So, a few years ago I read a book called Servant of a Dark God by John D. Brown. I picked it up after it got a good review from Brandon Sanderson, enjoyed it a great deal and looked forward to the sequel… That was in 2010 and after I’d not heard any word about a release date for number 2 for at least a year, I ended up assuming that the author was having a spat of writers block and going down the G.R.R. Martin route of taking his time (it was a complex epic fantasy novel after all).
Well, anyway, yesterday I decided to check again – as I have periodically every 3 months or so – and still couldn’t find a listing of the sequel on Amazon or on Goodreads. Because John D. Brown was a debut author, I began wondering whether Tor killed the project due to low sales or something. Interestingly though, after deciding to look through the many reviews of the first book on Goodreads, I found a reviewer expressing the same concerns that I had -book 2 was nowhere to be seen! – and picked up on a reply to her from John. Apparently John had ‘split with Tor Books’ and, as a result, the sequel, CURSE (The Dark God Book 2), ‘is right around the corner.’ John also linked to the following blog post (which I’ve shortened), which answers a number of questions and raises a few more:
A little over nine months ago I initiated a contract termination with my publisher Tor Books. A few days ago Tor reverted the rights. This means I have all the rights to all the books in the series, [The Dark God], back.
But why would I initiate such a thing? Tor’s like THE publisher of science fiction and fantasy.
There are a couple of factors, but I think the biggest issue is that we had differences in our vision for the story. This meant there were things I didn’t like about where the project was going and how it was progressing. It also meant there were things Tor didn’t like about the project and how it was progressing. This translated into some big delays.
We could have hung together–Tor never raised the idea of termination. But I saw no benefit in limping along. If things aren’t working, I tend to want them fixed. So after I raised the issue, all involved agreed that a termination of the agreement would be the best option.
…
Most importantly, the good news is that for those of you who have been waiting, I can now move forward! The series will be published by Blacksword Books, my own imprint. We’ll start with e-book and trade paperback formats. Both will be available online from Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other retailers. Once that’s rolling, we’ll look to see if audio is feasible.
I’m very excited about CURSE. My agent loved it. I loved it. My early readers have loved it. I think all of you who enjoyed SERVANT will enjoy this just as much if not more.
…
I love this book. I can’t wait to get it into your hands.
But there’s a lot to do to get it out the door.
I need to make some edits to SERVANT. There are a number of maddening typos that crept into the manuscript. I’ll also be changing the sequence of the first eight chapters back to my original sequence, starting with Sugar and Legs and then moving to Talen. I know some readers like the sequence my Tor editors requested that starts the book with Talen sitting around in his under pants, but I structured it for him to follow Sugar for specific reasons, and starting with Talen undermines a number of those things.
Finally, because I don’t have a word limit, I’m going to be adding some clarity to the ending that wasn’t in the Tor version. I also need to make some revisions to the last draft of CURSE, which has been done for almost two years, and then put it through a rigorous copy edit. And then there’s cover design, interior formatting for the print versions, and the publishing part.
In addition, I saw that John recently made a post (here) where he discussed his belief that he can make more money self publishing future books under his own label rather than ‘taking [them] to New York’. He also states that he feels the advance he gets is not worth the loss of control should he go with a big name publisher. In his own words: ‘There’s no guarantee of success either way [Indie or New York]. But the indie numbers look good to me. We’ll see how it goes’.
Of course, I’m excited to hear that I will finally be able to read the sequel to quite excited to finally read the sequel to Servant of a Dark God. But I’m also intrigued as to the problems the book had between publisher and author. This isn’t because I’m nosey or hoping there is a really malicious story involved, but because it speaks volumes of the changing dynamic between publishers, authors and readers. Just a few years ago Self Publishing wouldn’t have been a feasible option for any author to make a living. Now, an author who already has a deal on the table is confident enough to back out of their contract and pursue the series on their own.
