About a month ago, I asked folks to answer six questions on the viability of a new Sovereign Era book. That survey closed when May ended, so it’s time to go over the results and talk about what it might mean.
Brave Men Run and What Might Come Next – Survey Results
There were six questions, and some of the answers took you out of the survey. 173 people participated.
Are you familiar with the book “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” by Matthew Wayne Selznick? — All but thirteen people answered yes, which isn’t surprising given that “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” was my introduction to most of the people interested in my creative work. For the thirteen people who answered “no,” this was a one-question survey.
How have you experienced “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” by Matthew Wayne Selznick? — Ten people replied that they were familiar with the book but had not read or listened to it. They were shown the exit, in so far as the survey as concerned. Of the remaining 142 folks, almost 68% (117) heard the free podcast edition. Happily, 91 also spent money on one of the for-pay editions of the book. A sub-question revealed that, for those who had not, 32 folks planned to buy the book in the next six months. Thanks, future supporters!
Would you purchase a new book featuring Nate Charters and other characters from “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era?” — 131 say yes, and 11 people are finished with the survey.
Would you contribute monetarily to a crowdfunding campaign to fund the creation and publishing of such a book? — Ah, here’s the big question, and the point of the survey. Twenty five people respectfully declined, but 106 folks said yes — and most of them left an e-mail address so they can be notified when and if a campaign is launched.
What Does This Mean For The Sovereign Era?
The next novel set in my Sovereign Era storyworld, most likely titled “Pilgrimage,” is plotted and outlined. The answers to two questions will determine when and if it gets written and published:
- Are people interested in it?
- Can I afford it?
The survey, if I assume that respondents represent a sampling of my larger audience, indicates that there is sufficient interest in another Sovereign Era book, even seven years after the first one. That’s nice to know!
Why Even Ask If I Can Afford It?
Some folks reading this might be confused. “What do you mean, ‘can I afford it?’ Just write the thing, Selznick.”
Here’s the reality of the situation: I do a lot of creative stuff. Some of that creative stuff is for other people… some of it is for myself. Either way, most of my revenue comes from my creativity. It’s not a hobby; it’s not a part-time job.
I depend on creativity to pay my bills, put food on my plate and in my pets’ bowls, and pay the rent.
So, when I look at creative projects, those that earn me money today take priority. That means, for now, my clients’ needs earn the majority of my attention, time and energy. My own creative projects come second… and my own creative projects are further prioritized based on their potential for income, weighed by the time and effort involved in bringing them to market.
That’s just part of what it means to be a professional creator.
A novel takes a huge chunk of energy, resources, money, and time to write, edit, produce, bring to market, and promote. That’s energy, resources and time deducted from the pool I can spend on paying clients… and that means, likewise, a novel-sized deduction to income necessary to live.
Right now… I can’t afford it.
Unless a big portion of that novel-sized deduction to my income is accounted for while I’m creating the book.
Crowdfunding Pilgrimage
I’m planning to crowdfund the writing, editing, production, publication, distribution and promotion of “Pilgrimage — A Novel of the Sovereign Era,” which may also be referred to as volume two of the Charters Duology. I’ll be getting cozy with a spreadsheet in the coming week, figuring out exactly how much money I’ll need… and if that number matches what I realistically think I can raise in a thirty day campaign.
And to those of you who participated in the survey… thanks very much!
(Note to commenters: use punctuation and paragraph breaks, please. If English is not your native language, I appreciate your taking the time to comment, but please understand: the comment thread of a blog post is a place for discussions. If your contribution to the discussion is difficult to understand, it might not get approved. Comment edited to improve clarity and readability. — MWS)
You don’t have to ask. I think that you should began writing because you already have audience, and i think most of them didn’t take the survey because they are already despondent. When you told them that you are going to write “Light of the Outsider” and made videos about how you are excited then you began to say i don’t have time and making excuses about why it isn’t it out yet. It is just not what a fan would like to hear.
Although i still admire you and your work, you’re not making something for those who liked “Brave Men Run,” which are those who would like to hear it then donate then buy an other edition. I am just revealing facts from my point of view.
