Mod R has compiled a very long list of questions you had about Maggie and self-publishing, so here are some answers.
What are your reasons for going the traditional publishing route as I understood you were done with it? Self publishing allowing you more freedom over your writing schedule?
We need to get back in stores. Not having a print run through a traditional publisher hamstrings you in surprising ways.
Right now we are preparing for the Coastal Magic Con – more on the meet and greet later – and their book seller will not order our self-pub books. We can have them shipped to the con, and they will sell them for us on commission, but we won’t have Wilmington Files or Innkeeper on sale for you unless we mail them to the hotel and then ship whatever is left back home.
We don’t have catalog exposure. Large physical retailers are not carrying our titles. Getting into the libraries is harder. Getting on the reviewers’ radar is harder. A lot of promotion is happening online, in the visual media, like on Instagram, for example, and people want a printed book for the videos.
The plan was never exclusively self-publishing. We always wanted to stay hybrid. We just didn’t have anything to go hybrid with. Maggie wasn’t planned. It just happened and now we need to do something with it.
I’m curious how you decide which ones to publish traditionally, and which ones to publish indie.
When it came to traditional publishing, money used to be the primary consideration. It still is, don’t get me wrong. But now discoverability has also become a large factor. There are more fantasy books out there in our genre than ever before. To stay relevant, we need to not only take care of our existing readers, but also entice new ones.
It makes sense then, that a brand new series should be first shopped to trad, while the sequels are better self-published.
A new world presents no barrier of entry. It doesn’t have 14 prequels, so a new reader can just jump in. A spin-off or a sequel, meanwhile, already has a built-in readership. We spent years cultivating that audience. We don’t have to advertise as much, so we can simply self-pub a sequel and the book stores and newsletters will do the rest.
Which is not to say that we won’t pivot. We need a print partner for Iron and Magic duology. It fits right into the current romantasy trend: it has enemies to lovers, action, and it’s spicy. It is begging to be rebranded, and since the sequel should be written this year (don’t hold us to it,) it would be good to partner up with someone who knows what to do with it.
But we may as well self-publish it and keep all the moneys.
I’m excited for Hugh. At some point, Maggie says about a villainous character, “Solentine, you beautiful bastard.” That’s how I feel about Hugh. We’ve got to get back to the castle.
Is Maggie subverting tropes on purpose?
Yes. If you read heroic fantasy or portal/isekai fantasy, you will see a lot of tropes twisted on its head. Some of it is tongue in cheek. There is a secret prince, and a demonic knight, and an odd wizard, except they are not what you would expect.
Some of it is just common sense. One of the interesting things about Maggie is the minutia of the world. How many times have you seen adventurers arrive to the city, go to tavern, get a room, and not once does anyone ask them for identification papers?
His voice was quiet, almost intimate.
“Do you have any papers to show me, Maggie?”
“No.”
“Then we must remedy that. The sooner the better because no one in the kingdom can escape the Seventh Chamber.”
He said that Seventh Chamber in a way most people would say the Spanish Inquisition when they were not being funny about it. Rellas had seven chambers of government. Justice Chamber oversaw the criminal justice system, War Chamber dealt with the military, and so on. The “Seventh Chamber” was the common people’s code for the Treasury. It collected taxes. No force in Rellas was more feared.
“At the end of the summer, after REDACTED fails to report his yields, the Treasury will come knocking,” Reynald said. “We have four months to procure an identity for you and explain where you have gotten your money.”
I blinked at him.
“I leave you to contemplate how we can accomplish that,” he said. “I’m sure you will come up with something.”
Medieval IRS. Let me show you it.
I need to get the personal tax paperwork into my accountant’s portal. Ugh.
Is Maggie grimdark?
Grimdark is a subgenre of speculative fiction with a tone, style, or setting that is particularly dystopian, amoral, and violent.
Wikipedia
No. Maggie is not grimdark. Grimdark tends to be depressing. Maggie has moments of shocking violence, but it is not dystopian in any way. It is kind of uplifting despite all its grimness. It is also funny.
