Jarvis on 22/1/2009 at 06:58

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I wonder Queue how much you actually know about publishing. Maybe you do know a bit, but have you ever submitted some of your own work? Have you given the business any more than a cursory glance? My room mate payed out the ass to get the book edited by a professional editor. The fat has been trimmed. The editor, in fact, came back with nothing but compliments about both the story and the writing ability.

I just can't help but wonder what your motivation is in tearing down a person's attempt to fulfill a dream? I can tell you that my room mate's writing is really good. He's completed eight novels, and I've read each one. They have gotten better and better over the years. He chose to put this one up for publication partly on the feedback he's gotten from me and others.

The poor guy has been through agents and publishing company submissions. Do you realize how long it takes for a submission to take? 6 months is a generous time frame. Publishing companies will refuse to accept your manuscript if you submit it to multiple companies at once. It really bites to wait 6 months only to get a note saying "we're not taking this genre at this time, please submit it again in 6 months." That's the vast majority of the responses right there.

Literary agents are no better. IF it's not a scam, and many are, then you are subject to all sorts of in company politics. Over the years my room mate has had one interested agent die, then his partners took over the company and changing everything. A separate interested agent left his company and entered a new line of work elsewhere.

It's literally a war zone out there. When you submit written work you are NOT competing with quality work. No. You are competing with MOUNTAINS of crap. The process is literally a nightmare, and until you have a book or two under your belt, it's pretty much luck of the draw.

After watching a dear friend suffer such trials, and after appreciating his work so much, I was absolutely supportive of his choice to self publish. Here I am trying to help him out by connecting his work with a potentially interested "market"... and you see fit to make fun?

I know you don't know the full story behind this book and this author, but please, in the future venture to find out before trying to discredit the attempt.

I'm quite serious... go out and write a book and then try submitting it before you get all "literary-snobbish" about someone else's work (especially the venue through which they are trying to do something with their lives.) If you want to read the book and offer some feedback, then it will be welcomed. Until then, I still draw your motivations into question.



To Clearing:

Yes, Rasputin. As I said, both of the main characters operate under code names. One name is taken from Genghis Khan and the other from Rasputin the Mad Monk.

Jarvis on 22/1/2009 at 20:36

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Thank you, by the way, for the kind words. I'll pass them along. Incidentally, meet the author:

(http://atlantamartialartcenter.com/pageSihingChadnavStaff.html) http://atlantamartialartcenter.com/pageSihingChadnavStaff.html

sNeaksieGarrett on 3/2/2009 at 16:06

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Wow that's neat Jarvis. Congrats to your room mate.;)

Jarvis on 3/2/2009 at 22:57

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I would rate the book an 8 or a 9 out of 10. Of course, stealth is an integral part of the story and that makes me more inclined to enjoy it. It's more than just that though, it's the way he presented the story. It's a long book, as I said before, with a gradual but steady build to a climax. The climax was great though, and the whole experience of it glued me to the book just as much as some of my favorite books of all time.

To be honest, he's already turned this story into a trilogy. The next two books are "The Bloody Crown of Khan" and "Two Hundred Nation Army". I enjoyed them both, but I would rate them at more of a 6 or 7. I try very hard not to be biased because he's my good friend, and so I stand by his work in "Khan in Rasputin's Shadow". I think it's his best work yet, or at least my favorite.

Jarvis on 7/2/2009 at 09:27

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To give a little update, and perhaps some insight into self-publishing:

Ever since my roomie self-published his book, now he's setting up book signings at local bookstores (who were surprisingly eager to host local authors), his book has been reviewed positively by a critic (forgive me for not having more info, the review hasn't be published yet and I only heard this news today), He's been asked to appear as a guest speaker at a local high school on the subject of writing, he's been entered into self-publishing contests...

...and the biggest triumph of all!...

A literary agency has noticed the book, read it, and has begun negotiations with Chad about representing him and submitting it to major publishing companies.

His talent as a writer stands alone, but all of that exposure is 100% due to his choice to self-publish. This has been nothing but a positive experience so far, and frankly I find it disheartening that the thief community of all communities seems so judgmental. All of you who seem to think it's somehow lessened because it was self-published can go shove it. It was probably the best choice Chad has ever made in his literary career so far.