From the Ashes
Life is an interesting journey. It really is. There is only one true absolute; the rest of it is what we make of it.
Song of the Fell Hammer has been roundly rejected by the publishing industry. Eight or nine agents have rejected it, stating the book is "too traditional epic fantasy" and "epic fantasy is not selling right now." What that really means is, "We aren't looking for epic fantasy at this time."
Betsy Mitchell at Del Rey, who I love to death as a person and who is a fantastic editor, rejected Fell Hammer on October 24th. Here is what she wrote:
A positive note. But one after I read it left a sour taste in my mouth.
To me, it's easy to market Fell Hammer: Point the marketing at Terry Brooks's readership. They are legion, a lot of them already know me, and even if a 1/10 of his fan base buys the book, Fell Hammer is a huge success.
Other writing friends of mine have been getting the same few sentences thrown at them too. They too have written epic fantasies and they too are being rejected for it. It is not just my experience with all of this that counts; it is the overall industry's choice, and that choice doesn't want to read or buy or publish an epic fantasy.
Well, what are they looking for then?
If you pay attention to the industry—via the internet or through Publishers Weekly—there is a very distinct pattern that is going on. Most of the book contracts being offered are for urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Editor Liz, who is one of Del Rey's newest editors, has several deals below her belt already for urban fantasy and paranormal romance. A few of the other newer editors have been hunting it as well. Coincidence? No way.
Where does that leave me?
After a week of mulling my possibilities, one of which that maybe I wasn't any good, that familiar driving fire rose up inside of me and I rejected the rejections. I decided in the space of an instant my next course of action would be to play by the rules I've been given.
If they want an urban fantasy, I'm going to give them one they can't refuse.
I cloistered myself away from friends and family around November 1st. For the last year I've had an urban fantasy in my mind, one that had been percolating and growing and evolving into a solid book idea. But due to it being an urban fantasy and set mostly in our world, I knew it would take weeks of research before I could even write the first word of the book. I went to the University of Washington and used their enormous library, I used the internet extensively and finding the materials and history I needed, I read several different books to prepare. And as I continued onward, that need and fire to write grew and grew.
Until Thanksgiving Eve, when I finished off the 20 page outline and notes for The Dagda King.
The Dagda King, which is a reference to the king of the British Isles Celtic gods, is an urban fantasy that takes place 1/3 in the homeless burrows of Seattle, 1/3 in the fey world of Avalon, and 1/3 inside the 108 acre confines of Vatican City in Rome. I already have two sequels very loosely outlined as well.
My main protagonist is an adult male—breaking away from the young protagonist motif that litters epic fantasy. Other point of view characters include a homeless "knight" in the dregs of his life, a Cardinal who is part of a secret society known as the Vigilo, Merlin in what I hope will be a very interesting take on a very old character, and an 18th century British second royal son who believes much is owed him after 300 years of doing his father's bidding. I'll get to discuss religious extremism, faith in oneself as well as in others, and the hardship and great things that come with being part of two different worlds. I'm excited about it, as you can probably tell, and I think it is a story people will enjoy.
Of course, the most fun part of this will be the Celtic mythology in the fey world. I am taking all of those gods and goddesses and weaving them into the story while remaining faithful to their origins. I think it will be this that draws interest from people, but time will tell.
The ironic thing is I had dinner with Terry and his wife on November 16th. He told me he spoke to his editor the week previous and she asked him if I was working on something a bit different from Fell Hammer. Terry knows what I am working on and told her. In a very positive remark, she said she wants to be the first to read it when it is done; she believes it "will be my breakout book." I think that means she thinks I have solid writing skills, and that gives me a lot of steam as I plow forward into this very different book.
Of course, by the time I finish this book early next year, urban fantasy will be on its way out and something else will be marketable. It's the game we play, but I am up for the challenge.
I began writing The Dagda King yesterday. It is a prologue, 27 chapters, two interludes, and an epilogue. It is about 16 chapters shorter than Fell Hammer, which I am also very pleased with. I wrote about 1200 words yesterday and loved every hour of it.
What lesson is to be learned from all of this? Just because you fail at something doesn't mean it defines your course of action for the future. In fact, it should stoke the blaze of your passion.
And what of Fell Hammer? It is with two different publishers right now, but that is the past to me. I have no doubt they will say the same thing the others have said about it. My future is no longer that book but The Dagda King.
