Xenolith: Contemporary Fantasy

[ASparrow]

Originally Posted by mores

What a read. Finished it 2 nights ago and I wish it hadn't ended. It was like checking in on good friends ... always something going on, loveable characters and a world that's fun to read about. I will definately get the sequel.
Great writing, awesome story.

I just have a question about the end ... it might make me look stupid and show that I didn't understand the story at all, so I'll ask you in private

I also contacted smashwords on how to re-buy a book when I already "bought" it for free.

Thanks for the nice review. The coupon code is still active so you should be able to use XY39L to download it again.

The story continues, by the way. I'm putting the final polish on the sequel chapters one by one and posting them on Wattpad. Once they're all up I'm going to take them down and have them copy-edited.

[Xenophon]

ASparrow:

Read Xenolith. Enjoyed it. It's definitely rough around the edges, but there's a nice core there.

Do you have an agent? Have you tried to get one? Have you tried submitting the book anywhere? Xenolith (and sequels) might be a good fit at Baen. Unlike most publishers, they accept non-agented submissions—and even publish some of them! The lag-time on the slush-pile is measured in years, though, so getting an agent would be a better choice.

Based on my prior volunteer slush-pile diving at Baen, Xenolith clearly falls in the top 1% of the slush-pile, quality-wise. Books need to hit the top 0.5% to get editorial attention, and the top 0.1% (or so) to get published; I am not competent to judge those finer distinctions.

Xenophon

[mores]

Originally Posted by ASparrow

The coupon code is still active so you should be able to use XY39L to download it again.

Err, I want to PAY for the book, not get it for free a second time

[ASparrow]

Originally Posted by mores

Err, I want to PAY for the book, not get it for free a second time

Oh, I'm sorry sir but payment is not allowed! That might cause Smashwords to cut me a check, and then there will be hell to pay.

[ASparrow]

Originally Posted by Xenophon

ASparrow:

Read Xenolith. Enjoyed it. It's definitely rough around the edges, but there's a nice core there.

Do you have an agent? Have you tried to get one? Have you tried submitting the book anywhere? Xenolith (and sequels) might be a good fit at Baen. Unlike most publishers, they accept non-agented submissions—and even publish some of them! The lag-time on the slush-pile is measured in years, though, so getting an agent would be a better choice.

Based on my prior volunteer slush-pile diving at Baen, Xenolith clearly falls in the top 1% of the slush-pile, quality-wise. Books need to hit the top 0.5% to get editorial attention, and the top 0.1% (or so) to get published; I am not competent to judge those finer distinctions.

Xenophon

Thanks so much for your expert opinion. Submitting to Baen is certainly an interesting idea, but I seem to be afflicted with agentophobia.

The thing about Xenolith is that I never considered it to be commerically viable. It's not pure. It crosses genres. It's clunky in parts and has a weird structure. The two plot lines inform the reader about each other and they touch indirectly at odd little tangents, but they never meet. I'm sure that's been done before, but I doubt very often, and for good reason.

The thing about this book, is that I consider it more of an exercise than a fully-formed novel, so I haven't bothered to query any agents. (So of course, what do I do? I go and write a sequel).

I am also in a phase of incredible productivity right now with my writing that I don't want to spoil by taking time out to push Xenolith. I have two novels that I will finish revising and release this year, another one half completed on my back burner and two more being sketched out. Number four is the one that I am most excited about.

[ASparrow]

13 Chapters of Peregrin have now been rounded to penultimate form and are available to the curious on Wattpad.com for free. I have to warn you ... its time-line is a bit strange, but should not be too disconcerting to those familiar with the first 3 chapters of Xenolith (stepping back in time, then catching up and moving forward).

There's 50-odd (and I mean odd) chapters of another book on Wattpad as well that I'm too squeamish to promote. This novel (Lethe) scares the crap out of me. Not that its all that dark or gory ... just ... I don't know. See for yourself, if you dare.

There are some new reviews of Xenolith up on Smashwords making a total of 16, all unsolicited.

And, Xenolith is now available directly to Kindle on Amazon.com and as a "dead-tree book" also through Amazon. But I suggest that folks still get it through Smashwords, because that's where it's still free.

My goal?

To recruit more folks interested in reading the sequel, Peregrin, and then ...

Literary Domination! (as soon as I lern how to rite gud).

[dreams]

Originally Posted by ASparrow

My goal?

To recruit more folks interested in reading the sequel, Peregrin, and then ...

Literary Domination! (as soon as I lern how to rite gud).

[ASparrow]

Call me twisted, but I think it's funny that I've gotten only one sale through Amazon since I posted XENOLITH on the Kindle site two weeks ago. I almost don't want to spoil the purity of that lone sale by adding tags or promoting it in any fora. I stuck XENOLITH on Amazon mainly to have a complete set of distribution outlets and as a convenience to those who only do wireless downloads direct to their Kindles.

