Hi, everyone (and Happy Thanksgiving to those in the U.S.).
Today I’d like to take a moment to thank you guys for your support on Deadly Games, the third Emperor’s Edge book. It’s the first book I’ve “launched” from the road, and I was a little stressed, trying to get everything together that last week, especially since I was staying in a hostel and didn’t have anywhere to go for privacy. We won’t go into the slow internet…
Fortunately, everything seems to have come together satisfactorily. The response, so far, has been great, and I’m glad so many of you enjoyed the book (some of you even read it the day it came out, wow!).
I appreciate the reviews on Amazon and elsewhere, and I’ve been touched by how many people have written or messaged me on Twitter to say they’re enjoying the series. And also to ask when the next one is coming out (slave drivers, hah!).
Thank you, too, if you’ve mentioned my books to friends on Twitter or Facebook, or in email, or even face-to-face (I’ve heard people still talk that way sometimes). Authors can do their best to market and be “out there,” but, in the end, you guys have all the power when it comes to taking an author from a nobody to someone who gets to write for a living (and continue putting out books for years, even decades, to come).
For those who are curious about numbers, Deadly Games sold 500-odd copies in the first week and a half, which is enough to cover the costs of cover art design, editing, and formatting (those costs added up to about $1,300 total — yes, there are some costs associated with being an indie author, but, as you can see, you make enough per book that you don’t have to be a bestseller to break even, and everything after that buys the hot dogs and Ramen noodles to keep you going while you write the next adventure. ;)).
And for the next book…
As I mentioned, some folks have already asked about Book 4. I’ve been working on the next Flash Gold story this month, but I finished the rough draft to that last night and put pen to paper (yes, a real pen and a real sheet of paper) to start working on the first scene in EE4 (no title yet). I’ll be busy writing the rough draft over the next three months or so.
As for the next POV character (a popular question), I believe it’s going to be Akstyr. I did have Maldynado in mind, but I left Akstyr in a bit of a bind (he was plotting against you-know-who, after all). Will he let that certain scheme die now that Basilard’s no longer on board? Or will he start plotting something of his own? We shall see. 😉
Next stories out?
Look for Flash Gold 3 in January or February (it’s over 35,000 words, so it’ll take me longer to edit than the previous novellas), and then I have an EE short story that I wrote a few weeks ago, so that’ll probably pop up around the same time. It’ll be free or 99 cents, or maybe both. Free on my site and 99 cents in the stores, perhaps? We’ll see how much I have to spend on cover art. 😉
I won’t set a date yet for EE4, since I’m just getting started, but I am trying to publish those novels about six months apart, so that’s the goal!
Again, thanks for reading, everyone.
I’m raising my glass for the next 500, and the 500 after that, and the 5000 after that :p
It really is a delightful series, so thank YOU for sharing your awesome imagination.
Hmm, 5000 sounds good. 😉 Thanks for the support, Claire!
Yay, another short story for EE to tide us over! Love the series, even have my whole family reading them now, and it’s one of my first recommendations to friends. Happy holidays!
Thanks for recommending the books, Alyse! Glad you are enjoying them. 🙂
This is fantastic! EE and Flash Gold are now my two favorite series and I am excited Flash Gold 3 is going to be longer, I cannot wait to read it.
Hah, I guess I better get busy with the editing! Need more time for all these projects. 🙂
That’s great news 🙂 Your books are on my auto-buy list now, they just keep getting better! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
Thanks, Amber!
I was most definately one of those crazy people that bought and read the book the day it was released! I loved it and I was delighted with how your characters are all growing, especially you know who. Thank you so much for your dedication to writing. I’m utterly addicted to your work so it’s a refreshing change to have a new book come out quickly rather than years down the road. Cannot wait for the next installment.
Thanks, Gail! Yes, you-know-who is quite popular, considering he’s not a terribly affable fellow. 😉
I haven’t read Deadly Games yet, but I snagged my copy. Thanks for letting us know what your publishing schedule’s looking like. I appreciate how hard you work and how good you are at getting your stories out in a timely manner. 🙂
Thanks for the support, Rabia! Yes, I like to keep myself busy. I always hate it when my favorite authors only put out a book once every two years or so. Too hard to wait!
Looking forward to the next Flash Gold!
Glad to hear it, Cathy!
I picked up EE on Amazon for free and was completely hooked!
I was so impressed with the quality of your writing, the characters and the subtle and not-so-subtle humor that I bought ALL your other books, regardless of series.
Thank you for giving me hours of enjoyment and please keep up the good work!
Thanks for giving the books a try, Tasha! I’m glad you’re enjoying them. 🙂
I may have to start an EE book club for the sole purpose of getting some other people in my life who can discuss it with me. I’ve been reading it out loud to my husband at night before we go to sleep. He is enjoying it a lot but he’s not not the type to do book discussions.
Hey, as long as your husband didn’t start snoring during the reading, I think that’s a good sign!
There are a couple of folks chatting about the books over on my author board on Goodreads if you’re interested (I should add a permanent link to that somewhere on the site, hmm): http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/58503.Q_A_with_Lindsay_Buroker_Fantasy_Author
Hi, I just wanted to say how much I’ve enjoyed your series! I found EE on iBooks for free and have since purchased all of the series & short stories. I love Amaranthe! She’s a fun character and it’s nice that she hasn’t lost it with all she’s been through. I can’t wait for the next book!
Thanks for giving the books a try, Leslie! I’m glad you enjoyed them. I’m working on the fourth one now. 🙂
Hey Lindsay,
I picked up EE for free on Amazon two days ago and finished reading the entire first three books during lunch today! Your character development is amazing and I truly enjoy all of the characters thus far. Thanks for sharing your gift!
Smiles,
Cyn.
Oops my previous post made it seem like I read all three books during lunch today, but I have spaced it out over the course of these past two and a half days. Thanks!
You’re a speedy reader, either way! 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Cyn. Thanks for giving the books a try!
Do you know what your next EE short story will be called so I can keep an eye out?
I absolutely love your work and I’m trying to get all of my friends to read the EE series as well. I haven’t read your other stories yet but I will soon (mostly to keep my mind off of the long wait for the EE4 book to come out ;P).
Keep up the good work and I hope you finish all of the next 3 EE books!
Do you know what your next EE short story will be called so I can keep an eye out?
I absolutely love your work and I’m trying to get all of my friends to read the EE series as well. I haven’t read your other stories yet but I will soon (mostly to keep my mind off of the long wait for the EE4 book to come out ;P).
Keep up the good work and I hope you finish all of the next 3 EE books!
Thanks for reading and leaving blog comments, Roni!
The title will be The Assassin’s Curse, and it’s a side adventure with Amaranthe and Sicarius. I wrote the first draft around Halloween, so it’s got a bit of a ghost-story vibe. 🙂
Sweet! I can’t wait. 😀 I love a good ghost-story.