Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Gai Daigoji on February 02, 2007, 11:41:08 am

Title: Published my first novel
Post by: Gai Daigoji on February 02, 2007, 11:41:08 am
Just letting you all know that today I published my own novel, it should also be soon added to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

You can currently read previews here and buy the book, either online or in paperback format, here: http://www.lulu.com/content/664098

This is book one of three. Not saying you should buy it as am sure you all have better things to spend your money on, but I just thought I'd drop you all a line to say what I do other then work in WCS :)

Thanks for reading, hope for those of you who do read it enjoy it :).
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: Tyrian on February 02, 2007, 02:45:51 pm
Is this available in mainstream bookstores (i.e.: Barnes & Noble or Borders)?  I might pick it up if it is.  I can always use a quick read.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: Nuclear1 on February 02, 2007, 02:50:36 pm
That looks terrific.  I'll be ordering a copy shortly.  Always could use a good read. :)
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: neoterran on February 02, 2007, 03:04:00 pm
Wow, I didn't even know you could do this... Amazing.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: Turambar on February 02, 2007, 03:11:47 pm
the review makes it sound kinda Gundam- SEED - ish

but im sure the book is alot better.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: General Battuta on February 02, 2007, 04:40:10 pm
Is this self-published? 

I hope it's better than Atlanta Nights

 :p
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: Mobius on February 03, 2007, 02:05:11 pm
Wow...I might publish something I wrote time ago...uhm...

Strangely, the page was in Italian(except for the book description). I guess that site has an Italian section. I might use it...

HLP members should have a copy for free, dood.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: an0n on February 03, 2007, 02:08:45 pm
Your cover sucks.

You shoulda asked one of us mooks to do you one. It'd've been all flashy and psychologically imposing.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: Centrixo on February 03, 2007, 03:25:51 pm
ive just read it, its ok its not bad either.
ive read books that have more imagination, but of course not everyone has the same taste in stuff, good start and good job.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: General Battuta on February 03, 2007, 04:24:06 pm
It's a vanity press product.

I'm going to need more incentive before I even try to read it.  Writers working to get published tend to view vanity presses as, well, contemptible. 

I don't mean to be harsh here, I respect what you've done, but lots of people can produce a novel-length manuscript.  I've done it four or five times.  It's getting one that's publishable that's a feat. 
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: NGTM-1R on February 03, 2007, 05:02:12 pm
I must indeed be the only person I know of who enjoys writing and has absolutely no desire to ever write a published or indeed publishable work.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: Centrixo on February 03, 2007, 06:34:27 pm
I must indeed be the only person I know of who enjoys writing and has absolutely no desire to ever write a published or indeed publishable work.

i like writing stories, twisted visions like; Steven Kings 'Nightmare's and Dreamscape's'.

i mostly base them on space ralated cross galaxy stuff, like Narn, Vasudan's and Klingons having a massive war in the star wars galaxy!..

ngtm1r i would like one of these days to see stories from another person's view create something exciting to read, and the person who posted thier novel here did that, maybe you should pubish your stories on the net?.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: General Battuta on February 03, 2007, 06:50:05 pm
I must indeed be the only person I know of who enjoys writing and has absolutely no desire to ever write a published or indeed publishable work.

I was that way for a while.  Then I realized I was good enough to be published, and so...well, I can't resist a challenge. 
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: NGTM-1R on February 03, 2007, 07:09:10 pm
ngtm1r i would like one of these days to see stories from another person's view create something exciting to read, and the person who posted thier novel here did that, maybe you should pubish your stories on the net?.

http://www.fanfiction.net/u/490259/

Mostly shorts. Some Battletech, some Gundam Wing. One Inferno.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: neoterran on February 04, 2007, 07:45:46 pm
Wow you guys are a bunch of jerks.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: Mefustae on February 04, 2007, 07:46:22 pm
Wow you guys are a bunch of jerks.
Why do you say that?
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: neoterran on February 04, 2007, 07:48:34 pm
I think it's pretty obvious from the disinterested and callous non-support for a fellow freespacer trying to do his thing in the thread
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: Mefustae on February 04, 2007, 07:56:36 pm
The best thing we can do is be critical to help him improve his creations. It would be far more insulting to him if we were to just post mindless praise when we actually think otherwise.

He got himself published, that's awesome, but the best support we can give him is to point out where we think he can do even better.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: General Battuta on February 04, 2007, 08:07:03 pm
He didn't get himself published, he published himself.

Believe me, the best thing in the world for a writer is criticism.  If he's serious, and he wants to get an actual publication, he needs to get all the criticism he can get. 

If you can't take it, it's not the path for you. 

Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: neoterran on February 04, 2007, 09:00:50 pm
He didn't get himself published, he published himself.