Please don't be tempted to buy it if you have the means to get it through Smashwords for free.

Here are some excerpts from the reviews. I'll do the bad ones first in the interest of anti-promotion (to reduce your temptation to buy it):

BAD XENOLITH:

"While I liked how it started, it soon became a bit much with other worlds, vocab and wars every where. I think it is ment for a teen age boy."

"I do have some favorite fantasy books. But this won't won't be one of them."

"...very difficult to follow. All of the names of people and places were strange and not gender specific so were difficult to remember."

"...it didn't have a lot of emotion."

"...somewhat disappointed when the book ended suddenly."

"it may fall short of satisfying long-term SF&F fans."

GOOD XENOLITH:

You can read the good ones on Smashwords.

[SneakySnake]

Thanks ASparrow. I just finished your book Xenolith, and I like your style. I did get little lost with place names, but I enjoyed it immensely. I will have to go to Smashwords and write good stuff about it there.

Have you lurned to rite gud yet? I am waiting for the sequel.
Cheers

[ASparrow]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

Thanks ASparrow. I just finished your book Xenolith, and I like your style. I did get little lost with place names, but I enjoyed it immensely. I will have to go to Smashwords and write good stuff about it there.

Have you lurned to rite gud yet? I am waiting for the sequel.
Cheers

Thanx. I shure rite beter then I yused too.



The sequel is coming along. I have 15 chapters revised to a level of polish that meets my standards of quality (which means there's a sheen with a bit of grit). 30 more to go, though Chapter 16 is giving me fits. I'll be seeking Beta readers here once it's finished.

By the way, there's no more need to use the free coupon code for XENOLITH. I just changed the pricing at Smashwords to "name your own price" and I am by no means offended by anyone who acquires it for free. (Though, interestingly, monetary sales have picked up since I did this). My main goal right now is to acquire more readers who are interested in knowing what happens in the sequel, as this keeps a fire lit under my butt.

Though, there's no danger of it flickering out. I go to bed dreaming of these characters. I can't wait to turn them loose in book two.

[ASparrow]

Xenolith Place Names for the Uninitiated:


Our Earth:

Rio Frio: A remote village in Western Belize

Greymore: A mill town in Southern Connecticut, USA

Ur: How people from Sesei refer to our Earth.

Their Earth:

Ubabaor: The capital of Sesei, a country under siege, home of the keepers of the xenoliths

Piliar: An island province of Sesei, home to the Academy that once controlled all xenoliths. Piliar harbors a large community of exiles from Ur.

Suul: A captured province of Suul now under the complete control of the invaders from Venen

Venen: Home of the the invaders of Sesei. (Across the Ocean). A fundamentalist, militaristic theocracy.

Gi: A culturally distinct civilization on the frontiers of Venen, under colonization. Home to a smattering of exiles from Ur and a rebel insurgency. Site of a stalled counteroffensive by troops from Sesei who have infiltrated with the aid of xenoliths.

Xenolith: Pieces of two parallel worlds, entangled in each others' matter such that passages open between them with the regularity of tides.

[ASparrow]

The dead tree version of XENOLITH on Amazon is $16.25 and contains a typo that I have just discovered.

You can get a Kindle version with that same typo for $1.99.

Or ... you can get a version with that type removed in any ebook format from Smashwords for free. Which shall it be?

If you don't usually read fantasy, you might like Xenolith. I'd say its more of an adventure than a fantasy.

[dreams]

Originally Posted by ASparrow

The dead tree version of XENOLITH on Amazon is $16.25 and contains a typo that I have just discovered.

You can get a Kindle version with that same typo for $1.99.

Or ... you can get a version with that type removed in any ebook format from Smashwords for free. Which shall it be?

If you don't usually read fantasy, you might like Xenolith. I'd say its more of an adventure than a fantasy.

Making a decision is hard with so many options.

I'm glad to say that I downloaded and read my copy from smashwords and was carried away by the story. I loved your book and can't wait to find out what happens in the sequel.

[alvico]

Originally Posted by ASparrow

The dead tree version of XENOLITH on Amazon is $16.25 and contains a typo that I have just discovered.

You can get a Kindle version with that same typo for $1.99.

Or ... you can get a version with that type removed in any ebook format from Smashwords for free. Which shall it be?

If you don't usually read fantasy, you might like Xenolith. I'd say its more of an adventure than a fantasy.

I don't normally read fantasy, but I throughly enjoyed Xenolith. IMHO definitely more adventure than fantasy.

[ASparrow]

Originally Posted by alvico

I don't normally read fantasy, but I throughly enjoyed Xenolith. IMHO definitely more adventure than fantasy.

It's funny, I had the same thing happen to me when I read Thin Blood. It proves that it's worthwhile for a reader to venture beyond the genre one thinks they like. Good writing overcomes preconceptions.