Not Dead Yet Newsletter #9

Everyone Dies post-launch report

On May 20th I released my first new fiction book in over six years, "Everyone Dies", on Amazon. Here's how it has done in terms of sales:

  • 11 Preorders
  • 21 Paid Orders
  • 128 Kindle Unlimited Pages Read (I subtracted all three times I re-read the book)
  • 198 Free Orders

In terms of reception, Everyone Dies is doing quite well (although it could use a lot more reviews and ratings):

The darkness and parenting

Our daughter Uma has gotten deep into reading chapter books this year. She is very curious about Everyone Dies, but the book isn't appropriate for a seven-year-old.

If you've read a bit of my fiction writing, you know that it can be quite dark and heavy in places. You get to know the people in my head, and sometimes brutal battles with fantastical creatures kill characters right after you've developed a deep attachment to them.

So Uma has been asking for a kid's version of the story, with suggested renames like "Everyone Cries" and "Everyone Fries." Parents out there, have you ever rewritten a book or created an alternative version for your children?

New Book Review

I wrote a review of Michael R. Fletcher's Obsidian Path series. Generally I prefer reviewing other indie works, but sometimes it's good to examine what the big kids with thousands of reviews (and probably hundreds of thousands of reads) are doing.

Read my review of The Obsidian Path

Starting without memory

Waking up without memory in fantasy and science fiction is a trope I find fascinating. I'm in the midst of rewriting a grimdark science fiction story which had a similar beginning, and Michael Fletcher's Obsidian Path (reviewed here) also has this start. It is interesting reading how Rachel Hetrick handles it in her story, Curse of Infiniti, listed below. This is a very interesting dark fantasy story, with lurid descriptions of the physical world and the mind of the protagonist.

As she wakes up in a bedroom she doesn’t recognize, Ellayne becomes increasingly aware of one thing: she has no memories—no identity—no name. Dark figures not only haunt her nightmares, but also stalk her in reality. Ellayne finds herself on the run, chased by a hooded archer with deadly aim.

Bring on the books!

I am constantly reading indie sci-fi and fantasy books. Here are the awesome book lists I've been exploring lately:

My personally curated list

Finally, I curate this list of grimdark reads. If you know of any free grimdark books worthy of inclusion, message me with details and I'll consider adding it.

Until next time, which is June 12th,

Daniel Roy Greenfeld