Believe me, the best thing in the world for a writer is criticism.  If he's serious, and he wants to get an actual publication, he needs to get all the criticism he can get. 

If you can't take it, it's not the path for you. 



Yeah, that's easier to say when it's not your work being criticised there buddy.

Let's start a thread saying how **** your work is and see how you feel about it. Go on - post a thread, I wanna be the first to comment.

and FYI - there is NO constructive criticism in the thread - just a bunch of haters.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: Ransom on February 05, 2007, 12:30:29 am
Who said his work was ****? Most of the criticism in this thread is directed at the fact it's self-published, not the quality of the writing.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: General Battuta on February 05, 2007, 01:01:23 am

Yeah, that's easier to say when it's not your work being criticised there buddy.

Let's start a thread saying how **** your work is and see how you feel about it. Go on - post a thread, I wanna be the first to comment.

and FYI - there is NO constructive criticism in the thread - just a bunch of haters.
[/quote]

I'll be happy to post some of my work.  I've submitted some stuff to publications and the Dell Magazines Award as well, so I'll get a chance to see how I stack up against real writers. 

Honestly, I haven't read any of this guy's work, so I can't provide criticism yet.  Ransom is right, though, all I would be skeptical of is the fact that it's a vanity press work.

It's like a scientific paper that wasn't peer-reviewed.  Maybe accurate, but...questionable. 

Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: aldo_14 on February 05, 2007, 02:58:38 am
But has anyone actually read it beyond Centrixo?
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: neoterran on February 05, 2007, 08:11:16 am
No, and that's what i'm saying - everyone is defending their criticism by hiding behind the fact that it's okay to criticize writers, but none of them actually read the book. That's is hypocrisy at its finest.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: Mefustae on February 05, 2007, 08:51:21 am
No, and that's what i'm saying - everyone is defending their criticism by hiding behind the fact that it's okay to criticize writers, but none of them actually read the book. That's is hypocrisy at its finest.
Let's examine this statement, shall we?

Your cover sucks.

You shoulda asked one of us mooks to do you one. It'd've been all flashy and psychologically imposing.
A critique of the cover-art. Appears to be relatively fair.

ive just read it, its ok its not bad either.
ive read books that have more imagination, but of course not everyone has the same taste in stuff, good start and good job.
A brief critique of the book itself after having apparently read it. This seems fair, too.

It's a vanity press product.

I'm going to need more incentive before I even try to read it.  Writers working to get published tend to view vanity presses as, well, contemptible. 

I don't mean to be harsh here, I respect what you've done, but lots of people can produce a novel-length manuscript.  I've done it four or five times.  It's getting one that's publishable that's a feat. 
A critique of how the book was published. I know nothing of the subject [evidenced by my earlier error], but his criticism does not seem to be unfair or insulting towards Gai Daigoji.

Now, given that only three criticisms have been made in this thread, and only one defended, it's fair to say you're overreacting here. If, for example, there had been a barrage of badly written, overtly insulting posts by posters who had obviously failed to read the book, your criticisms would have been justified. However, given that the only criticism of the content has been made by someone who has actually read the book [ignoring the fact that said criticism wasn't even all that criticising], I believe it's safe to ask you to get off your ****ing high horse.

We've hijacked Gai's thread for long enough, back to the topic at hand.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: an0n on February 05, 2007, 09:24:22 am
The people who buy the book will post more in-depth criticisms and commentaries when they've read it.

The people who don't buy the book will continue to give advice and opinions in regards to areas not relating directly to the contents of the book.
Title: Re: Published my first novel
Post by: NGTM-1R on February 05, 2007, 12:13:07 pm
I must indeed be the only person I know of who enjoys writing and has absolutely no desire to ever write a published or indeed publishable work.

I was that way for a while.  Then I realized I was good enough to be published, and so...well, I can't resist a challenge. 

"Good enough to be published" is a relative term. Highly relative. Within the particular spheres I've written for am I good enough to be published? Almost certainly. Would it be a challenge to be published? Also almost certainly. Skill, beyond a certain point, has very little to do with getting your works published. Any perusal of a single row of fiction books at, say, Borders, will teach you that.

Perhaps more to the point, I write because I enjoy writing, not because I'm good at it (though I like to think I am). And in a way writing what I do is more of a challenge then writing a publishable work. Yes, the writer of fanfiction arguably has much of his work already done for him. Then again any five-year-old can do worldbuilding. Most do. Because the writer of fanfiction did not create his world or (hopefully the majority of) his characters, he does not have the same degree of leeway. Author fiat is not as easily concealed. It is still entirely possible to do just about whatever you want, but making it coherent as well is a much greater challenge.

So I chose the avenue that would challenge my skills, not my patience.