So yesterday, my little book had a very big day. I was Reddit’s Writer of the Day. I set my book to free for the occasion. It’s free until midnight tonight Saturday, actually. So if you haven’t read it, go download it.
Reddit Fantasy, for those of you who don’t know, is huge. There’s usually around a thousand Fantasy geeks who are there to argue the minutiae of all the latest fantasy. Acceptance there means you’re going to be ok. If they like you, remember you. I will admit, I was a little scared intimidated. A large number of them seem to favor grimdark and gritty fantasy, which I don’t like. But there is a number of them who are interested in eucatastrophe. In joy and wonder and the reasons I love fantasy. I’ve lurked there for years but haven’t posted. Anyhow. I jumped in with both feet.
I wasn’t downvoted much! Yay. 87% Upvoted. I had 24 comments (half by me, answering questions) and even two writers asked me things, Michael J Sullivan and Raymond St Elmo. Both were very nice. Raymond actually seems like a kindred spirit. Who knew?
And on the what did it net me front… Well. Like I said, I set my book to free for the event, probably the only time I will do so out of principle. But I really wanted no barriers to these people reading my book. So far I’ve had 77 downloads of my book, and several people are reading it on KU, which is great. I also have sold at least one paperback.
So there’s that.
But wait, there’s more!
I was all done for the day, comments had dwindled. And I get the email that my Kirkus review is ready.
OK, I’m really scared now.
Kirkus, for those of you who aren’t familiar, is a review service that libraries, schools, publishers and those in the publishing industry listen to. A good Kirkus review is huge. There are a lot of articles out there decrying that it is too expensive. It’s pricey, $425. They say it doesn’t help you sell.
But I needed an objective review of my book. And I wanted it from the weightiest source. The most respected. Even if no one else ever saw the review, I wanted to know what THEY thought of my book. Which is the main reason I ordered it. They are notorious for not liking a book. You don’t get a good review just because you paid them a lot of money. That’s not how it works. A starred review is the highest Kirkus honor and goes to … oh, Shakespearian efforts. To say I was nervous to read this review is an understatement. What if they didn’t like it?
But I consoled myself that if it was awful it would never see the light of day. I had the option of just reading it and quietly burying it. I probably would have hung up my writing for a while too. I admit it. Opening that was really, really scary
It was good. No. It was GLOWING.
“…Miles offers a dense emotional tapestry for fantasy fans who may be looking for more than swords and sorcery. ” –Kirkus Reviews
“…A richly conceived fantasy with a grand emotional payoff.” –Kirkus Reviews
After I picked myself up off the floor and finished dancing, I proceeded to post it everywhere possible and email my list with the news. Because wow.
So there you have it. Kirkus says my book is good! It isn’t a starred review but to me, it’s as good as one. I am officially not a failure as an author. Shut up imposter syndrome. I did it. Meh.
I’m back on earth today. But I wanted to let you guys know. Yesterday was a very big day for me. And I’m really happy.