Hi everyone – the three-quarters funded marker is just a couple of pledges away and it’s kind of crept up on me. Again, massive thanks to everyone who’s pledged so far, and do please continue to spread the word (send them here!). In the meantime, here’s a little quiz you can share with anyone who’s not yet pledged…
Till next week!
Mark
Big love and thanks to all new backers of THE END OF MAGIC this week. We’re up to 68% and it would be great to make 70% by the end of the week.
It was great to see some of the 5-pack bundles get pledges… I bought a 5-pack myself last week to get copies of the book for a few friends who aren’t fans of the internet (and after the news these past few weeks you can hardly blame them!).
If you know someone who loves a bit of fantasy but doesn’t relish the idea of shopping online then do please ask them to drop me a line here and I’ll do everything I can to help. Until next week, here are some choice words from the book…
Mark
I really enjoyed speaking to Cavan Scott on this week’s episode of the Bestseller Experiment. He writes on licence – that is, he writes for some of the biggest franchises and series in the world, including Star Wars, Doctor Who and Star Trek. Listening to how he worked his way up from sending pitches to Big Finish Audio to becoming an influential writer of these beloved universes, and now writing his own fiction, was inspirational stuff. And moreso, now I’ve just learned that Cavan is bringing back Jaxxon the Rabbit, a cocky gunslinger who featured in one of the first ever Star Wars spinoff stories in the weekly comic.
It’s a fun episode, and you can listen to it here.
My co-presenter this week was the wonderful Jenn McMenemy, whose own podcast The Ancient History Fangirl, has just launched its second episode and it’s a blast. Check it out here.
In other news, I hit 60% funded on The End of Magic this week! A huge thanks to everyone who has supported the book so far. As a reward (punishment) here’s me reading from the book with another terrible “comedy” accent…
If you haven’t pledged yet, then please visit here and hit the big blue ‘pledge’ button: https://unbound.com/books/end-of-magic/
A huge thanks to all the new backers of my fantasy novel THE END OF MAGIC who’ve joined us in the last week.
I’m still hitting my 1% per day target, which is great, and as a treat (punishment?) here’s another clip of me reading from the book with another terrible accent…
Enjoy and if you haven’t pledged yet, you can do so here, and if you have pledged then please keep spreading the word!
With eternal gratitude – Mark
On this week’s Bestseller Experiment podcast I spoke to Ghostwriter Roz Morris, who gives a very thorough breakdown of how a ghostwriter works, and also describes a fun way of developing story ideas that involves scraps of paper and a box.
Mark Desvaux has had to bow out of the podcast for a few episodes due to a family illness, so I was ably assisted by Jenn McMenemy who, as well being on the podcast as a guest previously, has also launched her own podcast Ancient History Fangirl, which is huge fun and proves once again that history is a great resource for writers.
This week’s Deep Dive podcast is a cracker, looking into audiobooks, the fastest growing sector of publishing. We talk to Orion Audio’s Paul Stark about mainstream audiobook publishing, and we also get contributions from indie authors Jo Ho and Michael R Miller. It’s choc full of ready detailed info, so if you’re not a Patreon supporter pop over to our Patreon page and get on board!
And finally, at the time of writing I’m 59% funded on my book The End of Magic. A thousand thanks to everyone who’s pledged so far, and if you haven’t joined the adventure yet, why not be the hero who nudges me over to 60%? Click here and hit the blue pledge button.
Till next time, happy writing!
Mark
Happy days! I just hit 50% FUNDED on THE END OF MAGIC! In the words of the poet, ‘Woah, we’re halfway there, woa-oh, we’re livin’ on a prayer!’
Huge thanks and big love to everyone who’s pledged so far. It’s incredible to me to think that we’ve come so far in just a few weeks.
As a treat (punishment?) here’s a quick extract of me reading from THE END OF MAGIC…
I apologise in advance for the Scots accent. a) The character was written that way, and b) I’m an old ham and can’t help myself.
To pledge and support THE END OF MAGIC, click here: https://unbound.com/books/end-of-magic/
The End of Magic now has over 100 backers, which is amazing and I would hug you all but I suspect there are laws against that sort of thing and my arms aren’t nearly big enough. Didn’t quite make my aspirational 50% target this week, but I’m really happy at 46%. Still, almost, just, maybe making my 1% per day target…
But next week, folks, next week it’s 50% or bust! I’ve been told that getting to 50% means I’ll get on the Unbound newsletter, which reaches 60k people, which might help a tad.
So do please continue to spread the word. Send your fantasy fiction fans this link… https://unbound.com/books/end-of-magic/
Or this RT this tweet if you haven’t already… https://twitter.com/markstay/status/963766850155933699
Or send them to this video…
In the meantime, enjoy these little snippets from the book…
Till next week!
This morning I was delighted to discover that we’ve hit 42% funded, with 93 wonderful, beautiful backers!
42, of course, is the answer to the question of Life, the Universe and Everything as featured in the Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy (definitely my Desert Island Discs book), and so I’m doubly happy. I’m still hitting my 1% per day target, and it would be great to hit 50% this time next week.
I’m still finding that personalised emails and messages are the best way to get responses and pledges, but my address book will inevitable run out at some point, so I’ve started experimenting with some social media ideas to get the word out there…
https://twitter.com/markstay/status/971369802030878720
If you’re on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, do please share them far and wide and a huge thank you to everyone who has done so already.
And here’s a link if you’ve not pledged yet: https://unbound.com/books/end-of-magic/
More next week!
Howdy hey!
Yes, that’s the BBC microphone muffler I found in the gutter in Oxford Circus last week…
I mention this as it’s one of the many highlights from last week’s Bestseller experiment live show that are now available to plug directly into your earholes via the medium of podcast. Click here for audio fun time.
Thanks to snowmaggeddon I had to record this one at home, but the usually flaky BT broadband actually held up and a splendid time was had by all. We discussed…
The question from Edward Kane on tenses was a fun one to answer, though I’ve since realised that my erudite rambling could be cut down to two simple principles:
The present tense works better for unreliable narrators
The past tense works better for reliable narrators
And the less we will say about the future tense the better*
And here’s a link to the Action Force Palitoy book we mentioned in our conversation about crowdfunding. It really is ace, if that’s your thing.
And speaking of crowdfunding… did you know that Betseller Experiment listeners get 10% off when they pledge for my new book The End of Magic? Go here, click pledge and type bestsellerxp when prompted.
Oh, and Dominic did me a new sting…!
Thank you and till next time, happy writing!
Until next time, happy writing!
Mark
*I made a bad grammar joke! Am I not funny?
PS. That novel I wrote with Mark Desvaux is still getting lovely reviews. Grab your copy here and tell us what you think.
PS. Oh, and if you want to support our work on the podcast, we now have a Patreon. Do please support us and we can keep this crazy train rolling.
Another week passes and I’m currently at 35% funded with 73 wonderful backers. A big welcome to everyone who’s joined the adventure in the last week. Your pledges mean the world to me.
I’m also amazed to see that the ‘Be in the book’ pledges have sold out! Thank you Craig, Phill and Andy… I look forward to giving you all glorious deaths on paper very soon.
I’m currently hitting my target of 1% per day, and if we keep this up then we should be fully funded on 4th May, so if you’ve already pledged please continue to spread the word and let any fantasy fiction fans you know that the book is coming. Word of mouth is the best way to help make this happen. Here’s the link: https://unbound.com/books/end-of-magic/
We discuss The End of Magic and how Unbound work in this week’s episode of The Bestseller Experiment podcast. Have a listen here… http://bestsellerexperiment.com/unbound-and-the-end-of-magic/
Mark Stay Writes 