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My Book Just Came Out Purge of Ashes, Book One of the Imbalance

#41 User is offline   Cause 

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Posted 14 April 2016 - 03:59 PM

Hoping to start it this weekend.

Anyone read it yet?

@Tatter

I thik almost everyone in this forum has at least thought about writing a book at some point. Will you share a bit more of your story? Was this a passion project? How long did you work on it? When did you first come up with the idea? Did you write it full time or in your spare time?

This post has been edited by Cause: 14 April 2016 - 04:02 PM

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#42 User is offline   Tatterdemalion 

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Posted 16 April 2016 - 05:24 AM

View PostCause, on 14 April 2016 - 03:59 PM, said:

Hoping to start it this weekend.

Anyone read it yet?

@Tatter

I thik almost everyone in this forum has at least thought about writing a book at some point. Will you share a bit more of your story? Was this a passion project? How long did you work on it? When did you first come up with the idea? Did you write it full time or in your spare time?


I will. And I won't do it all 'authorly', I'll just say how it is because everyone here makes me happy :)

So the technical first, then the story:

Passion Project?


Absolutely a passion project. I make LOTS of things in lots of mediums, but Imbalance is the biggest and most serious. Examples of other things would be: spent 6 years building a fantasy RPG video game that's a goofball comedy (FREE online, used to have 4000 DLs but the site died and this one was born: http://rpgmaker.net/games/7459/) which is my other big one, I wrote and storyboarded a comic for said video game (40 pages black and white, readable here: http://imgur.com/a/BwLLv) with illustrator Alex Row, I made 200 goofball web comics about kids growing up in Stalingrad 1945, etc etc etc. My most recent non-Imbalance work is a dueling card game called Ascension Divine which is super fun and beautiful but uses licensed content from a character generator so... just for fun at the moment. I used to rotate from project to project, but they were all silly. Imbalance is my first attempt at a serious works in the manner of my favourite fantasy series and I have plenty of plans for the trilogy, with Book 2 already mapped and the ending of Book 3 assured since midway through writing Purge of Ashes. (please note softcovers won't be available for a few days as I had to fix the cover)

How long did I work on it? When did I come up with the idea?


I point you to these two posts from my website which cover the story of conception and implementation:
PART ONE
PART TWO

Writing?

I wrote in my spare time, usually Sunday mornings at first. When single I got a lot done because... well, I could only play so much Warcraft III before my eyes hurt. Once I met my future wife finding time to work got harder. Once we bought a house and had a baby it got even HARDER... but also easier, since I wasted a lot less time at night 'having fun.' In truth, much of my writing got done during time off from my employment: being a teacher. For two blissful summers I had all of August off - and I used this time to test 'Could Joel be a Professional Author?' were he to have steady income and no other concerns during the day (as a teacher, I was paid over the summer while my wife still worked). The answer was a resounding YES. The second August I drove my wife to work at 8:25, read Sanderson's Wheel of Time conclusion novels from 8:30-9:00 when the library near her office opened. I would then write from 9am until 4:30pm without stopping, except half an hour to watch Futurama at lunch on the laptop and chug a sandwich (which you can do if you try). Then I'd pick up my wife and drive home. In this month alone I wrote about 5 chapters of Purge - and not the easy ones. Chapters 16-20: the ones at the end of the journey but before the climax. About 160 computer pages, or about 25% of the book.

The Story:


There are three story lines in Purge of Ashes. The first revolves around the story from my back cover blurb which can again be found (under a spruce look at the cover) on my site.

To summarize, the Scalion Legion (an Inquisition-esque militant arm of a heretical god) launches a surprise attack (less so after reading this) on a peaceful coastal city whose soldiers are busy to the south resolving a tired civil war. The Loce Freelancers, third division, is a band of mercenaries killing time in said city and they pick up a contract to act as muscle for the royalty (the Sceptre and family). Action! The mercenaries, and an assorted few members of royalty, end up charged with the safe passage of thousands of fleeing refugees while being pursued by scruple-less zealots across the continent towards the capital. The vermin-like Scalion Legion believe the capital is harboring an ancient immortal their cult has sworn to eradicate for crimes against their god. Thus the press. Eh, blurb probably does a better job than I did there... but I'm more interested to explain the latter two as this first is mostly known.

The second story line revolves around the civil war, although we never really go there. It is about the Sceptre in Remn - the island's capital city and destination of the refugees. Years prior his own family tried to uproot his command, but their coup failed and his venomous sister went into hiding. The end of the civil war does not come before a bloody battle which acts as a catalyst for her plans to once again try to take the throne for herself - with a man on the inside. This story interweaves with that of Kaern Arkonias, a teen who feels half-possessed by a voice that has stolen into his head and half-aghast at his own burgeoning capabilities as an avatar, including deadly control of elemental fire. Kaern feels compelled to burn temples - a most dangerous game as the pantheon of the gods is built upon live prayer, and mortals shall always suffer when something disrupts the balance of the pantheon: good god/evil god, just god/chaotic god(dess).