In the beginning of the story you see Maggie at her most physically desperate. However, she climbs out of that hole and then it’s off to the intrigue and complicated shenanigans. If you read us before, the violence and grimness shouldn’t be off the charts.
Is there romance?
Yes. The novel is filled with hot characters. That is part of the portal fantasy tropes. You know what they say: the main lead belongs to the heroine; the second lead belongs to everyone. Hehehe.
If a publisher buys it, when can we have it?
No idea. I would guess 2025.
What if nobody buys it?
Then it will be either a fall or winter 2024 release.
Was the Rise of Kair Toren inspired by *insert name here* author who didn’t deliver a sequel we waited for?
No. Maggie is inspired by fandoms in general. It has moments of showing how fandoms obsess over random things and explores what happens when a series is unfinished and how it makes the readers feel.
How long is Maggie?
130K. It maybe be longer than Bayou Moon. It’s hard to say, because we don’t have the word version of Bayou Moon in our files anymore. It’s Magic Bites and Magic Tides put together.
Have you thought of doing a Kickstarter like Brandon Sanderson?
Brandon Sanderson has an entire staff in place to handle printing of the books, storing them, shipping them out, etc. We could, theoretically, duplicate that, and we do have a merch store now, but we would need to sit down and figure out what would be the cost of getting this to happen. At that point, it might just be easier to self-pub.
Is there an official synopsis/ pitch and is “Maggie the Undying” now the final title?
That’s up to our agent. We don’t mess with that unless we are specifically asked for our input. Jeaniene Frost has been calling it “Outlander meets Game of Thrones,”, because that quickly explains that it’s about an outsider dropped in the middle of a complicated battle for the throne.
Well, I think that’s everything. If there is something I missed, we’ll save it until next time.
Fera says
*squealing first*
Fera says
2025…? *insert withering emoji here*
I’ll still wait.. ahhh *cry of anguish*
Liesl says
There’s a woman who does video shorts on youtube that just cracks me up on occasion. One of them was someone huddled up, hugging a book, in a panic cause everything was going well in the book… but there were 100 pages left. When part 2 was posted, she’d finished the book, it ended badly, and she’d pre-ordered the next one.. which wouldn’t arrive for 13 months. I so sympathized! However, I have read these chapters and I will be waiting for Maggie to go on pre-order. Be the book trad or self published, no matter!
And the equivalent of the IRS being the most dreaded department of the government is absolutely hilarious.
Fran says
Yes, Elisabeth’s Book Goblin is spot on! And I found her b/c of this blog…hehehe
Liesl says
Book Goblin is hilarious. I looked at her merch page… but honestly, I prefer to wait for next time House Andrews merch is available and give them my money. My mug collection will likely grow. I have 4 so far… I need a display case.
Anne says
I know, right? I want IA to find a traditional publisher to expand readership, but I also want the book this year…
patricia l. says
possibly 2nd?
Tais says
No, because why did I read “2025” and thought “omg, not two years from now :(“??? I’ve signed things as 2024 already, I’ve done a January invoice already.. Ai, ai, ai *sighs*
That said, I’m rooting for Maggie to find a publishing house, even if it takes longer for us to read it. The business rationale for it sound very solid, hope it all works out!
Tasha says
haha I had the same reaction!
Judy Schultheis says
I said this before, but I will await the pre-order notice patiently. This promises well, and I’m looking forward to it; but unlike many of the BDH, it doesn’t bother me to have to wait on real-life timeframes.
On the other hand, I’m hopping up and down excited over what you will give us this coming Friday.
Michael says
+1
AP says
Thank you for all the clarifications.
I’m so looking forward to reading it, however and whenever it is released!
