News

Got a new Suvudu column up, in which I discuss the tendency in fantasy to not take advantage of the fact that many of these worlds have active, physical divinities wandering around.

A notice for some of you small anthology publishers out there. (And I stress some, since many of you are not guilty of this–and rest assured, you’re appreciated.)

I find it funny that you never seem to ask your layout people, or your printers, or your cover artists, to do the work for free up-front, in exchange for a tiny percentage on the back end and "professional exposure." You don’t, because none of them would do it, and because it’s damn insulting.

So why do you think it’s okay to ask the writers–who are, arguably, the only ones without whom a book cannot exist–to do it? Why do you think it’s okay to ask us to contribute our hard work in exchange for nothing up-front (or literally a fraction of a cent per word, which is no better), and expect us to be grateful for the "opportunity"?

You don’t have to pay a lot. You don’t even have to pay professional rates. But you have to pay something. If you can’t afford to pay your authors, you can’t afford to publish an anthology.

Period.

Like most authors, I fantasize about what it’d be like to see some of my books translated to movies or television. The odds are vastly against this, not only because it doesn’t happen often anyway, but because Hollywood doesn’t seem interested in big budget epic fantasy that doesn’t have huge name recognition behind it.

But it just occurred to me the other day, as I was daydreaming… The Conqueror’s Shadow would make one hell of an anime, wouldn’t it? 😀

(This has been a glimpse into Ari’s wishful thinking. We now return you to your regularly scheduled web-surfing.)

I’m not familiar with the processes and procedures for the David Gemmell Legend Awards. I don’t know how many books make the shortlist, or how hard it is to get on it.

So, uh… Is it a big deal that The Conqueror’s Shadow (UK Gollancz edition) was nominated for the 2011 award? 😯

The contest is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered; winners will be announced shortly.

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In celebration of the paperback release of The Conqueror’s Shadow, the new year, the upcoming release of The Warlord’s Legacy, and (mostly) the fact that I just feel like it, it’s contest time once again.

How to Enter

Using the e-mail form on the contact page, send me an e-mail. The subject line must say "Say What?" In the body of the e-mail, tell me your favorite line from any one of the following: The Conqueror’s Shadow, Agents of Artifice, or the short story "The Ogre’s Pride."

That’s it. No, really, that’s it. (And remember that "TOP" is a free download, so you don’t even have to have bought a book to enter–though obviously, I hope that you’ll think about doing so. 😉 )

When I say "favorite line," I mean that in the broadest sense. It can be a line of dialogue, a line of description, whatever. And it doesn’t have to be a single sentence, despite the term "line." It can range from a single sentence to a short paragraph. You might think it’s funny, or powerful, or interesting, or touching, or maybe it just appeals to you for no reason you can articulate. Doesn’t matter why it’s your favorite.

You can even enter more than once, if you like, but only once per each allowable book/story. (Thus, you could enter up to three times, total: Once with a line from TCS, once from AoA, and once from "TOP.") Please send a separate e-mail with each entry; do not combine two or three into one e-mail.

What You Can Win

Two winners will be chosen randomly from all entries. Each winner will receive a signed novel of his/her choice, chosen from among the following:

• The Conqueror’s Shadow mass market paperback.
• Agents of Artifice mass market paperback.
• The Warlord’s Legacy hardcover.
• The Goblin Corps trade paperback.

If you choose one of the first three, your prize will be sent as soon as the contest ends. If you choose The Goblin Corps, your prize will be sent as soon as I receive author’s copies of the book, in mid- to late 2011.

Important Notes

You must enter via the contact page, and your entry must have "Say What?" as the subject line. Entries that come to me via any other method, or that have different subject lines, will not be considered for the contest.

Entries must be received by January 31st, 2011.

People that I know offline, people to whom I am related, employees of Random House, Wizards of the Coast, or Pyr Books, and the winners of any previous contests of mine, are not eligible.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me through my contact page.

Thanks, and good luck. 🙂

A great Christmas Eve and a Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, and a wonderful Friday and Saturday to those who don’t. 🙂