I think this survey didn’t point anything because it didn’t have your best fans, and these results doesn’t prove anything, i mean there is no tax on lying.
Why not say that you are going to support a story which is going to be free? You know what? If you want to get back your audience you must at least post the first few chapters for free, or you can (let the buyer set the price.) I think you would be surprised with numbers that the buyers will choose. Make few videos on youtube too. People who know you on Facebook aren’t your real fans but people on Podiobooks are.
Thanks for the comment — and as always, thanks for your enthusiastic support of my work. I’m going to address some specific things you wrote:
I never expected most of my audience to take the survey. My measurable social media audience is (considering Twitter and Facebook followers) two to three thousand people (there’s a lot of overlap.) Depending on what that number actually is, 5% ~ 8% responded to the survey. That’s actually a pretty good response from a marketing perspective, so I’m pleased about that.
I appreciate your opinion regarding what my fans are thinking and feeling.
As for “Light of the Outsider,” you might want to watch the last episode of “Writing Light.” In it, I talk about the structural and thematic problems with “Light of the Outsider,” and ask the viewers if I should continue doing the video with a shift in focus to general writing topics. One person voted in favor of that, which wasn’t enough to continue investing time and energy in that video series.
Regarding what my fans would or would not like to hear: It’s my hope that my fans want direct, honest, transparent communication with me. My approach has always been to treat my audience as my peers and equals, and to interact with them on the Internet in the same fashion as if we were talking in person. If folks don’t like what I have to say, so be it… they’ll either tell me and we’ll talk about it or they’ll go away.
I tried to make it very clear in my post that I must prioritize my creative time around those projects that earn me a living. Writing “Pilgrimage” on spec, and especially creating a free podcast version of the novel, which I believe is what you’re suggesting, would require an investment of literally hundreds of hours of my time. I quite literally cannot afford to do that.
Also, I must respectfully point out that “the facts” and your point of view are not necessarily the same thing.
Regarding who my “real fans” are: I confess I don’t understand, or agree with, your reasoning.
I don’t think it’s right for me to judge which people are “real fans” or not. I can’t say much on that subject beyond this: it’s my hope that fans of my creative endeavors support me both monetarily and through evangelism… in other words, buy my works and spread the word. Some can do both, some can do one or the other… but if they’re thinking of me at all, I appreciate it.
Thanks, again, for taking the time to comment.
One person voted in favor of that, which wasn’t enough to continue investing time and energy in that video series.
well at least now you have 2 likes and four comments
The fact that you’re asking if you should write, Mr. Selznick, is a big indicator that you have lost the spark which flames our imaginations and makes your fans live in the universe you have created. Creative people who are destined to succeed feel a burning need to write, irrelevant of the opinions of others. If you had enough passion about adding a sequel to the series, you have found the time, not now, but six years ago.
You are very late in trying to add the sequel. Those who liked Brave Men Run have long forgotten about waiting for the next installment to be published. Nobody waits for a sequel for six years. In an alternative history
in which you have written and published Brave Men Run II in 2006, you might have built yourself a fan base loyal enough to follow your work, which might have eventually led to a success close to that of Scott Sigler, the ultimate success example for creative people like you.
If you write this time, bear in mind that it will be like you’re just writing your first novel, in a market much more aggressive, hostile and saturated than it was in 2006, and with the novelty of podcasting faded long ago. So you will be swimming against the tide.
Still, I hope that you are not too late. I urge you to give it your best and write. If you didn’t succeed, at least you will be satisfied that you have tried and you won’t have any regrets, not even the time and effort you spent on it. You will always love your work, successful or not. If you don’t try, however, you will spend the rest of your life thinking back and reflecting on what might have happened had you acted differently. Surveys don’t show the future. Asking people about what they would do is a poor indication of what will happen. Just find the time and give it your best. Once you recover the glow of that spark within, you will be unstoppable.
I wish you all the best
Mo Najjar – Baghdad
Thanks for your comment, Mo — it’s nice to know the Najjar family has such an emotional stake in my creative work. I appreciate your intentions, and your positive encouragement.
Similar to some of the things aws wrote in his comment, you have some opinions that you present as facts, and you make assumptions I must correct.