I am going to give that future all I'm worth.
Song of the Fell Hammer has been roundly rejected by the publishing industry. Eight or nine agents have rejected it, stating the book is "too traditional epic fantasy" and "epic fantasy is not selling right now." What that really means is, "We aren't looking for epic fantasy at this time."
Betsy Mitchell at Del Rey, who I love to death as a person and who is a fantastic editor, rejected Fell Hammer on October 24th. Here is what she wrote:
| "I read the manuscript and I must compliment you on the dedication it took to put this story together. It's a complex plot and you've done a good job at moving from strand to strand on the storytelling. It's tough for me to say that it feels just a bit too traditional for today's market. There has been so much epic fantasy published by now that a new story really has to burn brightly. It's a tough marketplace these days; I wish we could make an offer because you've done a very good job, but I'm afraid we just can't. Please do show this to all the other editors (or take on an agent at this point). I hope that another editor will have a vision for how to publish you that I don't right now." |
A positive note. But one after I read it left a sour taste in my mouth.
To me, it's easy to market Fell Hammer: Point the marketing at Terry Brooks's readership. They are legion, a lot of them already know me, and even if a 1/10 of his fan base buys the book, Fell Hammer is a huge success.
Other writing friends of mine have been getting the same few sentences thrown at them too. They too have written epic fantasies and they too are being rejected for it. It is not just my experience with all of this that counts; it is the overall industry's choice, and that choice doesn't want to read or buy or publish an epic fantasy.
Well, what are they looking for then?
If you pay attention to the industry—via the internet or through Publishers Weekly—there is a very distinct pattern that is going on. Most of the book contracts being offered are for urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Editor Liz, who is one of Del Rey's newest editors, has several deals below her belt already for urban fantasy and paranormal romance. A few of the other newer editors have been hunting it as well. Coincidence? No way.
Where does that leave me?
After a week of mulling my possibilities, one of which that maybe I wasn't any good, that familiar driving fire rose up inside of me and I rejected the rejections. I decided in the space of an instant my next course of action would be to play by the rules I've been given.
If they want an urban fantasy, I'm going to give them one they can't refuse.
I cloistered myself away from friends and family around November 1st. For the last year I've had an urban fantasy in my mind, one that had been percolating and growing and evolving into a solid book idea. But due to it being an urban fantasy and set mostly in our world, I knew it would take weeks of research before I could even write the first word of the book. I went to the University of Washington and used their enormous library, I used the internet extensively and finding the materials and history I needed, I read several different books to prepare. And as I continued onward, that need and fire to write grew and grew.
Until Thanksgiving Eve, when I finished off the 20 page outline and notes for The Dagda King.
The Dagda King, which is a reference to the king of the British Isles Celtic gods, is an urban fantasy that takes place 1/3 in the homeless burrows of Seattle, 1/3 in the fey world of Avalon, and 1/3 inside the 108 acre confines of Vatican City in Rome. I already have two sequels very loosely outlined as well.
My main protagonist is an adult male—breaking away from the young protagonist motif that litters epic fantasy. Other point of view characters include a homeless "knight" in the dregs of his life, a Cardinal who is part of a secret society known as the Vigilo, Merlin in what I hope will be a very interesting take on a very old character, and an 18th century British second royal son who believes much is owed him after 300 years of doing his father's bidding. I'll get to discuss religious extremism, faith in oneself as well as in others, and the hardship and great things that come with being part of two different worlds. I'm excited about it, as you can probably tell, and I think it is a story people will enjoy.
Of course, the most fun part of this will be the Celtic mythology in the fey world. I am taking all of those gods and goddesses and weaving them into the story while remaining faithful to their origins. I think it will be this that draws interest from people, but time will tell.
The ironic thing is I had dinner with Terry and his wife on November 16th. He told me he spoke to his editor the week previous and she asked him if I was working on something a bit different from Fell Hammer. Terry knows what I am working on and told her. In a very positive remark, she said she wants to be the first to read it when it is done; she believes it "will be my breakout book." I think that means she thinks I have solid writing skills, and that gives me a lot of steam as I plow forward into this very different book.
Of course, by the time I finish this book early next year, urban fantasy will be on its way out and something else will be marketable. It's the game we play, but I am up for the challenge.
