Know any Good Self-pub Books?

Rizla · 11-17-2015, 03:53 PM

Can you recommend any good self-pub books?

It's fine if they were later picked up by a publishing-house, but they had to start self-published. Obviously The Martian is one. Apart from that, are they all the spew of the "Volcano of ****"?

Dazrin · 11-17-2015, 04:27 PM

From your other thread to answer the question of what you like when it inevitably gets asked:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rizla

Science-fiction, Fantasy, adult or YA. War and spy books. I'll read anything if it grabs me.

As I mentioned in the other thread, the Wool/Silo Series by Hugh Howey is one of my favorites.

Others I have enjoyed are the Chronicles of St. Mary's series by Jodi Taylor (time travel adventure); The James Potter Series by G. Normal Lippert (Harry Potter fanfic); Russell Blake's Jet series or Barry Eisler's John Rain series (assassin thrillers); G. Wells Taylor's Variant Effect series (zombie horror); S.M. Reine's Descent series (YA urban fantasy).

artifact · 11-17-2015, 04:30 PM

Fantasy: Lindsay Buroker's Emperor's Edge series. Goodreads.

Urban Fantasy/Werewolf: Nicky Charles' Law of the Lycans. Goodreads. Originally free.

Scifi/Romance/Erotica: R. Lee Smith. The Last Hour of Gann. Branded as Erotica but romance novels have more sex per page in them. Warning: has some pretty dark stuff in it. She just published The Land of the Beautiful Dead on Amazon (which I have not read.)

Rizla · 11-17-2015, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazrin

From your other thread to answer the question of what you like when it inevitably gets asked:

I'm not looking for books in a specific genre. Just self-pub fiction that is good.

So far, I have found that self-pub contains one of the two following faults:

1) Poorly written,
and/or
2) Unoriginal (Wot! More zombies / Star Trek Clone / Insert cliche here? etc)

In fact, the technically well-written works contained no originality.

But I'll endeavor to have an open mind and check the preview of any works mentioned here.

AnemicOak · 11-17-2015, 04:44 PM

I haven't read them, but the The Riyria Revelations books by Michael J Sullivan are pretty popular. It's another series that was originally self-pubbed (2008-2012) and eventually picked up by a trad pub (Orbit).

Cinisajoy · 11-17-2015, 05:44 PM

Dazrin,
That is Russell Blake not Blake Russell.
He has several series. For Rizla, I would recommend the Assassin series.
If you like legal stuff, try John Ellsworth.
J.V. Roberts is pretty good too.

Another tip, if you like Konrath/Kilborn, take a look at his kindle world authors. That applies to Russell's world too.

Dazrin · 11-17-2015, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Dazrin,
That is Russell Blake not Blake Russell.

Thanks! Fixed that. I always have problems when authors have 2 names that can be first or last names.

jgaiser · 11-17-2015, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I haven't read them, but the The Riyria Revelations books by Michael J Sullivan are pretty popular. It's another series that was originally self-pubbed (2008-2012) and eventually picked up by a trad pub (Orbit).

The Riyria Revelations are definitely good. He's another though that's been picked up by a publisher.

jgaiser · 11-17-2015, 07:11 PM

And then there's Mark Lawrence's self-pub blog-off. I've read 3 1/2 of the finalists. They are all pretty good. I really enjoyed The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids and Priest.

Cinisajoy · 11-17-2015, 07:41 PM

Thanks for the recommendation on the Thief. I have the book but I haven't read it yet.

mitford13 · 11-17-2015, 07:51 PM

Anya Lipska's crime fiction titles, set in the Polish community in London, are excellent, IMO. She's still self-pub in the US, but I think now has a UK publisher and definitely a German trad publisher.
Where the Devil Can't Go is the first of three (so far.)

dickloraine · 11-17-2015, 08:06 PM

One that is now traditional published: Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. It is one of the best fantasy books of the last years. The other two books in the series (when hew was trad pubed) are sadly not that good (I don't think they are that bad, but Blood Song was so much better). Blood Song can be read as a stand alone at least kind of. I would recommend doing so, if you like fantasy.

The above is a book that can be compared to the very best in trad pub. I would bet, there are many indie books at least as good as for example all these DnD books, Star Wars etc.

darryl · 11-17-2015, 08:57 PM

No. There is not a single self-published book that is worth reading. Anything worthwhile has been picked up by the BPH, with other traditional publishers getting the dregs. Then, finally, the dregs of the dregs that can't get a "real" publisher make their way to Amazon's glorified vanity press. After all, how can Amazon compete with the generous terms and conditions offered by the BPH? They care so much for authors that they are practically charities! Yes, they charge higher prices, but I'm sure it all goes to the authors!

And honestly, what was Amazon thinking? Making publishing and distributing a book so easy and cheap that now everyone can do it, and virtually everyone does? Surely they must have realised that eliminating the benevolent but firm stewardship of the BPH would be catastrophic for culture!