There are several misconceptions in that statement:
I agree, with a caveat: I’m a creator, not just a writer. Writing is one of the ways I create, but not the only way. It’s true — I feel a burning need to create, and I make sure that need is satisfied every day, one way or another. Some of those creations are mine, and some are created for a fee in service to others.
I also agree that the opinions of others have no bearing on how I go about making things. And yet, I’m responding to your comment.
I never wrote “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” with a sequel in mind. To me, that book stands on its own and answers all the thematic questions it poses. Despite the fact that people asked — almost from the beginning — for another book featuring Nate and the gang, I wasn’t about to write something if I didn’t have something worthwhile to say as a storyteller. Again, it’s a matter of not being swayed by the opinions of others when it comes to one’s creative endeavors.
A few years ago, a meaningful story began to take shape. I played with it a little, especially around the Swarm Press re-release of the paperback edition of “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” in 2008. The story needed time to incubate — that’s how it goes sometimes.
Again, you’re making assumptions and presenting them as facts. Don’t forget that new people are discovering “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” every day, and not just the free podcast edition, thankfully, since the people who spend money on the for-pay editions are, in part, contributing to my ability to earn a living.
And, again, “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” was not written to be “part one” of a series of Nate Charters books. As I’ve said since 2005, I envision four to six Sovereign Era novels, plus other works, but they would not necessarily all feature the same characters.
I guess you’ve never heard of George R. R. Martin, or David Gerrold. Not that I’m comparing myself to them… but in fact, lots of people wait years for a sequel. Again, if we’re going to have a meaningful discussion, please do not present your opinions as facts.
Regarding your mention of the success of my colleague Scott Sigler: I celebrate his accomplishments, but his path is not mine, and this isn’t a competition. Please understand that I mean no disrespect to Scott when I say that his career and example have no influence on my creative decisions.
Again, I have to take issue with your practice of making assumptions and presenting them as fact.
It won’t be like I’m writing my first novel. When I wrote my first novel, I had almost no reputation as a creator. That is not the case now.
A hostile, aggressive and saturated market?
Hm… hostile? No: in 2005, when I released “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” simultaneously in print, e-books and podcast editions, no one knew what a podcast was, e-books were a tiny, tiny, irrelevant fraction of the publishing industry, and self-publishing was looked at as illegitimate and inferior to traditional publishing. Things are very, very different now. The market is far more friendly and conducive to success.
Aggressive and saturated? I assume you mean there’s more competition. True, the independent publishing marketplace is much larger than it was in 2005, but with that comes a much larger audience of consumers. Also, genre books like my Sovereign Era works are selling better than almost anything else. I’m not concerned.
As for podcasting… who said anything about a podcast edition of “Pilgrimage?”
Your next paragraph has a lot of encouragement in it, and I appreciate the sentiment, truly. But, again, your passionate words come from a flawed premise: I’m not asking anyone if I should write “Pilgrimage” or not. I’m telling people that “Pilgrimage” won’t be a priority — possibly for a long time — unless a crowdfunding campaign supports its creation.
Perhaps I can explain it by shifting to an example in another creative field. Let’s say I’m an architect. I have a lot of ideas for different buildings and civic centers and other structures. That creative “spark” that drives me to make things is not a hobby, though — it’s how I make my living. Even though I have a lot of different creative ideas I can pursue and bring to fruition, as an architect, I’m going to focus on the ideas that also provide for me and my loved ones.
So… even though I have an idea for a concert hall, if someone will pay me to work on my idea for an art museum, I’m going to make the art museum a priority. Both the concert hall and art museum are projects I love — buildings I want to see move from blueprint to physical structure. Since the drive to create is the same whether it’s a concert hall or an art museum, the deciding factor will be the project that will keep me fed and clothed so that I can afford to do more creative things.
We shall see… that’s the whole point of the survey.
By the way… when the crowdfunding campaign for the creation of “Pilgrimage” begins, can I count on your support with a pledge, Mo? If so, be sure to sign up for the mailing list so you’ll be notified as soon as it begins.
Thanks again, sincerely, for your impassioned comment.
Dear Mr. Selznick,
Thanks a lot for your thorough reply, and sorry it took me all those months to respond.