Breann says
+1! I appreciate it when you take the time to answer all the questions that we have. 🤗
Looking forward to Maggie and I’m sure those publishers aren’t so (insert polite word for stupid here) as to pass up the opportunity to get their hands on Maggie! 😄
Tempest says
Fortunately I have learned to put down any beverage before reading a post. I started laughing at the first sentence. Of course, we have ALL THE QUESTIONS! Not only are we the Book Devouring Horde, we are the Question Asking Horde.
” . . . how fandoms obsess over random things . . .” Oh. Yep. That tracks. How well you know us.
As always, thanks for indulging our curiousity as well as the questions that are basically, “yes, but how can we get this — or some other thing — sooner?”
Rebecca says
Thank you for the 3 chapters!! I am hooked and I cannot wait for more!!
Lindsay says
I LOVED what you shared of Maggie. Take your time; anticipation is its own joy.
I can say that only because I have a date with Roman every Friday 😊
Patricia Schlorke says
Thank you for answering the questions the Horde has about Maggie. Whoever publishes Maggie will need to make sure the links are ready for the new readers and the Horde.
“…get back to the castle” he-he-he. Don’t forget the moat that Hugh built, and Curran envies. It will be interesting to read the next Hugh and Elara book. 🙂
Friday is the Horde’s date with our favorite black haired, black robed Roman. He’s our early Valentine’s present. Hopefully Chernobog has kept Roman well during the week.
Moderator R says
That’s what I’ve been telling Ilona. Insistently. Continuously. In emails and in meme form.
“It’s Valentines Day! It’s time for RrrrrrrOMANce!” :DDDD
Patricia Schlorke says
🤣🤣🤣
Aren’t you the Valentine cookie for Roman, Mod R?
Moderator R says
Good reminder! I have to Valentine myself :D.
Tink says
That sounds dirty. (You go, girl!)
Liesl says
Also… hooray for Hugh and Elara… and hurray for Roman! I can’t wait for Roman every week and to finally get more of Hugh and Elara will be wonderful whenever it happens.
Oona says
oh yes, I never forget “put that COW DOWN” LOL
Bailey Bilt-Kravitz says
I can’t wait for the book!
Wendy says
love all the insights about the publishing world. thank you
Smeech says
I would love to read Maggie whenever it is published. I enjoyed the chapter 1, 2, and 5 very much. I also loved the dyeing the vomit green dress snippet a few months ago
I agree that Outlander meets Game of Thrones describes it well.
Is Maggie a standalone book or do you have a series planned?
Big Mike says
Now that she’s there, does Maggie ever leave Kair Toren?
I know, I know. Buy the book and find out. But I’m pretty sure I’ve bought everything you’ve ever published.
jewelwing says
Iron and Magic! Yesssss!
And Maggie too.
And anything else you feel like writing. The blog. Random snippets. I’m here for all of it.
Shawnna says
+1
kommiesmom says
Thank you for keeping the BDH in the loop about new goodies.
I do hope Maggie gets you the exposure you’d like, even if it will be a little longer for publication.
(I really want you to have my money for Maggie – or Hugh – preferably both, of course.)
The BDH wants what’s best for you, really we do. Otherwise there won’t be a new precious every now and then. We *know* that.
Unfortunately, we are also greedy. We wants our goody and “now” would be better than “Darn it! Give us a chance to write the darn thing!”
(Puppy dog eyes)
Please forgive us. We’ll wait.
We love you…
David D. says
I have another question… why is the preview chapters 1, 2, and 5? I thought the other post said the first three chapters were posted, but it skipped chapters 3 and 4.
Moderator R says
So as to not reveal too many spoilers 🙂
Marli says
That wait, oh, woe to those who must wait, with bated breath for that which we yearn.
Is that Maggie- esque enough? 😁
Aunt Becky says
Outlander + Game of Thrones is the best combo baby for a story I could ever imagine. Well, I can’t imagine it until someone else says it. That is why I am in the horde and not an author!
Carla Rairdon says
I am so excited! The BDH wants the precioussss. lol
Di says
I hope you find a publisher for Maggie quickly! It seems the best choice although you explained a few things abt self publishing I didn’t know about. Good luck!
