It is now June and the 9th Annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) has officially begun! If you saw our introduction post, you know our team is rather large this year. So we’ve decided to do another post wherein we get to know our judges more. We have plenty of fresh blood this year, so without further ado, here is an interview with our SPFBO 9 team!
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can learn more here.
Why did you become a judge and why do you enjoy reading self-published fantasy enough to commit to such a workload?
Julia
It all started with G R Matthews offering me a free copy of his first book, which was the first self-published book I ever read. Before I had no idea the market existed really, as it was nowhere near as big and visible as it is these days. As I read a ton, I was intrigued by this whole new world of fantasy I had never heard of and started to pay closer attention to it. I soon found that while there’s obviously a lot of not too great books in that pool, there’s also a whole lot more variety!
Traditional publishers like to buy what has sold before, while self-publishing can go whatever way the author wants, which is a great way to give the stage to authors and stories you don’t usually see so much. By now I’d say that easily half of my favourite books each year are indie!
G R Matthews
I was at a pub with Mark Lawrence (and a hundred or so other folks) after a GrimGathering [Fantasy-Faction meet up], and I was writing for Fantasy-Faction at the time too. He had an idea, and asked if I would enter my book, The Stone Road, for SPFBO 1. So, I did.
When an author of Mark’s caliber makes you an offer, you don’t refuse. After SPFBO 1, I moved into judging—after all I was writing sequels at that time. I really enjoyed reading the ‘slush pile’ [books in round one] and finding those gems. After a year or two of combined reading burnout and getting a publishing deal, I’m back! Bring it on!
Kerry
I joined Fantasy-Faction as well as some indie fantasy FB pages and somewhere along the way also discovered SPFBO 5. Julia must have noticed me lurking around and asked if I’d like to be a judge for SPFBO 6—YES, couldn’t say no to that and here I still am, still enjoying every moment!!
Agatha
SPFBO was my introduction to indie books and authors; where I discovered the perfection that is Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike, the sorrowful beauty of The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang, and the historical fiction marvel of Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar. The deeper I got into SPFBO the bigger my interest was in the indie space.
Two-hundred and ninety-nine books don’t win the competition, but even among those that never reach the status of semifinalist, there are a lot of gems. So when presented with the opportunity to be part of this competition, I seized the chance! Bring on the 30! I will take you on!
Yaniv
I first discovered indie fantasy books by chance in a Facebook group called Indie Fantasy Addicts. I knew they existed before but was suddenly exposed to more of them and to the great community that writes and reads them. It’s been a few years since then, and SPFBO has gained considerable esteem.
I read for my own enjoyment and wanted to do more to promote the indie industry and find more gems like The Sword of Kaigen, Dragon Mage, Small Miracles, and many others that are on my Kindle but haven’t gotten to yet. When Julia posted about the option to join FF for this I was all in, and am very excited!
Becca
Self-published fantasy is what brought me back into the fantasy genre after more than a decade away. Now that I’ve found the magic again, I can’t wait to read more of it!
Blake
To be honest I am really into indie video games and thought why not find a way to find indie fantasy to get back into reading regularly. I found a couple of groups on Facebook and saw a post to read and review. Perfect way to challenge myself to find time for myself and read more books in my favorite genre.
Adawia
The self-published community is awesome and so much fun. I’d been considering blogging or insta’ing indie books for a while, so when an opportunity came up to join FF, I jumped right in, and downloaded my books so they can’t kick me out—they can’t kick me out, right???
Max
I really enjoy reading fantasy and sci-fi, and my job involves a lot of time just hanging around, periodically monitoring people while they sleep. I’m a caregiver to the disabled, working at a group home, and I usually work the overnight shift. We’re allowed to read or watch TV between hourly checks, giving me plenty of extra time. These contests are a fun way to give me new things to read and enjoy.
Jennie
I’ve been with FF since the beginning in 2010. At some point in the first year of our site, I became a contributor/reviewer. At some point later I became an assistant editor. And now I am the editor! I’ve been helping with SPFBO probably since year one of the contest, in one way or another. Either editing and posting the articles and reviews or being the liaison for our team. Most of the early years someone else ran the team, but in the last three years (I think?) I’ve been in charge! Which is why things might come out a bit later than they are supposed to. XD
I love sharing cool things with people! I love finding stuff no one has heard of and sharing it with the world! I love seeing people get excited about books and reading! And I love that I get to be a part of it!
What’s your favourite subgenres or tropes, and what do you hope to get to see more of in the contest?
