Hello Everyone!

[SarahJohnson]

I am a new author to Constant Content. I've been writing professionally for several years. I have recently completed a ghost writing contract, and am revising my first fantasy book. This is my first foray into non-fiction writing since college, and I am excited to give it a try.

[HayleyWriter]

Hi Sarah,
Welcome to CC! I hope you find your foray into non-fiction, fascinating, fun and fundraising (he he he!). Good luck. All the writers here are pretty friendly. I'm happy to help new writers too, so if you want to you can contact me under the authors section.

Good luck here

Kind regards,

Hayley

[BarryDavidson]

Welcome aboard Sarah.

I work in a book store, and usually read several fantasy books a week. I hare revisions more than waiting for a publisher to contact me back. I'm still in the middle of my first book, but my wife has over 30 complete manuscripts. (It drives me nuts that she can write a good 100k manuscript in under six weeks, while working full time.)

I have finished a small book of humorous poetry, but I'm sitting on my hands for now. I almost went ahead an self-published right before Amazon decided to stop carrying titles which didn't go through BookSurge.

What's your book about? The list of authors I'll actually read is growing shorter with every passing month.

[SarahJohnson]

Hi Hayley,
Thank you for the warm welcome. I've written four articles this week. None have sold yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. :)

Sarah

[SarahJohnson]

Hi Barry,
Wow! 100k in six weeks while working full time? That's very impressive!

How nice to work in a bookstore. I've often thought that would be a job I could enjoy (especially after ten+ years in office work I definitely didn't enjoy!).

My fantasy book is set in a medieval style world and is a coming of age story about a teenage boy who many believe is the one prophesied to free the land from tyranny. The book follows the young man's journey as he discovers what kind of man he will become through trials of hardship and wisdom.

What are some of your favorite fantasy/sci-fi authors?

Best,
Sarah

[BarryDavidson]

L.E. Modesitt Jr is one of my favorites. His Saga of Recluce series covers enough millenia and characters to keep you interested. David Drake, C.J. Cherryah, Kate Elliott, and Orson Scott Card to name a few others.

I'll read just about anything because I've read the few hundred books in my house more than a few times already. Unfortunately, there aren't enough books out there. Sure, there are millions of them, but most modern scifi and fantasy are too formulaic. (I don't need three pages on what the castle walls look like, nor do I care to read eight pages of some philosophical point they're contemplating which was the same point contemplated in detail in every other chapter.)

And how many times can you read Lestat describing some guy's lips he'd like to kiss for ten pages and maintain sanity?

[SarahJohnson]

I totally agree! I am a fan of the late Robert Jordan's work, but I find he does exactly what you said - describes for endless pages. It's enough to make one throw their hands up in exasperation!

Have you read Scott Westerfeld's Risen Empire or Killing of Worlds? They're quite good. Very good character development, which is something I look for in fiction writing.

[HayleyWriter]

Hi Sarah,
Sometimes it takes a while for articles to sell. I've sold a couple within hours of them being approved for the site, but mostly it takes a few weeks or a couple of months to get the sales. Keep submitting quality articles and build up a portfolio is my advice. The sales will come eventually. Just don't give up. Some of the authors here were telling me some articles have sold a year after first submission. It just depends on the market and what the customers want at the time.

Good luck with it!

Kind regards,

Hayley

[BarryDavidson]

I haven't read Scott Westerfeld that I'm aware of. I'll take a look for books at work tomorrow if we have any in stock.

I'll tell you about an author who disappointed me in the end, and that's Terry Goodkind. The first four books in the Sword of Truth series were great. After that, either he was getting bored with the series, or they hired new editors. I almost threw the last book in the series after I read it. (Of course I almost threw Brisingr too)

Tell me it's a yellow house, and get on with the action and dialog. I can form the picture in my head just fine without knowing that the trim on the base of one wall has a slight brown stain. Especially if that stain has no meaning other than it was there.

[SarahJohnson]

Hi Hayley,
Thank you for the encouragement. I'll take your advice and keep submitting. It helps to know that sometimes articles take a while to sell. Some of the posts I'd come across on the forums talked about selling articles hours after they were accepted, so I think my expectations may have been a bit off :)

Thanks again!
Sarah

[SarahJohnson]

I have to admit that you are not the first person I've had tell me they've been disappointed by Terry Goodkind. I haven't read his work, and frankly I probably won't unless I find it dropped in my lap, as I find there is so much I am interested in reading and often not enough time to read.

Scott Westerfeld is known for his teen fiction - he wrote Uglies and Pretties, etc. I haven't read them, so I can't comment, but I can say that his sci-fi is top rate.

Have a great weekend!
Sarah

[BarryDavidson]

Sarah,

I'd recommend reading the first four books in the Sword of Truth series. The really bad ones were the last three, and Pillars of Creation (#5 I believe).

I'm finally reading the first books in the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card.