Kal Spriggs

SF & Fantasy Author, US Military Vet, Gamer, Husband, & Father

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@RDanaReid1 Did that, have done that with all my series, my Epic Fantasy simply doesnt sell as much as it isnt "done"

I dont have that issue with Sci-fi, just Fantasy novels.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

Many Fantasy readers will not start a series until all the books are completed. GRRM's failure to finish caused many to quit the genre.

Problem is, authors won't write a complete series if the first books don't sell. Tradpub says Fantasy is dead.

What do we do about it?

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@jamiekwil Writers also need to eat, pay for internet so they can upload their books, and etc. I love my epic Fantasy series, otherwise it wouldn't be 4 books along, but the sales have been 10% of my other stuff. The consistent comment I get is "I dont read series until they are done."

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@bad_pseudonym I mean, that's jumping genre, and a whole different can of worms. I think KJA has done a pretty good job going off FHs notes to maintain continuity, but they did make a lot of books.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@AngusMcgeorge @monsterhunter45 I've read all of them, fantastic series.

I've written 4 books of my own fantasy series as well, with more in progress.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@IamJustNneka I mean, I am partial to Eoriel Saga starting with Echo of the High Kings, since I wrote it, lol. https://t.co/ifd519SfzA

Larry Correia's Son of the Black Sword series is fantastic.

Tim Akers has a great series with Wraithbound as well.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@Ramon_Capra Um, ain't no publisher responsible for George failing to put words on page. He might have made Epic Fantasy more mainstream, but the popularity was brought by good writers like Terry Brooks well before Martin.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@Diacritic Amateur troll level. Is that the best you have? "Hur hur, you just suck" I've published 47 novels, forty of then have been Amazon bestsellers. 4.7 million words. You come on back when you have a pot to piss in.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@AmericanPraeto2 @monsterhunter45 Yeah, I have published 47 novels since Georgy boy choked. 4.7 million words. I never even liked his stuff, but the pretentious bastard couldn't be bothered to even hire a ghost writer at this point? I think he likes the damage he has done.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@athreya49 See, the thing is, the backlist is what gets many authors their income, where having multiple books in a series that keeps drawing fans pays the bills. Series of 2-3 books don't generate the sales bumps needed to sustain a successful series and fan base for newer authors.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@Diacritic I love when 1/2 the responses are authors and readers saying they agree entirely and then some rando like you buffalos in to gaslight everyone and say its fine, we all just are shitty writers. Fuck right off. How many books have you written and published? How many bestsellers?

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

This has legitimately become a growing problem with the control of the market that Amazon has, especially with their own imprints which all get premier placement.

Amazon ads are now extremely necessary in a pay-to-play system where many indie authors get squeezed out.

[Brad R. Torgersen @BradRTorgersen]

There is almost no vendor ranking of any commercial entertainment product which is not now pay-to-place. Amazon does this with authors, and has for a few years. Makes perfect business sense for the vendor, but it puts the creative professional at a distinct disadvantage because you just end up plowing more of your net back into your overhead. I personally know people who spend tens of thousands of dollars for placement buys on their books. Yes, they still come out ahead. But it reinforces what I've said about publishing since 2023: trad was a racket, but indie has become just a different kind of racket.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@CUDAHandbook @TYOBoomer Wonderful series, and inspired me to write.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@PollySpin I never even got that far, TBF. The prolonged of the first book turned me off.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@6thGenFloGrown @GherkinSavorus I hope you enjoy!

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@Lkay_398 @nicknetherybro *laughs in military deployments, back issues, and working 3 jobs*

Yeah, sure would be great to be one of those nepo trust fundies

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@elf_2d It happens, especially with writers who are discovery type writers, who don't really know where a story will go until they get there.

And sometimes the books that take off aren't the ones we expect.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@6thGenFloGrown @GherkinSavorus Sure, and he has a steady income and he's established. As an established author, he can pretty much do what he wants. He's in a category all of his own. For all us mere mortal writers, if the first book don't sell, ya gotta prioritize other things.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

Comparing Tolkien to GRRM is like comparing a Michelangelo to deconstructive postmodern "art." Tolkiens works were far better thought out and deeply seated in a rich lore and setting, whereas GRRM copied the War of the Roses with some fantasy trim.

That said, Tolkien had decades to write and work on his magnum opus and, while I love his work, he never finished the Simarillion nor some of his other planned works.

A desire for completion in all things is absurd. There is always more story to tell.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

@LukeLoPresto See, it is an interesting pantser versus plotter discussion point. Most plotter style writers know the ending before they start writing. Martin, Rothfuss, and King are all discovery writers. So was JJ Abrams.

[Kal Spriggs @KalSpriggs]

Enjoying Liberty Con tremendously, it is awesome to see so many people from my convention family that I haven't seen in years.