Julia
I love to read pretty much all subgenres, from fluff to grimdark and from popcorn to complex. As long as it’s got fantasy in it, I’m willing to read it!
Really hoping for some new unexpected gems, and as they are rather rare. I would especially enjoy seeing a great urban fantasy, some fantasy comedy, and some great archer characters! Oh, and the world needs a lot more mature female characters, who are not all about romance.
G R Matthews
Give me something totally different (were-rabbits battling giant octopoids over the remnants of a meteor) or epic (old school) fantasy. Don’t forget that all characters are characters who act in-line with their ethics and morals; they might not get it right every time, in fact they shouldn’t, but bring them to life before you torture and send them to their untimely deaths.
Kerry
These days I tend toward grimdark, urban fantasy, and if there’s an unsolved mystery/murder I’m there for it. That been said, I do read any genre if there’s a great hook that keeps me interested. I’ve been reading fantasy for five decades so I like to see people pushing boundaries.
Agatha
I don’t really favor one subgenre over another, nor do I have favorite tropes. Instead, what I want to see is the unexpected: give me the tropes and subvert them! Give me a romantic horror or a suspenseful comedy! Give me what trad is too scared to publish! But on the other hand, you can also give me all the tropes but do them so well I forget they’re tropes! I just want to see the best.
Yaniv
Usually I gravitate towards adult grimdark, epic, and historical fiction. High stakes and morally grey characters in worlds where there aren’t ever only good and bad guys, are very much my mug of ale. I especially enjoy genre benders and fantasy with representation of mental health or other disabilities.
What I would love to see more of is older protagonists, completely different races, and more sophisticated villains. It would also be awesome to find thin standalones that still manage to pack a punch.
Becca
I love action-packed fantasy that balances deep characters with epic landscapes. I skew more toward high fantasy and sword and sorcery, but a good story is a good story. And I can’t resist a good story, no matter its dressings.
Blake
I love anything that catches my attention, I don’t have a favorite sub-genre or trope because if the author can execute it well, I’m down for anything.
Adawia
I haven’t met a fantasy genre or trope I didn’t enjoy to some degree—it really is all about good writing. I mean, I could happily read an uneventful story if it’s written beautifully. That said, I do have a slight preference for grimdark, urban settings, and steampunk (all the -punks really). So, kill the dog, eat the baby, shoot the granny, make me cry, laugh, cringe, gasp, sigh, and shudder. I’ll pretty much read anything.
Ooh, I also love genre mashups, gimme that mythological dystopian sci-fantasy horror comedy.
No seriously, gimme that!
Max
I enjoy lighter fare, with happy endings, and stories that are unique and unusual. As for characters, I tend to prefer the flawed and jaded, which I know is at odds with enjoying lighter stories. Sometimes I can be a bit of a walking contradiction, and I accept that about myself.
Jennie
I’m a big lover of portal fantasy, deep worldbuilding, unique magic systems, and relatable characters. And not just the main characters. Books where the side characters are just as interesting as the main characters are some of the best I’ve ever read. Also love me some science fantasy, but either very balanced or leaning more towards the fantasy side of things.
On the other hand, what sort of subgenres and tropes are a harder sell for you?
Julia
The only thing I really can’t stand is romance. To be precise the hot loins or pining sort, I’m ok with very straight forward “I choose this one” sort of couples, but back and forth or enemies to lovers or that sort of thing is not for me.
Nevertheless, twice now a romance did get into my top two SPFBO reads of the year. So, let’s see if there’s nice surprises again!
G R Matthews
Not really. Just tell me the story, give me the characters, and create tension! (Now proceeds to tell you that “not really” is a lie)
Don’t, do not, never, give me abuse of women for abuse’s sake—if it happens, I want to know the ramifications are real, the damage, the hurt, the impact on everyone, don’t gloss over it, don’t use it as a throwaway or as the reason for revenge (Anna by Sammy H.K. Smith tackles this theme brilliantly). If there’s a death, make it mean something to the survivors.
Kerry
I’m not big on paranormal romance/shapeshifter novels; in fact, I’m not really a romance fan BUT if the romance is a necessary part of the plot, written so it feels legitimate and realistic, then I have no problem. LitRPG is another harder genre to get into though I’ve read a few good ones. As long as it’s a good story with accessible characters I’ll read anything.
Agatha
While I do read all subgenres, I have found in more recent years YA has become a bit touchy. Not because the genre is boring to me, but because as of late, I have found very few authors that can write teenagers well. Either they talk like a TikTok teen but act like a millennial or they speak millennial but act like a brat. It’s hard to capture that voice and youth and put it in a book, when we live in an era where the language is almost evolving in real time.
