Blood & Soul: The Tenth Year Anniversary
The Triumphs & Challenges of an "unknown" Author
My epic fantasy fiction Blood & Soul was published ten years ago this month. Surprisingly, it hit #1 on Amazon …twice within weeks.
Before writing my bestselling book, Blood & Soul, I swore I would never self-publish. Typically, self-published books are awful. I know. I’ve tried to read them. I didn’t want to be associated with massive amounts of nonsense. Then Kindle/Amazon exploded. Then I realized I would have no shelf space even if accepted by a major publisher. No bookstore will move Tolkien, Martin, Jordan, or Sanderson's books off their shelf and put up mine. To the traditional publishing world, I was a risk.
I changed my mind and decided to self-publish. Why? Because I believed I had put forth enough sincere effort in studying the craft of storytelling. I did not compare myself with self-published authors; I compared myself with George R. R. Martin, Terry Goodkind, and David Gemmell. I did not think I would short-change anyone if they bought my independently published book rather than a big-time publisher of a new author.
I had written 3/4 of an epic fantasy that was not Blood & Soul. I pulled back and redoubled my study of how stories are structured and what makes readers want to read them. I read piles of books on how to write great books, and I read great books. I devised a new book from a back story in my already-written epic. I did this because I figured out I would need to write many books as a self-published author to gain notoriety or credentials.
I read piles of books on marketing. I started a website (not a blog) and an email list, too, but I started too late. When I finished writing Blood & Soul, which was to become a best-seller, I hired a professional editor and a proofreader.
Meanwhile, I produced a book trailer with original epic music by award-winning composer Patrick Rundblad.
It is a remarkable piece of art, with graphics, teaser wording, a mysterious intro, an epic crescendo, etc. I also had a professional book cover designed by Mark Skinner of Skinned Knees.
July 11, 2014, was the official launch day. My book climbed the charts on Amazon alongside George R. R. Martin, Terry Goodkind, and Star Wars books. I saved the screenshots.
Everything paid off to a degree. I received many 5-star ratings and reviews on Amazon, and I sold about 3500 copies, including hard copies, in the first few days. Most independently published authors sell less than 100 copies. I totally crushed that.
I went exclusively with Kindle Direct Publishing (and CreateSpace), which means my book ended up in print at Barnes & Noble.
Blood & Soul was on the bestseller list for almost six months! That blew me away. It stayed in the range of about #18 – #58 most of the time. Once or twice, it was #1. For a year, it stayed way up in the TOTAL ranking (#119,155 on the anniversary of the publishing date in the Paid Kindle Store). At that time, it was selling 2 to 4 books a day. I’ve not promoted it in nine years.
I did not get rich or gain much notoriety, but I made a dent in the universe. I consider that maiden voyage an investment, as well as the cost of doing business. I have a lot to write and a lot to learn. To this day, I have many follow-up books in rough drafts and outlines.
Back then, I was in a season of life when I could dedicate the hours needed to write a quality story. Shortly after finishing the final draft, I got a job that provided me with more expendable income but far less time to devote to writing epic novels.
My biggest problem after reaching such heights as #1 on Amazon is figuring out how to write and produce quality books promptly and consistently with less time available, make a name for myself while holding down a full-time job to support myself and endure everything life seems to throw at you when you're trying to create. I have not been able to break that dragon’s back.
Writing and publishing Blood & Soul was one of the most rewarding endeavors of my life. I hoped to entertain and inspire others with the story of my heroic central character and those around him as they fought the darkness within themselves and in their world.
As one reviewer put it:
—S. R. Piccoli
See Piccoli’s books here and articles here.
Blood & Soul isn’t the most incredible book ever written, but I left it all on the battlefield when I wrote it. I broke the back of the dragon of resistance. If you’ve got a book in you, a song, a poem, or something righteous to say, I encourage you to do it. The world needs it.
While writing my book, I made up this saying and still quote it to myself.
"If writing a good book is like catching a fly with chopsticks, writing a great book is like catching a gnat with pool cues." – Allen G. Bagby
Thank you for reading to my Substack and remember Proverbs 25:2