I began writing The Dagda King yesterday. It is a prologue, 27 chapters, two interludes, and an epilogue. It is about 16 chapters shorter than Fell Hammer, which I am also very pleased with. I wrote about 1200 words yesterday and loved every hour of it.
What lesson is to be learned from all of this? Just because you fail at something doesn't mean it defines your course of action for the future. In fact, it should stoke the blaze of your passion.
And what of Fell Hammer? It is with two different publishers right now, but that is the past to me. I have no doubt they will say the same thing the others have said about it. My future is no longer that book but The Dagda King.
I am going to give that future all I'm worth.
posted by Shawn C. Speakman | 8:51 AM
12 Comments:
Shawn,
I have been eagerly checking your blog everyday for quite awhile hoping for word of your success. As I read your latest entry I was appalled that you were rejected. If you, a man with astounding writing capabilities and a close personal relationship with one of the most successful fantasy writers of the day, can not get published what chance do the rest of us have?
Then I thought about the rejection a little more and it really does sound like it comes down to 'Nothing personal it's just business'. Closer yet it's just the market. Sure the market wants Urban Fantasy right now but markets always...always swing from one end of the spectrum to the other. And in this age of information and instant gratification markets swing faster than ever.
I was really stricken by the positivity of the rejection letter, they want to publish you. They really want to publish you.
You will have your Urban Fantasy written and published I am sure. And when the market swings back to Epic Fantasy you'll have your trilogy ready for that too.
Good luck and I look forward to reading more about your success.
-Josh
Yeah, Josh, having finished Fell Hammer and having it in the wings doesn't hurt either. It's not wasted time by any stretch of the imagination.
You asked what chance do you have? You have plenty of chances. My epic fantasy was built on purpose to mimic the stereotypes of the genre; I wanted to show them and then destroy them by the end of the third book. On the surface, it doesn't look different than what has come before and that bothers agents and editors.
It comes down to vision, and agents and editors live in the present.
So if you are writing and enjoying what you are doing, and the story you are telling has new aspects to add to the epic fantasy story, then you are probably okay. As I mentioned in my interview with Aidan, a break out book must have a great hook to it -- a great character or humor or something not seen before.
In Fell Hammer, what hasn't been seen before is all the subtextual layers I have put into it. Agents and editors see the surface story and sadly not the subtexts.
Write what you want and write what you love and do not conform to the standards already out there. Good luck! And thank you for your support!
Now back to the Prologue of The Dadga King!
Shawn:
Self-publish the book! Or how about starting to sell the book via PDF, or making it available as an ebook?
Man, the world is opening up via the web. Look at the music industry.. they are in a shambles because of the way they have been doing things. Now some bands (RADIOHEAD, for example) are putting their new albums up for free, and making money off the website by charging advertisers. It's time to do something different.
The book market needs a big overhaul, and you have a product that you can use to start the revolution. Use it! Create a website, and make it an ebook that people can buy for $1, $5, $10... whatever you want to charge. Or create a website for it where people can read it either: online, as a PDF, or they can order a copy of it (print on demand). Then all you have to do is MARKET the hell out of it... and get fantasy readers to find it! The best thing is all of your sales go to you, and you don't have to give up any of your profit to the publisher.
I'll be among the first to buy it!
Even if the book is published by an established publisher, what will they do to really make sure it is a success? Why leave your fate as a writer to a company that may or may not drop the ball in the way of marketing? You know the numbers of current fantasy books. Is that enough, or should it be more?
What I'm suggesting is you market it yourself! You have the ability to do that with your knowledge of the net, websites, and so forth.
Oh yeah, make it available as a Kindle book through Amazon.com!
Hey, teh above are just some ideas off the top of my head... think outside the normal world of publishing. If you do something like that, and sell a lot of copies... in essence, build your audience from ground zero... then you will see those same publishers come back wanting SOTFH.
It's alive!
First, thanks for sending that little email newsletter. For the past few weeks, I've been racking my brain trying to remember the name of the guy that wrote about fish swimming right up to a guy. I've had that scene stuck in my head (along with the preacher ranting in the church) since I've read them in the samples.
Second, now that my memory is jogged, bummer about the rejection. I wish I had words of wisdom for you, but all I can say is dreams do come true. After 13 years, I finally had one of mine delivered this past week.