I thought it was understood that since we’re posting “comments” that we are expressing our “opinions.” But if you feel that your replies represent facts, then I truly hope you’re right. I’m not here to disagree with you.
When I talked about being a few years late, I meant that when you first published Brave Men Run, I felt there was a window of opportunity to publish a sequel and to increase your fan base considerably. That way you would have struck while the iron was still hot, as the saying goes, and would have maximized your success.
I felt the same about Christiana Ellis, author of “Nina Kimberly the Merciless,” which was published and podcast around the same time as Brave Men Run. But to my dismay, both you and Ms. Ellis didn’t seem too keen on writing a sequel to your very sweet and captivating novels.
That is so unfortunate, as doing so might very well have increased your financial success right then, and would have made you worry less about providing for your loved ones.
Well I guess that’s all water under the bridge right now. You seem to be doing pretty well. I’m so glad that Pilgrimage was funded and I’m looking forward to the day you bask in its success. That will bring joy to all of us who call ourselves your fans.
On a slightly different note, I would like to talk to you about the possibility of translating Brave Men Run to Arabic. We have an event in Iraq called “Baghdad, the capital of Culture 2013.” If a translator submits a work to the committee in charge of that event, that work will get published by the Iraqi Ministry of Culture. So I thought, being a translator, of your novel as something I would like to work on, as it would be easier for me to translate something I love.
If that is OK with you, please let me know what is needed from me legally to be able to do that.
I wish you all the best in all your creative work
Mo Najjar – Baghdad
It’s an interesting idea… but would your Ministry of Culture permit a book that includes drinking, disrespectful behavior toward parents, nudity, and graphic violence?
It’s been a while since I’ve listened to Brave Men Run, but I don’t remember there were all those things you’re talking about. In any case all these are presented from the perspective of a teenager, so they’re naturally toned down. But what do I know? Our bureaucrats might very well turn out to be the most closed minded people on earth.
I’ll try to check and get back to you by next week.
In the meantime, I meant to ask you about the ebook of Brave Men Run. What file format is it? Is there a PDF? If not, can I open it using Calibre, or any other PC program?
I think I can manage translating Brave Men Run from the Podcast, but if I got the go ahead, I think I’d better have the ebook available as well. But I don’t have an ebook reader. If I got the ebook, I’m going to need to open it on my PC.
Hi Mo,
Your assumption is incorrect, I’m afraid! The teenagers in “Brave Men Run” use profanity constantly, they drink alcohol (in one scene), the main character lies to his mother, other characters do things behind their parents’ backs, and there are two scenes of consensual erotic activity (one with clothes on, one with most clothes off.) In other words, they behave like a lot of teenagers did when I was in high school in the 1980′s.
The graphic violence, when it occurs, is brutal, visceral, bloody, and described in detail — and that’s deliberate; when the violence occurs, it’s meant to be taken seriously and be very jarring.
Do me a favor — if you would still like to investigate the possibility of doing a translation, please contact me directly about it. The comments thread of this post isn’t the best place to discuss possible business deals.
Thanks again!
“Nobody waits for a sequel for six years.”
Terminator 2 came out 7 years after the first one, and it did alright.
Aliens was seven years after Alien, if I recall. Maybe I’m right on schedule…
Perhaps your frankness dispels the mystical aura of the writer as someone who sups on the aethyr for survival.
I’ve participated in crowdfunding several creative projects. I figure a person has to eat, especially if you want him to write something for you., or if you want that CD for which he can’t afford the studio time without help (the last project I helped fund). You can think of it as pre-ordering, or you can think of it as giving a brother a hand, whatever works for you.
I think there is a bigger market for creative endeavors lately.
Tasty, tasty aethyr… it’s even better when it’s spelled with a “y.”
I’m proud of my own crowdfunding participation… so far five of six of the projects exceeded their funding goals, and the sixth is well on its way.
Way back in April of 2004, I wrote a guest blog post called “DIY Endeavors and the Internet Economy.” In it, I talk about the changing dynamics of the creator / consumer relationship, and, while I don’t call it by name, the neo-patronage movement Kickstarter exemplifies. The original website is long gone, but it might be fun to re-visit that essay on my blog, eight years later.