The third story line revolves around the capital and for the most part is more fleeting than the rest (indeed, the second one has much less page time than the exodus). It concerns a legendary warrior captain keeping a low profile, and the ancient immortal he finds waiting for him in a forgotten castle dungeon. He does not know why the immortal has come, but with the worldly balance de-stabilizing, he fears the ill portend.

These story lines weave together to tell the tale of the Scalion invasion, but it is only the beginning of the imbalance cast into the world.

I have plenty of POV characters and the cast consists mostly of mercenaries, nobility and one unsettling youth. The world has much unique terminology, especially with regards to the telling of time, the measuring of distance, and the induction of magic. The world is much bigger than that of the island where the story takes place (Sventium) as seen HERE. This page has lots of details about 8 of the 9 continents (discounting an Antarctica-like one) including political regimes, geography, and populations if you care to peruse. Expect a story with plenty of action, and a quick, movie-like pace while telling multiple stories at once - stories that stretch from bildungsroman to adventure to tragedy. Many arcs end. Many just begin. As a big Erikson fan, I don't dole out the truth of things with a big ladle all the time, and personal opinion can belie the narrative. Typical readers will likely find this lack of easy answers challenging. As dedicated Malazan fans I'm sure NOTHING will get past you guys, except stuff not meant to be known until books 2 or 3. Final note: I am very confident in the ending.

How's that 'Cause'?
I know a few folk have started reading it. Am yet to hear of anyone finishing. Am hankering for some reviews, preferably good ones!
Author of Purge of Ashes.
Sayer of "And Nature shall not abide."

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#43 User is offline   Tsundoku 

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 09:18 AM

Yes Tatts, but ... is the timeline important?

:D

And please tell me you have a few dedicated "continuity" editors. :)
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#44 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 06:54 PM

View PostTsundoku, on 18 April 2016 - 09:18 AM, said:

Yes Tatts, but ... is the timeline important?

:)

And please tell me you have a few dedicated "continuity" editors. :D


NO TIMELINE IS EVER IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!
THIS IS YOUR REMINDER THAT THERE IS A
'VIEW NEW CONTENT' BUTTON THAT
ALLOWS YOU TO VIEW NEW CONTENT
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#45 User is offline   Tatterdemalion 

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Posted 21 April 2016 - 03:27 AM

I did as much continuity editing as I could. My beta readers picked up on some stuff, but nothing too damning.

PRO TIP: One thing you may notice is that the sun sets in the East and dawns in the West.

ALSO: My prices are now final and the book is CHEAPER
Check them out here:https://joelminty.co...mazon-releases/
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#46 User is offline   amphibian 

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Posted 21 April 2016 - 03:36 AM

I'm about a third of the way thru. It's great. Genuinely good, complex, moves along.

However, I have a few technical notes/critiques/suggestions. Biggest one is about structuring narration vs character thoughts/observations. Do you want them?
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#47 User is offline   Tatterdemalion 

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Posted 21 April 2016 - 03:44 AM

View PostAbyss, on 09 April 2016 - 11:32 PM, said:

If the rights all revert to Tats, nothing stops another co from publishing the rest. And if bk 1 generates even marginally decent sales that's even more likely bcs the initial risk has passed.


It's those "marginally decent sales" that quiver my bones at night.
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#48 User is offline   Tatterdemalion 

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Posted 21 April 2016 - 03:45 AM

View Postamphibian, on 21 April 2016 - 03:36 AM, said:

I'm about a third of the way thru. It's great. Genuinely good, complex, moves along.

However, I have a few technical notes/critiques/suggestions. Biggest one is about structuring narration vs character thoughts/observations. Do you want them?


Hit me up. In a PM, preferably.
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#49 User is offline   Salt-Man Z 

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Posted 21 April 2016 - 04:11 PM

Just ordered it. And as a result, congrats, you're now on LibraryThing! ;)
"Here is light. You will say that it is not a living entity, but you miss the point that it is more, not less. Without occupying space, it fills the universe. It nourishes everything, yet itself feeds upon destruction. We claim to control it, but does it not perhaps cultivate us as a source of food? May it not be that all wood grows so that it can be set ablaze, and that men and women are born to kindle fires?"
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#50 User is offline   Macros 

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Posted 21 April 2016 - 06:07 PM

Purchased dead tree versoin, it arrives next week.