Yaniv
I’ve entered our pile of books completely blind, which is a positive since I tend to be a rather picky reader. Similarly to Agatha, I too am less of a paranormal, YA, and romance aficionado since I feel many times those concepts tend to overwhelm the actual plot.
However, if the book is well written enough those might still have a chance with me and last year I read and extremely enjoyed Small Miracles, which I wouldn’t at all have anticipated, looking at my past favourites.
Also it’s our shared secret that I’ve even read some nonfiction books this year, so I feel like I’m gradually becoming a more flexible and diverse book dude.
Becca
Romance and slow worldbuilding are my reader turn-offs. I don’t mind romantic subplots, nor do I object to a detailed world, but neither should dominate the story.
Then again, I’m open to being proved entirely wrong. Take me away with a good story, and I won’t care what preconceptions I had about genre!
Blake
I agree with the slow worldbuilding, I don’t mind elaborating for plot but going on and on about something that doesn’t matter kills my interest. I also don’t like pointless deaths for dramatic effect, especially characters that relate to others in a positive way. Unless of course their death means something.
Adawia
Fantasy novels with a romantic thread:fine. Romance novels with a sprinkle of fantasy: not so much. Oh, and I conscientiously object to love triangles—unless they’re in a period K-drama (even then it’s iffy). Also, not a huge fan of excessive, irrelevant details and descriptions. I generally prefer a somewhat concise style of storytelling, unless the extra details are actually interesting (but that’s neither a sub-genre nor a trope. I may just be venting at this stage).
Max
Anything similar to Game of Thrones. I can’t deal with that level of violence and sexual abuse. I also don’t like stories where all the important characters are men, and the female characters are either weak love interests, or mother figures. There’s still a surprising number out there.
Jennie
Not a fan of pining romance, sexy times on the page, and plots that hinge on people not telling each other important information. Also not a fan of infodumps. I love good worldbuilding, but it also needs to be well introduced not just stuck at the beginning or “well you know Bob”ed throughout the story. And not a huge fan of Super Grimdark™, gory violence, or violence for the sake of violence, i.e., deaths that mean nothing or are just to motivate the characters and don’t have repercussions throughout the story.
But if you can pull me in and stick the ending? You might be my next favorite read.
Have there been any books that really surprised you, as in you didn’t expect to love them, but they sneakily won you over?
Julia
All the time. It’s one of the reasons I love judging, where I don’t get to choose the books I read. Burning Bright by Melissa McShane for example, looked very much like a romance, and I adored it all the way through. A woman in the navy, what a scandal—and then she’s also the one who can throw fireballs!
Or Chaos Trims My Beard by Brett Herman. It sounds and looks utterly bonkers. I don’t think I would have ever picked it up if it wasn’t in our pile, and I was having so much fun with it.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky has a whole spider society, and I hate spiders with a vengeance. Really loved the story, and am happy I didn’t know about the eight-legged protagonists, or I wouldn’t have picked it up.
G R Matthews
There are books I return to, that have a special place in my heart and history. I’m not sure I can remember any sneaky books. Life: an Unauthorised Biography by Richard Fortey? I was expecting it to be quite dry, but it was wonderfully written and a compelling read.
Kerry
There’s been a few. Case in point was SPFBO 8. My two favourite books were definitely not my favourite genres: a cozy novel with cupcakes and a fantasy horror, but I loved both. I have read quite a number of SPFBO books (not just FF’s) and I’m amazed at the gems in the competition that unfortunately haven’t made the finals.
Agatha
I can’t think of any… Usually the opposite happens, I pick up a book and expect to love it and then… then I pile into a ball and rant to an unsuspecting friend about how I have been personally victimised by that book! My heart y’all!
Yaniv
Actually yes, and I hope more surprises are coming!
For example, a few months ago I read a middle grade fantasy book called A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher and thought it was absolutely wonderful and very underrated.
A fourteen-year-old girl who’s only good at baking and has to protect her city against invasion and betrayal? Said girl being super sassy and ganging up with a street kid and assassin cookies against the baddies? Bring it on and don’t forget the glaze!
Becca
Yes! The first book I read by Todd Fahnestock, Khyven the Unkillable, did this for me. I was just giving the fantasy genre another chance after a lot of years away and that story gave me EVERYTHING my geeky, fantasy-loving heart had been craving for years. Deep characters. A fast pace. Clever magic. It’s still one of my favorite books!
Blake
I haven’t read anything recently that has happened with, but I look forward to it
Adawia
Authors will never cease to amaze and surprise me—you guys are a clever lot!