Waiting for Friday!
Jo says
Can we have links to all the snippets that have come from the Maggie book? Or do they not exist anymore? 😢
Moderator R says
The previous snippets were removed because they belonged to a different edit version 🙂
RT Boyce says
Good luck with the “publish Maggie” journey! It’s exciting to see the beginning of a new world to enjoy.
njb says
That was very interesting! I’m rooting for publishing house despite the wait. I agree, you need to be in the stores and bring in more readership. That way newbies can start asking for your backlog of titles, too. That said,,,,OMG 2025! (hehehehehe couldn’t resist)
Oh, I do hope y’all manage Hugh 2 this year. ( no, I don’t need any cheese to go along with my whine)
Sitkaspruce says
I can’t wait to pre-order Maggie no matter who is publishing the book. 3 chapters has me hook, line, and sinker!
House DeMille says
never thought I would say this but *squeals* hooray, more Hugh!
I’m excited that you’re excited!
Look forward to getting back to the castle 😀 and discovering who the passel of children are…
njb says
Omg yes! And “put down that cow!” That cracks me up every time I read it.
Liam says
I hear it in Steve West’s voice every time I read it, which is wild, because he does not actually narrate those lines 😂.
I’ve just re-listened to Iron and Magic enough times + read that phonecall out loud enough times!
Wild how someone can become a voice in your head. I don’t get that with all audio performers, but I do with ones that I really enjoy and think are awfully good at what they do.
Shawnna says
+1
Elaine says
You’re pretty close, except for the magic ink part! No magic ink… that’s not how the Book World works
Lacey Pfeffer says
The book store piece surprised me. There aren’t any stores left where I live. I think that’s true for lots of America sadly.
Patrick says
I was also interested to see that. I read a ton, but I can’t remember the last time I’ve been to a book store. I like physical books, but for the amount I read digital is just a lot more practical (storage space alone would be overwhelming).
Joy Wilson says
The only “bookstore” I have in my Alabama town is really a gift store with very few books. (books a million= what a misnomer!)
I buy most of my books from Amazon. If it is delicious, I buy all offers: hardbacks to cherish, paperbacks to read, and ebooks to read, mark, and put in notes. I’ve got so many different copies of HA books. I totally understand the Book Goblin, although I’m more like a dragon and my books are my treasures.
Kristi says
Thank you!
laura says
i appreciate you taking the time to answer questions and explain things for us! and i enjoy learning about new things like what isekai is, and what portal fantasy is, and what the benefits and drawbacks of traditional vs self publishing are.
i will wait as patiently as possible for the maggie book to come out, even if it means waiting until next year. i’ve started rereading the edge series. last year i reread the kate daniels series. and when i finish with the edge i intend to reread the inkeeper series next. and i do have plenty of other books to read to keep me busy until maggie gets published. its just that yours are so great, hehehe.
Dee says
ooh the minutiae comment is giving me Pratchett vibes.
Sounds like it will be a great read.
May Bar says
I’m from the Philippines, I discovered your books while browsing a used store in Dubai.
When I came home permanently, I find it surprisingly very hard to find anyone who has read your books or see a copy of it anywhere. To have a physical copy, I have to ask my sister based in the US to send me one when she send goodies to us.
It would very amazing for me if your books will be published and promoted by a big and traditional publisher because it would have a chance of them being brought to our shores.
MM says
I agree. It is very hard to find your books in India. I would love to have physical copies and I have searched a lot of bookstores across India. Kindle versions are the hope for me! All the best for Maggie.
Ilona says
Outlander as in a person popping a different world and GoT as in struggle for the throne between noble houses. But if you are worried that we will will suddenly start writing graphic sexual assault after 16 years of not doing so, you should probably skip this one. 🙂 It’s a novel, so not a required reading by any means.
laj says
Sorry if I offended you, but those series were particularly full of sexual assault and I don’t think I am out of line to mention it. I didn’t care for the comparison that’s all.