Third, I'm not a big fan of urban fantasy, but if it's as good as the Fell Hammer sample I read, I'll give it a shot.
Finally, it's good to see you haven't given up and that you're alive!
What the heck?! Are people really that stupid? They will publish mindless drivel they call fantasy but reject something worthwhile? Idiots. Who cares about the market? Most people I know read what's good and to heck with the market (of course I have no basic understanding of the market, but oh well. I'm in an indignant rage.)
I'm glad that you are semi-upbeat about things, Shawn. I don't know if I would've taken the rejection so well. Glad to hear about your new project. Just keep truckin, and it will happen.
Idiots.
Fernando: I have certainly thought about e-publishing. Even now, I think I should throw it up on my website and give people the option of buying a .pdf for $5. What could it hurt, right?
There are multiple reasons to do it, but a few for not doing it as well. The largest one to me is if I make it available to people, then I'd have to -- as a writer with good conscience -- write The Winter Scion. I have seven chapters done in that book, but a lot to go, and I wouldn't want to leave all of you guys hanging. Even though I think the story finishes pretty neatly, it definitely has a lead in to Book Two. Would that be fair? I'm not sure.
Plus if I put it up online right now and suddenly one of the two publishers who have it right now decide to publish it, would making it available in e-format detract from that possibility? I don't know. But it's a stress I'd rather not think about. haha
But I am very pleased with the dozen or so people who have asked what you asked for. I may change my mind.
tk42one: Thanks for the wishes! I'll be putting the Prologue up of The Dadga King just to see if people would be interested in reading the entire book -- to kind of gauge if I have anything or not. So stay tuned for that!
Jared: Your post made me laugh out loud! So much rancor, and as you put it I am being pretty positive about the entire thing. Could it be possible you are more upset than I am? I think it might be!
These people aren't idiots though. They are business people and they have bottom lines to protect. It's hard to compete with that sometimes, but that's the nature of all of this and I knew that going in. Thanks for the encouragement!
I'm disappointed to hear about Fell Hammer. I have wanted to read from the first time I read the stuff you have posted on your web page. I will keep hoping that someone will give it a chance though.
As for the new project...here's to waiting to read that too! I look forward to reading what you are willing to post!
Glad you are staying positive; I'm not so sure I could do the same.
Keep up the great work!
jkdr: Thanks! I'm trying to remain positive. Nothing positive every happened by being negative, right? I understand the rationale behind the decisions, and I won't let that waylay me.
I should get this Prologue finished soon. I'll post it when it is done, just to get some impressions.
indeed, i'd love to read the prologue when you finish it...
Shawn,
I would love to see your manuscript anyway. Would you be open to the idea of publishing it yourself or online? I'm sure there would be a market for it, even if the fans have to pay for it. From what I've read, it's an interesting story and I'd like to read more.
:( I'm sorry to hear about the rejection, even though it is "just business and nothing personal" it truly does disappoint me, as jkdr I was looking forward to be able to buy and read it soon.
Fascinating to read about the Urban fantasy story you're working on, can't wait for the prologue to be posted on TBF :D
I am impressed by the way you keep your head up and the positivity you seem to have in abundance, you set a good standard for others to follow.
I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that Fell Hammer will get published soon - there has to be some smart publishers out there as well ;)
Cara: Maybe they are being smart. As another poster mentioned on Aidan's blog, it's entirely possible there is nothing an editor finds redeemable about the book to publish it.
I'll give you an example, something I am going to blog about this weekend.
Chapters in Fell Hammer are around 5500 words. Chapters so far in The Dagda King are about 4000 words.
That says to me I am telling the story in a shorter fashion. Fell Hammer may suffer from excess.
If that's true, no one will want it. And I am fine with that, believe it or not. The book is 199,000 words. It's large, to say the least. The Dagda King will be approximately 120,000 words. That is closer to what a normal-sized novel should be.
Paper costs and printing costs are high right now and an editor and publisher don't want to shoot themselves in the proverbial ass by publishing something with a small margin of profit, especially if it might not sell to begin with.
So in the end I am fine with it all, and that's why I remain positive.
But if The Dagda King doesn't do well with editors and agents, I'm going to have to readdress my career path to something... a bit more realistic. haha
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