Equally interesting is that the author is going to go back to book one and ‘add’ words to the original book that was published in order to bring the book more inline with his original intentions for book 2. I will always have my concerns over self publishing, a good editor is worth their weight in gold and I think that a writer trying to get by without one is always going to struggle. That said, should an editor be able to put pressure on an author to the extent that they feel they need to change the direction of their story to get it published? I’m not sure… perhaps… I mean they’ve been there and done it, right?
Again though, my reasoning of posting this up was because I wanted to draw attention to this situation – not to make judgements – because I find the whole dynamic fascinating and I’m sure you will too. Please do leave a comment if you’ve any thoughts…
Geoff Matthews
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
I should once again reiterate that both Tor Books and John Brown were happy with the outcome and that Fantasy-Faction are certainly not trying to put this across as an author ‘sticking it to the man’ or anything like that. Rather, John tried to publish his series with Tor, it wasn’t working and so the two discussed options together. They worked out that allowing John to pursue Self Publishing was an agreeable solution to their stalemate. It just fascinates me that 5 years ago this wouldn’t have been possible and I wonder what the author would have done then.
I wondered if this series was stillborn or orphaned or what.
surely he can hire an editor without being with a publisher?
The main purpose/advantage of publishers has been their ability to get the authors books into bookshops, but with the rise of ebooks they aren’t really needed for that anymore. I think that publishers are going to have to make a lot of changes to their business models in the coming years if they want to survive. If you self publish you loose out on an advance, a big advertising campaign (if they think your worth it) but you would only get around 10-15% royalties, but go alone it will cost you more to start out but you can up to 70% royalties. It is certainly understandable why more authors are choosing to self publish.
Now I’ve closed my mouth and recovered from amazement, I’ll try and comment sensibly. It’s true John Brown will make more money if he self-publishes, but I get the impression he is more after creative freedom than pennies. This is the enormous benefit of the SP route. But with freedom comes responsibility and in this case it’s to the readers.
Serious self-publishers wouldn’t dream of taking a book to market without a rigorous editorial process. Note the word ‘serious’. My SP books go through a developmental editor, my critique partner, beta readers and a SfEP copy editor. My last one was endorsed by Simon Scarrow, the multiple-published historical fiction writer. And a professionally designed cover and overall book design are essential. The savvy, career self-publishers, and not just the high-earning top slice, are making a good living and controlling their fates.
It’s not a route for everyone and yes, there is still a lot of dross, but there are an increasing number of damn’ fine books out there for the readers.
I think the key difference in self-publishing is where the power lies. If you self-publish, you can (and should, if remotely feasible) hire an editor, who works for you. Publishing through a house, you effectively work for them, and their editor has final say (usually).
There are exceptions. When I worked in publishing, we got the backlist of a well-known and popular writer who sold it to us on condition that we didn’t edit except for typos, but he had the negotiating heft to make that condition.
You have to wonder whether an editor you hire will back down easier than an editor you work for though. This is good for the author, but is it good for the reader? Editors at the big houses are obviously hired for a real: they know their stuff. Authors are notorious for writing too much and hating making cuts to their work. Should they really be refusing advice from people who do it on a daily basis? People have turned manuscripts into New York Times bestsellers?
I’m not saying yes or no, I’m just asking the question 😉
Few authors actually make much money. We are not all J K Rowling or Stephen King. I am a ‘hybrid author’ mainstream & indie published. (I’ve recently been called the Queen of Hybrid in my historical fiction genre, which is a lovely accolade!) I gain some nice pocket-money from my books to help pay the bills, but it wouldn’t be enough to live on as an only income. I prefer my indie books, though, because I am in control of them – the errors are my errors which I can put right if I choose, the errors in my mainstream books have to stay there because the publishing houses I am with are not prepared to reprint. (I’ve even offered to pay for the cost in one case – the offer was turned down) The drawback to being indie is the difficulty of getting books into stores; this is because mainstream can print and distribute in large quantitty, therefore keeping the cost down so stores can make their profit (which of course they have to do!) Indie writers cannot compete with this – but to be honest here, I sell more of my mainstream books on line than I do in stores so (sadly) the stores are not always necessary.