Ilona says
You didn’t offend me. 🙂 That’s why I put a smiley face in the comment.
You wondered if the book will feature graphic sexual assault because of the Outlander and GoT mention, and the thought of the book made you sick. I clarified that that’s not the case. Sexual assault is mentioned in the book, because it’s a violent world and it happens, but it is not shown on page. We do not typically write on-page sexual assault.
However, I always advise people to err on the side of caution. It is a violent book and it may not be for everyone. 🙂
Joy Wilson says
Thank you for that clarification, Ilona
Momo says
You guys steal my breath away everytime… 2025 might be a long way off but if it entices new members to join the horde, it is worth it!
Anna L says
I realized that its only a year away
Shellb says
I am so excited for this book however it appears.
Char says
You all are so good to us! Thank you very much!
Mary says
1) Thank you for the Maggie excerpts. Loved the chapters especially during Very Hard Family day.
2) Love that in the first chapter you turned the tropes upside down.
3) Fingers Crossed that a publisher is paying attention to the fact you have The BDH panting for Maggie to get published
Thank you
Arianna says
Ooohh I like this “Outlander meets Game of Thrones”!!
Can’t wait!
Illogicerr says
Is it irony that Maggie the undying needs a bodyguard?
Nila says
Wish you the best of luck in getting a publisher to pick it up quickly. Can’t wait to read it. I was wondering if all the manhwa/manga on transmigration played into your concept. Yeah, I spend way to much on Tapas and it’s all your fault. hahaha =)
Emilye says
“Discoverability” is how I first found you, HA. I was in a B&N, haunting the shelves for something new, and found Kate Daniels, set in the ATL. I read it, shared it with a friend, got it back and…the rest, as they say, is history.
Ownership is still important to me, although most of my reads are digital, at the moment. But titles on shelves is how I think of my library — pulling down old friends for a reread, putting up the next in series and reapportioning shelf placement, putting newbies in my TBR area…so I hear you. Good luck on maintaining your hybrid status!
Randy says
I just want to say that, as a fan, I’m excited that you’re trying something new. Best of luck with it!
(I’m trying not to root for self-pub because we’ll see it sooner; it sounds like trad would be better for you folks at this point. But I’m looking forward to seeing it when it comes out!)
Donna A says
I want Maggie lots but I’m not going to lie, the Outlander / Game of Thrones crossover description does not do it for me (more for the Outlander ref in fairness but a tad GoT too).
If I didn’t know your writing style and read the snippets then saw this description it would give me the no go’s.
Which makes me question books I have bypassed previously due to these sorts of descriptions and wonder what I’m missing.
Sooo, now maybe I have to revisit my already massively humongous TBR mountain.
And get more books?
Perhaps.
Life’s so hard 😉
Moderator R says
Outlander as in “a person popping in a different world” and GoT as in “struggle for the throne between noble houses”.
Not the level of romance, incest, gore, sexual assault of these comps.
Arezoo says
The way Brandon Sanderson does kickstarter may be out of the realm of possibility for you guys but another author I follow, Katee Robert, has been doing smaller kickstarters with a group of similar authors and books and that might be a more manageable route for you guys if you want to look into it. Though I’m not sure if it would be a suitable way for Maggie. I look forward to reading Maggie, however it comes to me. Best of luck shopping it around.
Bea says
2025, 😩. May the literary gods be with you!!
I just can’t even, even😞but I will prevail for I am p*tient🤥
Kate says
I will be super patient. Thank you House Andrews! Very excited.
Melissa C says
I’ve been avoiding spoilers/teasers for Maggie, so I am excited to see this one when it finally debuts! Not against spoilers, but if I read a chapter and then a year later read the book, it always feels like Déjà vu, and I spend too long trying to remember why. hahaha.
I hope you are able to go traditional publishing if that is what you want. I admit, I would like to see more stores stocking your books! It makes me happy seeing them out in the wild.