If you ever do a book signing tour, I will go and get you to sign it

IN BLOOD
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#51 User is offline   Mentalist 

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Posted 21 April 2016 - 06:28 PM

Amazon.ca has ridiculous price. Gonna buy when home from wrk

EDITED: the price was actually for Kindle. PB is $20.
Still gonna get it, but in a little bit.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 22 April 2016 - 01:29 AM

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View PostJump Around, on 23 October 2011 - 11:04 AM, said:

And I want to state that Ment has out-weaseled me by far in this game.
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#52 User is offline   Macros 

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Posted 21 April 2016 - 08:02 PM

I'm not sure how much control you have over pricing Joel, but I know a lot of people over here in the UK will be put off a price tag of £17 on a paperback for a new author. that's hardback prices for a Bestsellers new release.

Just a thought from a sales perspective
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#53 User is offline   Puck 

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Posted 21 April 2016 - 08:28 PM

View PostMacros, on 21 April 2016 - 08:02 PM, said:

I'm not sure how much control you have over pricing Joel, but I know a lot of people over here in the UK will be put off a price tag of £17 on a paperback for a new author. that's hardback prices for a Bestsellers new release.

Just a thought from a sales perspective


That's because bestseller-publishers can afford to print huge amounts of books, making each book cheaper in print and allowing them to sell it for a lower price. Small publishers or self-publishing authors can't have that many books printed in one run, making each books more expensive by default, especially if they want to actually earn a dime for their trouble. It's the curse of the publishing world that the less funds you have the more difficult it is to sell your stuff for a reasonable price.
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#54 User is offline   Macros 

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Posted 21 April 2016 - 10:19 PM

As I said, I am not aware of what control he has over pricing, the cost would (in my eyes) seriously hinder sales on a new author, especially as its a paperback. I have my copy ordered, but to be quite honest, even if I was reading reviews saying this would be better than legend, troy and malazan together, I wouldn't shell out £17 for a paperback on an author I'd never heard of. I ordered because tatts is a malazite, and I wanted to show my support (and the books premise does sound intriguing to be honest)
Amazon.com is $16, which at the minute is like £10? I didn't check the rates, but its quite a difference.

Eta - for full clarity, I wouldn't shell out £17 for a paperback of my favourite author.
Hardback maybe. maybe

This post has been edited by Macros: 21 April 2016 - 10:21 PM

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#55 User is offline   Tatterdemalion 

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Posted 22 April 2016 - 04:13 AM

View PostMacros, on 21 April 2016 - 10:19 PM, said:

As I said, I am not aware of what control he has over pricing, the cost would (in my eyes) seriously hinder sales on a new author, especially as its a paperback. I have my copy ordered, but to be quite honest, even if I was reading reviews saying this would be better than legend, troy and malazan together, I wouldn't shell out £17 for a paperback on an author I'd never heard of. I ordered because tatts is a malazite, and I wanted to show my support (and the books premise does sound intriguing to be honest)
Amazon.com is $16, which at the minute is like £10? I didn't check the rates, but its quite a difference.

Eta - for full clarity, I wouldn't shell out £17 for a paperback of my favourite author.
Hardback maybe. maybe


Thanks, Macros!

I have dropped the price another pound, as I do have control. On my end it now says $12.95 pounds - and roughly matches the payout from international and American sales.
That's as low as I will go. As getting the word out is most important to me right now, I am trying to stay low as is sensible. I want your attention and interest more than your wages.

Glad to see a few people picking it up! The softcover really has a great interior - good watermarks, crisp white paper, etc.
If you're gonna read for 550 pages it's gotta go down smooth as possible.

Any and all tidbits like this are great, folks.
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#56 User is offline   Tatterdemalion 

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Posted 22 April 2016 - 04:15 AM

Just realized - I bet Amazon.uk simply has not updated my pay change yet. It was at 13.95 pounds for the past few days, but before that was closer to 17. Back when I had hopes of a relevant profit Posted Image
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#57 User is offline   Macros 

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Posted 22 April 2016 - 05:51 AM

That would make more sense as £17 is about the $25 larkish I think, so yah, £12.95 does sound a lot more reasonable.
I get you want to make money off this thing, I was just pitching it at a volume of sales angle, more sales would, imo, generate more hype as more people will gain exposure, and if they like then that's a potential for exponential exposure, dependant upon their social circle etc
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Posted 24 April 2016 - 07:24 PM

Do you know anything about the future of the price on book depository? The mid-europe adjusted price is really very high right now. On Amazon.de price is perfectly fine but I can't buy from there currently and book depository is more comfortable for me, but I guess I'll have to go for it if there's no better option
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#59 User is offline   Mentalist 

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Posted 25 April 2016 - 03:49 PM

Amazon.ca has it for 32 CAD + another fiver for shipping. That's basically FoL pricing.

I AM going to pick it up eventually, b/c it sounds really interesting. If it's on book depository, i'll pay pretty much any reasonable price (25 is reasonable for a large book imo)
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View PostJump Around, on 23 October 2011 - 11:04 AM, said:

And I want to state that Ment has out-weaseled me by far in this game.
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#60 User is offline   Macros 

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Posted 25 April 2016 - 05:27 PM

Paperback is due to arrive tomorrow
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