“I’m proud of my own crowdfunding participation… so far five of six of the projects exceeded their funding goals, and the sixth is well on its way.”
and what are these five projects if i may ask?
From my profile on Kickstarter:
Clang, The Miracle Mile Paradox ARG, The World Record’s New Double Album, I Hate You, An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, and Hipster Holocaust: A Film.
I hope you do go forward with this crowdfunding project… I’m a huge fan of your work… I would humbly beg that you DO make a podcast version available as well… It seems that this is how I get most of my “reading” done these days
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Daniel! I’m planning the Kickstarter campaign as fast as I can, but I want to make sure I do it right… and here’s what I’m thinking regarding a podcast version. If the funding exceeds its goal (whatever that might turn out to be) by $1,000.00, I’ll do some type of podcast version of the book. If it exceeds its goal by $2000.00, I’ll do an unabridged audiobook as well.
But that’s just me thinking out loud…! Stay tuned!
That is a grate idea, If you say this in the details i think it will easily exceed your goal more than 2 grands.
keep up the good work i love you for who you are not for who i want you to be.
Mr. Selznick,
I contributed to the the kickstarter campaign at the highest level I could financially justify at the moment. I discovered “Brave Men Run” several years ago when I first stumbled upon self-published novels, including audiobooks like the ones available at podiobooks.com.
All my live I have been a voracious reader. I will read anything – including, but not limited to, the ingredients on the back of a shampoo bottle or the directions on a packet of microwave oatmeal. When reading for pure entertainment I am especially attracted to anything that can be classified as Science Fiction.
For a long while now, my life has been progressively become so busy as to whittle my available time for pleasure-reading down to almost nil. Concurrently, the amount of traveling (by car) I do in my career has increased dramatically. As a result, the vast majority of “reading” – especially for entertainment – that I am able to accomplish is in the form of audio books.
Having said that, I feel obliged to mention that I have never, ever, “read” an abridged version of an audio book – or any other book for that matter. I want to appreciate the story in all it’s rich detail, and I cannot bring myself to settle for less than what was originally intended.
I would eagerly either pay for a full-length version, or suffer through the painstaking process of actually reading a few pages here, a few pages there, as I can crow-bar it into my schedule before I would ever listen to an abridged version. This is absolutely anathema for me – in my younger days I would love nothing more than to devour an entire novel of this type in a single long, gloriously lazy day. There is something about completely filling your mind with the world of a truly great story that cannot be accomplished in bits and pieces.
I don’t know if any others feel this way, but as a member of the group of people who a.) enjoy your work b.) are willing to contribute monetarily to such and c.) are interested enough in this process to take the time to write a reply, I thought you might be interested in my opinion.
I truly hope that the “Pilgrimage” project is fully funded, and I eagerly anticipate the resulting novel that you will produce. Indeed, I would love to lock you into producing the third volume in 2013, but I wonder if that might be over-reaching a bit? Time will tell, I suppose.
In any case, if the funding for this project falls somewhere between the +$1000 and the +$2000 markers, I hope you will seriously consider any route you might take to producing the full audio version as opposed to an abridged version. The full version (at least to my way of thinking) is infinitely and inherently more valuable.
Thank you for your time,
Josh
Thanks so much for you comment, Josh! Your support and enthusiasm are wonderful — I truly appreciate it.
The reasons I’m committing to reading, recording, producing and distributing a free, abridged podcast version of “Pilgrimage — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” if my Kickstarter campaign hits a stretch goal of $1,000 over the campaign goal of $5,000.00 have to do with this:
Unfortunately, I can’t commit to financing the production of an unabridged, for-pay audiobook edition of “Pilgrimage — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” unless the Kickstarter campaign hits or surpasses the stretch goal of $2,000.00 beyond the $5,000.00 goal. The best way to make sure an audiobook happens is for fans like you to tell everyone they know about the Kickstarter campaign in any way that you can!
Thanks again, Josh… and thanks so much for your pledge to support the Kickstarter campaign for “Pilgrimage — A Novel of the Sovereign Era!”
Thanks for your reply. Your reasoning makes sense to me.