Regina says
Fingers crossed for excellent offers and a quick publishing date!
Ellabean says
+1!
Lorraine says
I’m curious, did you have to write out an outline for the fictional book Rise of Kair Toren before you could write Maggie?
Deborah says
Ooooo…love this question!
TAS says
Hugh is now a main lead, Derek is on his way, as is Roman (I think?)
So who are you leaving for us? 😉
MariaZ says
Luther and Mrs Luther ala CSI Atlanta?
Leia from E says
I like it. Keen to read more. In an odd way, this reminds me of the Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones, in the way it analyzes or pokes fun at fantasy tropes. I guess I won’t know for sure if there was an inspiration from that until Maggie finds out if those horses are really plantlife or not–(DWJ posits this is why so many fantasy horses never require grooming or feeding or hoof care, etc). That look at Villain was pretty spectacular but we really need to see if his hooves root once the Sleepless Duke gets off him. 🙂
Renee Hutchinson says
I got really excited at the “maybe fall or winter 2024” and then I remembered I’m in the southern hemisphere so a new book is not potentially only a few months away….as the immortal Homer would say, DOH!
Rali says
Ahh I can’t wait, I’m so excited for more Maggie and Hugh!!🤩
Stephanie says
I’m so lucking forward to this book!
Bill G says
Thanks for the answers, and I love that the taxman is the most feared force in Rellas. And as is usual for me, the answers have brought thoughts up in my head. This is a new story, but ‘Ilona Andrews’ already has a built-in readership and I wonder if that is factored in by publishers for picking up a new story.
And reading “Maggie says about a villainous character, “Solentine, you beautiful bastard”” had my head leap back in time to have her add “I read your book!”
Sorry, but that scene of George C. Scott as Patton is stuck in my head, no matter how many decades old it is.
Eben says
Oh please will there be an e-book version? We sold off the house (parting with most of with a couple thousand physical books) and moved to a small retirement space – so I am all Kindle now.
Moderator R says
Yes 🙂 , there will definitely be an e-book, no matter which publisher acquires it or if it becomes self-published.
Patricia Schlorke says
Yay!
Allison says
Just a quick question since you wrote “Iron and Magic duology”: Is it fixed that there will be 2 books in total (for this part of the story, i.e. taking place before Magic Triumphs)? I thought I remembered back in the day it was supposed to be a trilogy. Sorry if I missed a post/update on this. Just wondering 🙂
Moderator R says
Nothing is set in stone until the books are written 🙂
House Andrews usually “think in trilogies”, but at the moment they’re envisioning Hugh as a duology, as it says above.
Kelsey C. says
Doesn’t matter where your books land whether self published or traditional, I’ll buy it. Happy to get anything from the House of Andrews
Stacey says
I am so torn about reading the Maggie chapters. I saw 1, 2, 5 and thought “Nope. then I’ll miss stuff and want it.” Now that I know the publishing timeline I’m glad I held off. I probably would’ve read them enough times to have them half-memorized by the time Maggie comes and then chapters 3 and 4 would feel weird!
I am looking forward to Maggie🙂 now I will simply need to exercise willpower and nit read the tempting chapters. thank you for the Roman shiny to distract.
Naenae says
The money side of me hopes the publishers love it and it does well for you. The greedy impatient book devouring side of me hopes they reject it, you self publish, so I get to eat sooner, and then it does so well the next series you bring to a publisher and they say it won’t sell well you can tell them they were wrong about Maggie.
Thank you for the book and good luck.
Rose says
Honestly though, I’m just so excited for this new project. I don’t care that we have to wait. So happy to have new readers and new members of the BDH! So excited to recommend to my anime friends! So excited to recommend to my political intrigue fantasy fans. The hardcore fantasy fans, etc you get my drift!
