Straight Dope Message Board

[Infovore]

My urban fantasy series, The Alastair Stone Chronicles, has been selling pretty well since I released the first book in March of 2015. Now that I'm up to four books, I've released an ebook box set including all four. It's just a smidge under a 40% savings over buying them all separately, and you get almost 1,800 pages!

If you like urban fantasy with a supernatural thriller focus (I play in the same pool as the Dresden Files, albeit in the shallow end ), take a look!




Thanks for looking! 1

[Algher]

Awesome - read the first one already, will pick up the rest. 2

[Infovore]

Thanks! Hope you enjoy them! 3

[picker]

I'm in. I love the Dresden Files and most urban fantasy in general. You have some great reviews and recommendations, so very happy to support a fellow doper! 4

[Infovore]

Thank you! 5

[TheLadyMage]

I'm trying to save some money but I'll check it out after my next big paycheck! 6

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by TheLadyMage

I'm trying to save some money but I'll check it out after my next big paycheck!

Thanks, and hope you enjoy! 7

[chorpler]

I bought this pack in addition to three of the individual books that I already had. (I guess I somehow missed the first book, Stone and a Hard Place.)

I quite enjoyed them. And as a bonus, some of two of the books took place in Las Vegas and the surrounding desert. Go, Nevada!

One question/comment, which might or might not be better discussed in a separate thread: there was no cell phone or Internet usage that I recall, even when that could have made the protagonists' lives much easier (like trying to stay in touch with homeless people, or in looking at maps, or calling for a tow truck). It felt like it might be set in the early-to-mid 1990's, rather than today. Was that the case? Or some other reason?

Still, I liked them, so thanks. And given the ending of book 4, I'm anxious to see what happens in book 5. (I assume you haven't stopped, right?) 8

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by chorpler

I bought this pack in addition to three of the individual books that I already had. (I guess I somehow missed the first book, Stone and a Hard Place.)

I quite enjoyed them. And as a bonus, some of two of the books took place in Las Vegas and the surrounding desert. Go, Nevada!

Glad you enjoyed them! And glad I apparently didn't make any egregious Nevada errors (I did do my research, so I hope not. )

One question/comment, which might or might not be better discussed in a separate thread: there was no cell phone or Internet usage that I recall, even when that could have made the protagonists' lives much easier (like trying to stay in touch with homeless people, or in looking at maps, or calling for a tow truck). It felt like it might be set in the early-to-mid 1990's, rather than today. Was that the case? Or some other reason?

The books are set in an alternate-universe version of our world (I figure heck, if magic exists, then it has to be an alternate-universe version, right?) where technology hasn't advanced quite as fast, but social attitudes are more in line with the modern day. Tech will start appearing in the series soon--in book 6, one of the characters has a cell phone. I just wanted to start out without stuff that could really make mystery plots problematic. I wish I could use the "mages bork up technology" thing, but Jim Butcher kinda already covered that)

Still, I liked them, so thanks. And given the ending of book 4, I'm anxious to see what happens in book 5. (I assume you haven't stopped, right?)

I haven't stopped! Book 5 comes out next month, and books 6 and 7 are done in first-draft stage and waiting for editing. I've got the series planned out to Book 13, and I anticipate more to come after that (I already have more ideas). If you want to keep up with upcoming announcements, you can join the mailing list at alastairstonechronicles.com. You even get a free novella!

ETA: Also, I'd be ever so grateful if you'd consider leaving me a review on Amazon, for the box set (which doesn't have any yet) or for any of the individual books. Even a single-line review is helpful and appreciated. Thanks! 9

[Infovore]

Just a heads-up if anyone was thinking about taking a look - the box set is on sale for 99 cents through this weekend (I got a BookBub deal!) 90% off regular price. 10

[Parthol]

Originally Posted by Infovore

Just a heads-up if anyone was thinking about taking a look - the box set is on sale for 99 cents through this weekend (I got a BookBub deal!) 90% off regular price.

First of all: yoink! Purchased, though it's currently sitting behind a wall of other books on my to-read list.

Second of all: that's fantastic about BookBub! An author friend of mine recently had a free promotion there for one day, which resulted in something like 30,000 free downloads -- and in the two weeks since he's had about 1,000 PAID downloads for the normal-priced version.

According to their website, an average discount promotion for the "Supernatural Suspense" category results in 1,380 downloads. I hope it performs so well for you.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes. 11

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by Parthol

First of all: yoink! Purchased, though it's currently sitting behind a wall of other books on my to-read list.

Oh, I understand completely. My to-read list is scary right now!

