through threads of spirit chi. Her words were a whisper on the wind, barely heard by the recipient for he was no longer a person alone but a conduit. A pathway for a higher power that poured their wrath and orders.
Caught between worlds, sword embedded in carved and corrupted iron rod that was gateway to another dimension, Wu Ying...
2023-05-09 13:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post“Together!” Wu Ying snarled, rushing across the ground. He no longer utilized the adjusted Wind Steps, no longer borrowed the wind to do his bidding. He could not afford to battle for the greater control of the environment. Not and save his friend in time.
Already, the monster had lashed out. Wu Ying watched, wide-eyed as the staff, reinforced and enchanted bent under an open palm pus...
2023-05-05 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
We're thrilled to reveal the cover for Book 9 in the A Thousand Li series.
The Third Cut also features artwork by our new artist, who will be completing the remaining books in the series.
We can't wait to hear your thoughts on it!
Blurb
An Ill Wind Blows from the South
As corruption seeps from the south...
2023-05-04 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostSo, I think how long and IF you do a pre-order is really dependent on what your goals are and what your launch plan is like. Also, your sub-genre and your size.
Some things to consider:
- Can you, with any expectation, hope to hit #1 in a related sub-category (including KU and sales). If so, then a short pre-order is better; because getting that yellow tag and being high on those su...
2023-05-03 14:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post