Shiloh walker says
self publishing exclusively is exhausting.
publishers do a lot of heavy lifting that we don’t think about until we’re doing it. 🥴
Maria Schneider says
Very best of luck with the submission! WOOT! Very exciting. I did a signing this past year (very small indie here. VERY SMALL. Your mileage is totally different). I do about one per year. It’s always the book you don’t bring that everyone wants. I am on a reader forum on FB and the InnKeeper books get a lot of recommendations, even more than Kate (although that gets rec’d too). It also seems to me that many, if not most, of the readers on that forum (10k plus) are reading print books. I say this because they take photos and put them up there and it surprises me to see how many people talk about print books and their haul from bookstores. Because the Innkeeper are harder to get in print (along with some of the others) they may turn out to be the most popular simply because they are not readily available. I am not suggesting you ship a boatload of them because I understand–but even a few for table display. Even 5 to sell to the 5 lucky people who get there first. I had three of Soul of the Desert at my last signing. They sold out and this is at a signing that had maybe 500 people. I had people come up and ask about it because they saw other people walking around with Soul (First time that’s ever happened to me). I don’t order so many that I end up with 100 leftovers. There’s no way to magically know a number, but I don’t think you’ll regret it terribly if you mail a few to the hotel. No matter what, best of luck and have fun with it. We love your books and that is a great place to be.
Claudia says
I love it when you share background info, and I’m super excited about Maggie! And I feel the way do about Hugh, so I have a lot to look forward to!!
RoadRunner says
I checked my copy of Bayou Moon, and it shows 137,200 words, so I think it is still the champ.
Mary says
Isekai by my favourite authors I cannot wait.
Kat in NJ says
Thank you for sharing this info…I always find it so fascinating to hear all of the things that factor into publishing!
Also, thank you for not making Maggie grimdark. I don’t think I’ve ever finished reading anything grimdark. (I’ve started a few books that were, but I didn’t get very far.)
The things I love best about HA books (and I think what makes them so special) are the humanity, optimism, humor, and creativity that always comes shining through…and it sounds like all of these would have been missing if Maggie was grimdark.
When I am reading one of your books, I know that even when things look bleak, they will get better. This makes each book such a great place for a reader to get lost in, as we know there will be more laughs, unexpected happenings, and then a HEA (eventually!) 😁
Good luck shopping Maggie to the publishers….I am very happy to wait if it means HA gets the best deal and more fans. You deserve it! 💕💕💕
Gloria says
Wow. Mags has thrown me for a loop. I’m here for it. New IA. A whole new world. What a privilege. Thank you. I hope you get new peeps.
Courtenay says
Like Bill G above, when I saw “Solentine, you beautiful bastard,” I could not help but think of “Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!”
And yes, authors, I read your books.
Sue says
I think you would be surprised at how well a kickstarter would do for you and your novels. Truly. I understand it is a lot of work but it is possible to cancel it if your expectations are not met. Just a thought.
Colleen says
I like Maggie. It’s a very complex story and initially relies on a lot of exposition to explain what Maggie know from the book. This can also be a little hard to read, even though she’s there in person her explanations are from someone else’s narrative that she’s kept close to her heart so should have some of her own assumptions, true or not. The questions I have, when Maggie becomes actively involved she’s basically changing the story from what she knows, doesn’t her information then become unreliable? Does the book stay the same as she knows it or does the book and her memories adjust? Or was Maggie part of the story all along but kind of an NPC. She has a purpose but isn’t recognized as anyone that really matters in the book, unless of course you become the part of the book and to the outside world you just part of the background but because you are living breathing and you’re telling the story it’s now all about your POV.
Moderator R says
🙂 We’ll have to read and find out!
Terrie C says
I just read the three chapters of Maggie and I am intrigued. The concept was unexpected and something I’m really looking forward to. I hope you can get traditional publishing because I would love this exposed to a wider audience who will then of course devour all of the other stuff that you wrote. Although I will be like Maggie clutching the other books waiting for something new , I will be patient and wait until 2025 knowing that it will be worth the wait.
Suey says
Thank you.