Second of all: that's fantastic about BookBub! An author friend of mine recently had a free promotion there for one day, which resulted in something like 30,000 free downloads -- and in the two weeks since he's had about 1,000 PAID downloads for the normal-priced version.

According to their website, an average discount promotion for the "Supernatural Suspense" category results in 1,380 downloads. I hope it performs so well for you.

Thanks! I think it's been live for two or three hours now (judging by the fact that my total sales were very low when I got up this morning) and I'm now sitting at 1,065 purchases. That means I've already paid off the promo, so everything beyond this is profit. Hoping that rate continues for a while - I'd love to hit #1 in at least one of my subcategories. 12

[Parthol]

Originally Posted by Infovore

Hoping that rate continues for a while - I'd love to hit #1 in at least one of my subcategories.

Just looked at your Amazon page.



13

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by Parthol

Just looked at your Amazon page.

Holy cats, I've been watching that all day and it just now changed. Thanks! 14

[Parthol]

Originally Posted by Infovore

Holy cats, I've been watching that all day and it just now changed. Thanks!

If you want a vanity souvenir, go to the bestseller list for "Sword & Sorcery Fantasy" and take a screenshot with your collection two spots over from Harry Potter. (I did a similar thing when The Ventifact Colossus briefly shared screen real estate with Rothfuss, Jordan and Sanderson.)

So pleased to see a Doper having such success! 15

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by Parthol

If you want a vanity souvenir, go to the bestseller list for "Sword & Sorcery Fantasy" and take a screenshot with your collection two spots over from Harry Potter. (I did a similar thing when The Ventifact Colossus briefly shared screen real estate with Rothfuss, Jordan and Sanderson.)

So pleased to see a Doper having such success!

Ha, thanks! I just snagged that screenshot.

Rothfuss, Jordan and Sanderson: that's some pretty good company! Congrats to you too. 16

[Parthol]

Originally Posted by Infovore

Ha, thanks! I just snagged that screenshot.

Rothfuss, Jordan and Sanderson: that's some pretty good company! Congrats to you too.

Well, it was for about six minutes at the height of a (much smaller than yours) promotion, when I was briefly #86 in Epic Fantasy. Nothing like the lofty heights you're reaching right now! 17

[Teuton]

I picked them up from amazon.co.uk, where they are 99p. Looking forward to reading them, I love this kind of stuff! 18

[Infovore]

I'm now at #19 in the whole Kindle store, and #1 in a bunch of my categories (beating out Harry Potter in some and Stephen King in others). This is kind of unreal, but I'm gonna ride it for as long as it lasts. 19

[Parthol]

Originally Posted by Infovore

I'm now at #19 in the whole Kindle store, and #1 in a bunch of my categories (beating out Harry Potter in some and Stephen King in others). This is kind of unreal, but I'm gonna ride it for as long as it lasts.

Now that your BookBub deal is over, are you finding any "knock on" effect in terms of full price sales of your books? 20

[Infovore]

I haven't changed the price back yet - I told BB I would keep it discounted through 11:59 tonight, so I'm going to change the prices before I go to bed tonight. I hope I get at least some carry-over when the set goes back to normal price. 21

[bldysabba]

Wow. Am I the only person who read the title of the thread as Urban Fantasy Bot Sex ? 22

[Parthol]

Originally Posted by Infovore

I haven't changed the price back yet - I told BB I would keep it discounted through 11:59 tonight, so I'm going to change the prices before I go to bed tonight. I hope I get at least some carry-over when the set goes back to normal price.

Ah, so you didn't use an Amazon KPD "countdown deal?"

Keep us updated as to how things go post-sale; we self-published authors need all the data we can get from you pioneering types. 23

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by Parthol

Ah, so you didn't use an Amazon KPD "countdown deal?"

Keep us updated as to how things go post-sale; we self-published authors need all the data we can get from you pioneering types.

No, I didn't do a countdown deal because I'm not enrolled in Kindle Select. I like to have my books available at all the major vendors.

Numbers are, of course, way down once the price went back up, but still quite a bit better than pre-BookBub. I sold about twice the number of box sets yesterday than my best day before, so that's nice. Don't know how long it will keep going, but I'm coming out with a new release on the 15th of this month so hopefully that will help boost sales again. 24

[Infovore]

If anybody read the first four books of the series and enjoyed them, Book 5 is now out!

It's now been three weeks or so since the BookBub deal, and I'm not sure if it's that or the new release, but my sales have increased nicely. Maybe it was a combination of the two. But either way, both the box set and Book 5 are now in the 5,000-6,000 Amazon sales rank range.

