A human-warrior-wizard is asked by a dying dragon baron (these dragons are humanoid in physiology) to take his last remaining kinsman, a dragon princess of about seven or eight, and save her from certain death. The catch . . . as there is always a catch in most novels . . . is the child is not only a child. She is a weapon. A weapon designed by the Dragon Dark Gods to destroy all of Mankind. But the monk knows what she is. And there is the crux of the whole series. How do you turn a weapon designed to kill you against those who created the weapon to begin with?
The original version came out some years ago. Ten years, maybe? I don't remember. But it has grown and expanded considerably since the beginning. It has expanded, in word count, from about 72,000 words almost up to 102,000 words. Book One is called, Roland of the High Crags: Evil Arises.
Book Two is called, Roland of the High Crags: Treacherous Brethren. It's finished, but in need of a few corrections and additions. It is also longer. About 130,000 words in length. Book Three (not written yet) will be called, Roland of the High Crags: Desperate Pawns.
But here's the whammy. Do I self-publish . . . again? Or do I find a small indie publisher who will take a chance with me? Forget the Big Publishers. I have no name, no success, and no representation for any of them to take notice. And, of course, since the first volume has been published, they will not be interested in republishing.
So be it. That's the way the world rumbles.
Using a different artist on this revamping. Above is a semi-finished version of the front cover. It too needs a few corrections, but it basically what you get if you buy the book. Eventually.
To paraphrase a Shakespearean quote; Oh, what a wicked will we weave, when we . . . become a goddamn writer.
That's a tough decision - whether to self-publish or look for a small publisher. Finding someone to republish is hard, but not impossible. There are several reputable publishers out there who will republish so long as rights are back with the author. Then again, if you self-publish, you have all the control. Downside though is you have all the responsibility for advertising and whatever expenses are involved. Have I helped? Absolutely not, I know. But these story ideas are great and there are many fans of this type of story. Personally, I would approach as many publishers as I could find who would be willing to republish before I went the self-publishing route. If something could be worked out, you'd get more publicity and better exposure.
ReplyDeleteYes, Joyce. I've thought along those lines as well. No matter how you look at it, it's a toss up.
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