Karen says
FYI, in re Kickstarter, there are companies that do the fulfilment for the Kickstarter (you drop ship the books to them after they’re printed and they handle shipping and all that) and there are some nifty presses that do things like foil and reversable dust jackets and luxury options that are pretty cool. When you have the finished work, you can get good price estimates on how much the printing will cost. There’s some spreadsheets out there to figure out what you need to charge vs your costs in order to see how much profit you can make.
While swag is nice, it’s not at all necessary for a successful KS. Swag is often where people lose money on their KS.
Lizvocal says
One of my favorite things about the work of Ilona Andrews is how it turns tropes on their heads. I even enjoyed Hidden Legacy and romance is not usually my thing.
Nl says
I drove by our towns lonely Barnes and Noble the other day and sighed nostalgically. It’s in a strip mall with World Market and Old Navy, other brave holdouts to everything being on line. I have to admit I had no desire to go in or actually buy a hard cover book but I can see where traditional publishers still are a good way to get exposure to new readers.
I was really struck by the whole lack of ID thing. Ignoring that has been pretty usual in so many fantasy books. one notable exception is Mercedes Lackey, she may go too far in the other direction when it comes to minutiae, but I find it oddly soothing to have those details accounted for. It is interesting culturally how quickly accounting for each and every person becomes a major function of government.
April says
I would donate vast sums (sort of vast) to a Kickstarter to have this book now. I would also do your laundry and bathe the dogs. An Ilona Andrew’s Isekai is something I never knew I desperately needed in my life. Please self publish. We can share this to every webtoon community and every Wuxia loving person we can find.
Alix Maret says
Thank you for the insights!
I can‘t imagine that, given your loyal BDH base, picking up Maggie wouldn‘t be a no-brainer for any publisher capable of basic math.
So, on the down side, we must be patient (sigh).
But, on the up side, print books still matter (yea!)
Amelie says
Was the link to the Maggie chapters taken off of the blog? I saw it yesterday but didn’t have time to read them!
Anyways thanks for the Maggie updates! I hope it gets picked up by your publisher!
Amelie says
Never mind I found them!
lia says
interesting… I didn’t realize Maggie was an isekai and that’s where her information came from, I thought she was a spymaster (or had access to one). Must have missed that in the initial snippets!
T'Ericka says
Gimme! I love the answers to the things but I read this and the only thing that popped in my mind was me as Oliver Twist with an empty book bowl pitifully asking “may I have some more please” 🙏🏽
kai says
I’m so excited for these books. In my remote work world, a common “ice-breaker” question is “If there was a movie made about your life, what genre would it be?” and my answer is always URBAN FANTASY but I’m thinking of Kate–not because I want to live there as me, but because my imagination lives there. : ) I feel like this book is the ultimate fantasy for all of us. xoxo
Elodie says
I am really excited for this new world ! I love how it’s so webtoon and it feels different than what you normally write for some reason
Love to be in the head of a reader hehe fun
I read the firsts chapters , I was so into it when it ended it took me a couple seconds to realise I wouldn’t have more 😂
So good as always
Take care ~~~
Ashley Apples says
I think this has been asked before but how do you make yourself continue writing something when you’ve started to hate it? You mentioned getting through Ruby Fire was difficult but you couldn’t extend your deadlines. If the idea of a looming deadline doesn’t work for a person as a reason to continue writing, what do you do?
Say it’s something your normally enjoy writing– someone who enjoys romance and space opera’s writing a romantic space opera and then suddenly in the middle of the story after 30k words have been put into it they can’t stand it anymore and can’t make themselves finish.
Do you have any advice?
Logan Matthew Teague says
The Seventh Chamber is reminding me of the Separatists in Star Wars. All the different groups were banks, merchants, businesses, who all had massive private armies and collected on loans and defaults via overwhelming force.
Janice Weigle says
I loved what I read about ‘Maggie the Undying’. Hope to see it published some day soonish!!!
Nadia says
ohhhh can’t wait to buy it, read it and recommend it to all the people!