There's a strange thing that happens when you are constantly releasing new work, though... you feel almost like you can't talk about your older stuff anymore. It came out, you talked it up, you shot your shot, and now the buzz has died. Why bring it up again if people weren't interested?
Because the people who might actually be interested in it likely didn't see it when it dropped, that's why.
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| Case in point. |
Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!
Always Trying To Push What's New
I create a lot of content. I update my blogs several times a week, I put out new articles on Vocal, I have between 1 and 3 fresh RPG supplements dropping every month, and for the last little while I've had new videos coming out every Friday. You add in occasional novels and bigger projects on top of all that, and it's easy for stuff to get lost in the shuffle.
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| Like this beautiful re-release, for example. |
The urge is always to push whatever just came out, because fresh content always seems to get more interest. It's new, it's shiny, and it still has that hot-off-the-press smell. But the thing about stories (and to a lesser extent a lot of RPG-related content) is that they have a really good shelf life. If someone hasn't read them before, then they'll have the same experience picking the book up now that they would have had back when it was new. And in more than one case it may take seeing the same book a dozen different times before someone finally overcomes inertia and decides to get a copy for themselves.
Still, it's hard to feel like there isn't a time limit on when you can talk about a project. Especially if said project wasn't particularly popular when it dropped, and now it feels like you're just trying to make fetch happen, so to speak.
Something I try to remember, though, is the tale of Tolkien's most famous trilogy. Because we tend to think of his books as colossal smash hits (which they are), but they didn't start off that way. They grew slowly, influence reaching into cracks and crevices to take hold of the imagination. The same is true for the works of Lovecraft, which were largely forgettable during his time, but which made their way into the public consciousness through re-writes, re-imaginings, and expansions.
Just because something doesn't kick open the door to the bestseller list the second day of its release doesn't mean you should give up on it. Let it breathe, take a few, and then remind people it exists. Because a second, third, or fourth round in the ring might be what it takes for your book to get the knockout it deserves!
Speaking of Forgotten Volumes...
Like I said above, I write a lot of stuff. And even if you're a dedicated fan of my work, it's easy to miss stuff. So I wanted to take a second to remind folks of the stories and books that are out where which you might have missed... and if your pocket book is a little slim, don't worry, a lot of them are free!
First, The Free Stuff
If you're in the market for stories that will stick with you, and keep you turning the digital pages, then the following are completely free to read! Not only that, but a number of the vignettes from my RPG supplements have gotten the dramatic reading treatment over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, so make sure you head over there, take a listen, and subscribe to the channel so I can keep that wheel turning!
- Waking Dogs: A World Eaters Tale: The first of my Warhammer 40K stories, this one details one of the original World Eaters awakening briefly from the haze of violence and wrath he's been lost in. And all it takes is a single moment of clarity to change his destiny forever. This tale has an audio version done by A Vox in The Void as well!
- Field Test: My second tale of the grim darkness of the far future, it deals with an inquisitor, an ork rock, and a secret weapon. When deployed, however, it is more devastating than anyone could have imagined. This story also has an audio version, for those who want to check it out!
You should also check out the Silver Raven Chronicles, a series all about punching fantasy fascists in the back alleys of Kintargo. A chronicle of the Hell's Rebels adventure path, the current installments include:
- Part One: Devil's Night: A mysterious vigilante prowls the streets of Kintargo.
- Part Two: From The Ashes: A protest becomes a riot as the new "mayor" attempts to establish control.
- Part Three: The Raven's Nest: The burgeoning rebellion establishes a secret base.
- Part Four: Circles in Salt: The Ghost joins the Silver Ravens, striking a blow against Thrune.
More Forgotten Volumes
If you're in the market for longer books (or you just want to check out some stuff you may have missed), then you should definitely check out the following!
- Tales From The Moot: A collection of short stories from the Wereolf: The Apocalypse RPG setting, this volume contains work by yours truly, as well as several other writers. Intended to be the first in a series of similar products, it hasn't found its audience just yet.
- Old Soldiers: For folks who can't get enough decommissioned super soldiers, this sci-fi thriller will be right up your alley. It's been ten years since the end of the war, and Pollux is still trying to come to grips with everything that happened... when an assassination plot goes wrong, though, he gets what's left of his old squad together to get to the heart of the matter. Whoever pulled the trigger on this thing is going to learn they should have just let these old soldiers fade away.
- Marked Territory and Painted Cats: The first two installments in my Hard-Boiled Cat series, these novels feature the adventures of a hard-nosed alley cat by the name of Leo. The Maine coon mostly tries to keep himself out of other people's business, but trouble keeps coming down his alley to find him. Curiosity's gonna get this cat killed one of these days, but it's gonna have one hell of a fight on its hands when it tries.
Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!
That's all for this week's Business of Writing!
If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!
If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!
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