No. Nothing worthwhile here. I recommend that you stick to the BPH and leave the Indie and self-published stuff to the unwashed masses who don't know any better and couldn't afford it if they did.

DiapDealer · 11-17-2015, 09:28 PM

Becky Chambers' The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Successful Kickstarter campaign before being picked up by Hodder).

Rizla · 11-17-2015, 10:26 PM

Judging purely by the recommendations in this thread, it appears that most good self-pub gets picked up by traditional publishing eventually.

11-17-2015, 03:53 PM	#1
Rizla Member Retired Posts: 3,183 Karma: 11721895 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Nook STR (rooted) & Sony T2	Know any Good Self-pub Books? Can you recommend any good self-pub books? It's fine if they were later picked up by a publishing-house, but they had to start self-published. Obviously The Martian is one. Apart from that, are they all the spew of the "Volcano of ****"?

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11-17-2015, 04:30 PM	#3
artifact Addict Posts: 276 Karma: 3569616 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: jetBook (RIP), Kobo Touch	Fantasy: Lindsay Buroker's Emperor's Edge series. Goodreads. Urban Fantasy/Werewolf: Nicky Charles' Law of the Lycans. Goodreads. Originally free. Scifi/Romance/Erotica: R. Lee Smith. *The Last Hour of Gann. Branded as Erotica but romance novels have more sex per page in them. Warning: has some pretty dark stuff in it. She just published The Land of the Beautiful Dead* on Amazon (which I have not read.)

11-17-2015, 04:44 PM	#5
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	I haven't read them, but the The Riyria Revelations books by Michael J Sullivan are pretty popular. It's another series that was originally self-pubbed (2008-2012) and eventually picked up by a trad pub (Orbit).

11-17-2015, 05:44 PM	#6
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	Dazrin, That is Russell Blake not Blake Russell. He has several series. For Rizla, I would recommend the Assassin series. If you like legal stuff, try John Ellsworth. J.V. Roberts is pretty good too. Another tip, if you like Konrath/Kilborn, take a look at his kindle world authors. That applies to Russell's world too.

11-17-2015, 07:11 PM	#9
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,283 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	And then there's Mark Lawrence's self-pub blog-off. I've read 3 1/2 of the finalists. They are all pretty good. I really enjoyed The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids and Priest.

11-17-2015, 07:41 PM	#10
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	Thanks for the recommendation on the Thief. I have the book but I haven't read it yet.

11-17-2015, 07:51 PM	#11
mitford13 Guru Posts: 685 Karma: 6495650 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Arlington, VA Device: iPad Air2, Fire HD10, Paperwhite, Kobo App	Anya Lipska's crime fiction titles, set in the Polish community in London, are excellent, IMO. She's still self-pub in the US, but I think now has a UK publisher and definitely a German trad publisher. Where the Devil Can't Go is the first of three (so far.)

11-17-2015, 08:06 PM	#12
dickloraine Guru Posts: 631 Karma: 7544528 Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Berlin Device: PRS 350, Kobo Aura	One that is now traditional published: Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. It is one of the best fantasy books of the last years. The other two books in the series (when hew was trad pubed) are sadly not that good (I don't think they are that bad, but Blood Song was so much better). Blood Song can be read as a stand alone at least kind of. I would recommend doing so, if you like fantasy. The above is a book that can be compared to the very best in trad pub. I would bet, there are many indie books at least as good as for example all these DnD books, Star Wars etc.

11-17-2015, 08:57 PM	#13
darryl Wizard Posts: 3,108 Karma: 60231510 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura H2O, Kindle Oasis, Huwei Ascend Mate 7	No. There is not a single self-published book that is worth reading. Anything worthwhile has been picked up by the BPH, with other traditional publishers getting the dregs. Then, finally, the dregs of the dregs that can't get a "real" publisher make their way to Amazon's glorified vanity press. After all, how can Amazon compete with the generous terms and conditions offered by the BPH? They care so much for authors that they are practically charities! Yes, they charge higher prices, but I'm sure it all goes to the authors! And honestly, what was Amazon thinking? Making publishing and distributing a book so easy and cheap that now everyone can do it, and virtually everyone does? Surely they must have realised that eliminating the benevolent but firm stewardship of the BPH would be catastrophic for culture! No. Nothing worthwhile here. I recommend that you stick to the BPH and leave the Indie and self-published stuff to the unwashed masses who don't know any better and couldn't afford it if they did.

11-17-2015, 09:28 PM	#14
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,569 Karma: 204127028 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Becky Chambers' The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Successful Kickstarter campaign before being picked up by Hodder).

11-17-2015, 10:26 PM	#15
Rizla Member Retired Posts: 3,183 Karma: 11721895 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Nook STR (rooted) & Sony T2	Judging purely by the recommendations in this thread, it appears that most good self-pub gets picked up by traditional publishing eventually.