The _essential_ thing if going D.I.Y. on a professional basis is you _must_ use a professional editor (sorry Mike above there’s no arbitration here!) the cover should also be professional and so should the overall production. If you want readers to take you seriously as an author then produce your books seriously. (Of course if you are only expecting to produce a few copies for family and friends and are doing it for fun then this is not essential – go ahead and have fun!) I am also the Managing Editor for the Historical Novel Society Indie Reviews, and I am shocked at the number of books sent to me for review that are instant rejects because the text is set left-justified, the font is often too small and crammed in (and occasionally in Comic Sans) or the paragraph line breaks are double-spaced, with widows and orphans at the end of chapters…. all things that make the overall appearance look cheap and shabby. If you are going self publish/indie and want to be taken seriously as an author, do it properly.
Having said all that – I’ve come across some really badly produced mainstream books!
Good for John Brown – what’s that famous song? ‘I did it my way’ …. my way can be so very rewarding! Good luck mate!
Rather than suggest the author won’t have an editor – I am sure he will – the point I meant to make was that there is a number of interesting dynamics at play in this story:
At what point should an editor back off vs should an author back down and relent to the editors advice?
Now that authors can self publish, has the above point moved?
Does the bar move depending on your name, worth, experience and/or sales figures?
Does self publishing now offer authors a way out of a contract even after signing a deal?
Again, I find it all fascinating.
I’m not an author, but frequent blogs like this. My understanding of the dynamic between an independent (self published) author and a hired editor is the author is free to reject any and all suggestions the editor has, or accept all, or anywhere in between.
Does that mean the author should reject all or even a large portion of the editor’s suggestions? I don’t think so, but it’s their money they’re throwing away if they want to. They’re an independent author and can do what they want. Doesn’t mean they should.
JEH
Very good points 🙂
If the author does reject most or all of a paid editor’s suggestions, my advice would be for said author to find an editor they like who can provide input they’ll accept. I’d think that could be done via either freebie or low-cost markup in short samples of the author’s work.
From what I’ve seen it’s the authors who really aren’t ready yet for publication who refuse to consider what an editor thinks will improve their story. Probably not totally true but applies at least somewhat?
Just my 2 pennies’ worth.
JEH
I’ve been on several sides of this: as an editor working for a publisher, as a freelance editor working directly for authors, and as a self-pub author dealing directly with an editor.
As an editor, it’s extremely frustrating to see an author fight your suggestions. That actually happens less with self-pubbing authors than with authors publishing through a house (in my experience, anyway). I have seen indie authors completely ignore my advice, however, and that’s something that doesn’t happen in the traditional environment.
That said, I think there’s a misconception about the power an editor really has at any level. Editors don’t make bestsellers. We find them, if we’re very lucky, and we help make them better. At our best, we equip writers with the tools to make their own books better. When a book sings, it’s because the author knows what they’re doing, not because they worked with a great editor.
I always tell people that, when looking for an editor, they’re looking for someone who a.) understands what they’re trying to do, b.) thinks it’s awesome, and c.) can help them do it better. The great thing about the traditional publishing process is that if you get published, you’ve already found that person. But if that’s not the relationship you have with your editor (i.e. they either don’t understand what you’re trying to do or don’t think it’s awesome), it really is better off for everyone involved to walk away.
One of the reasons I went the self-publishing route was because I was getting told that I couldn’t introduce anyone other than my hero first. As it was, my villain is the first person you meet and helps provide a background on the central conflict. While I missed out on all the resources a publisher could provide, I gained creative freedom to tell the story the way I wanted to tell it. While I haven’t been able to quit my day job, the response from my readers have been overly positive.
Self-publishing is a crapshoot, but if you want to tell a story the way you originally wanted it to be, its becoming the best route to take.
“Servant of a Dark God” is a book that my roommate keeps recommending to me, because she loved it so much. It’s definitely on my To Read List. I suspect that I’ll probably end up reading it once I find out the second book of the series is released, so that if I enjoy it as much as she thinks I will, I can move right along to book 2 without having to wait. :p
I do the same these days – didn’t used to though (as this story proves!) 😛