I generally choose books I feel I’m going to enjoy—very occasionally the opposite happens, but more often I’m surprised by just how much I love a book.
Max
A Song for the Void by Andrew C. Piazza, as I don’t usually like historical novels much. Junkie. by William S. Burroughs. It’s so much more grounded and human than what he normally writes. I can’t think of anything else off the top of my head.
Jennie
All books surprise me, every time. I try to go in knowing almost nothing except the general subgenre, the blurb, and maybe what the cover looks like. That’s why I love slush reading so much. It’s like digging for buried treasure. Sometimes you find normal rocks. Sometimes you find cool rocks. But sometimes you find fossils and crystals and gemstones and ancient artifacts! And once you’ve found something unique you can then share it with everyone so they can see how awesome it is too!
What’s your favorite pastime when you’re not reading?
Julia
I do a lot of crafting, switching between different things like a butterfly though, so I’m not especially great at any of them. I will knit like a maniac for some weeks, then I’ll see, or switch to crocheting or fletching arrows or whatever strikes my fancy next.
Those arrows I’ve made I also like to shoot. Ideally hunting for foam animals in an archery range, though I miss as many shots as I manage to hit, it’s great fun.
Another thing I love to hate is running. And all of these hobbies are usually compatible with audiobooks as well, if I don’t have company, so I can devour even more fantasy!
G R Matthews
Writing! I write fantasy books mostly and sci-fi, though I’ve started a murder mystery and almost finished a RomCom (don’t ask, but it is fun). I also DM Dungeons & Dragons, a Lord of the Rings RPG, and a Numenera campaign. I’ve got a dog and a family (the former is easier than the latter). A bit of guitar playing here and there, and some game playing on my PC or Xbox. Elden Ring (for the second time) at the moment… grrrrr!
If you’re at BristolCon (UK) this year, stop by and say hello—I’ll be socially awkward but power through that and you’ll find I’m not too bad. I am also Guest of Honour at the convention, so I’ll be representing myself and Fantasy-Faction!
Kerry
In my spare time I’ll usually be somewhere reading. I love spending time with my daughter whenever I can, we are slowly discovering little eateries around our city. I also have a terrible habit of starting activities or crafts and never finishing them.
Agatha
As of late, I have been crocheting a concerning amount of amigurumis (crocheted stuffed animals). And by concerning I mean I am running out of people to gift them to who would want them. But besides that, I also enjoy embroidering and knitting. I also like watching movies, anime, and reading manga. Talk to me about travel, languages and cultures and you will never shut me up! I have been all over the globe, with plans to traverse it even more.
Yaniv
I try my best to do some weightlifting and such twice a week, plus love to discover new recipes, movies, and geeks.
Outdoors in the green is a plus when it happens.
Becca
Writing! I’m working on my own epic fantasy book right now, along with a middle grade dragon series.
I also love to run, crochet, play boardgames, pet dogs, and have a movie night with the whole family cuddled up on the couch.
Blake
I mostly play video games in my spare time, which isn’t a lot with a wife and two jobs. I also do research in marine biology and psychology because those are my passions. Slowly working on my degree in psychology, I haven’t picked a field because most everything interests me, but hopefully something will catch my eye.
Adawia
Umm, I have kids!
Max
Roleplaying games over the internet, like D&D and Pathfinder. Video games (again, the lighter fare, like Zelda titles), and geeky movies. To once again be a contradiction, horror movies as well. It’s okay to have a sad or violent ending if it’s 90 minutes and I expect it from the start.
Jennie
In my free time… hmm… I agree with Adawia, I have kids. XD
But when I am not bussing them around or trying to tame the chaos in my house, I love arts and crafts (sewing, sculpting, drawing), baking, science, history, genealogy, gardening (even though plants don’t like me), movies (fantasy, sci-fi, adventure, animation), listening to music (all of it), PC games (hidden object puzzles, point and click adventures, and Minecraft), streaming said games, making lists, Pinterest boards, and spreadsheets for all of the above, and flitting between all these things like a hummingbird on speed.
I also have an on/off relationship with a book series I’ve been writing as long as I’ve been working for FF. More on than off lately though which is good. 😀
And of course, I have Fantasy-Faction. Not sure if working on that counts as free time, but I love it just the same. 🙂
– – –
And that’s our team! We can’t wait to crack into all the books we’ve been given and see what amazing stories we can find.
Well… That’s a lie.
We already started. XD
Happy Reading!
Title image by Zheka Kapusta.
Geoff Matthews
A. M. Justice
Kellie Doherty