I'm now starting to feel the faint glimmerings of hope that I might be able to do this full-time in the next year or so if things keep going as they are. I've got three more books finished or almost finished (the next one's already in editing) and ideas for many more. So I guess as long as people enjoy the series, I might have a chance of pursuing my dream. Color me excited and terrified. 25

[Algher]

Originally Posted by Infovore

If anybody read the first four books of the series and enjoyed them, Book 5 is now out!

It's now been three weeks or so since the BookBub deal, and I'm not sure if it's that or the new release, but my sales have increased nicely. Maybe it was a combination of the two. But either way, both the box set and Book 5 are now in the 5,000-6,000 Amazon sales rank range.

I'm now starting to feel the faint glimmerings of hope that I might be able to do this full-time in the next year or so if things keep going as they are. I've got three more books finished or almost finished (the next one's already in editing) and ideas for many more. So I guess as long as people enjoy the series, I might have a chance of pursuing my dream. Color me excited and terrified.

harumph. You are nothing more than a street corner pusher. You offer up books 1-4 in a nice, neat bundle. Then you get me hooked. Then, then you drop book 5 which I MUST read given how book 4 ended.

Grumble grumble grumble - purchased, looking forward to reading it...

(OK - what is the Stanford connection? I enjoy reading about a version of the Bay Area that is not quite taken over by silicon valley startups btw). 26

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by Algher

harumph. You are nothing more than a street corner pusher. You offer up books 1-4 in a nice, neat bundle. Then you get me hooked. Then, then you drop book 5 which I MUST read given how book 4 ended.

Grumble grumble grumble - purchased, looking forward to reading it...

Haha! My fiendish plan is working!

Psst...book 6 comes out in June...

(OK - what is the Stanford connection? I enjoy reading about a version of the Bay Area that is not quite taken over by silicon valley startups btw).

I wanted to set the series in the Bay Area since that's where I live and I hate geographical research. I wanted Stone to have a job at a prestigious university, and Stanford's about as prestigious as they come around here.

There will probably be a bit of start-uppy stuff in future books, but I'm bringing in technology slowly in my alternate-universe version of the world. It certainly won't be a focus.

Thanks for purchasing, and really glad you're enjoying the books!

As always, if you feel like it, I'd be most grateful if you posted a review on Amazon. Even a line or two helps! 27

[Algher]

Originally Posted by Infovore

Haha! My fiendish plan is working!

Psst...book 6 comes out in June...



I wanted to set the series in the Bay Area since that's where I live and I hate geographical research. I wanted Stone to have a job at a prestigious university, and Stanford's about as prestigious as they come around here.

There will probably be a bit of start-uppy stuff in future books, but I'm bringing in technology slowly in my alternate-universe version of the world. It certainly won't be a focus.

Thanks for purchasing, and really glad you're enjoying the books!

As always, if you feel like it, I'd be most grateful if you posted a review on Amazon. Even a line or two helps!

Each time I read of him in his office I try to discern which corner of the Quad he is in (no doubt over by the remains of the Classics department). Enjoying the series, and seeing the development of your writing style as well. 28

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by Algher

Each time I read of him in his office I try to discern which corner of the Quad he is in (no doubt over by the remains of the Classics department). Enjoying the series, and seeing the development of your writing style as well.

Oh! Are you at Stanford? I'd love to ask you a few questions if so, if you're willing. 29

[Nava]

Picking up the kindle set from the .es store 30

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by Nava

Picking up the kindle set from the .es store

Thank you! I hope you enjoy them! 31

[Sunny Daze]

Bought the first 4.

What are your Stanford questions? 32

[Algher]

Originally Posted by Infovore

Oh! Are you at Stanford? I'd love to ask you a few questions if so, if you're willing.

Alum, live half-time in San Jose, happy to provide any color commentary as requested. 33

[Regallag_The_Axe]

Originally Posted by bldysabba

Wow. Am I the only person who read the title of the thread as Urban Fantasy Bot Sex ?

I read it as "Urban Fantasy Sex Bot." I've probably been spending too much time on one of those other forums. 34

[Infovore]

Book 6 is coming out in mid to late June, and the audiobook version of Book 1 should be out (fingers crossed and Amazon willing) within the next couple of weeks. 35

[Infovore]

Book 6 is out! (Amazon now, coming within a few days to iBooks, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble)

Audiobook is out! 36

[Algher]

Fine. Bought it. There goes this evening's plans to be productive. 37

[Infovore]

Book 7 is now out, if anybody's following along.

Also, if you want to get started cheap with the series, the ebook box set featuring books 1-4 is on sale for a limited time for only 99 cents. Got another Bookbub coming up this weekend--hopefully it'll do as well as the last one! If you have any friends who like urban fantasy, I'd love it if you'd let them know about the deal. I don't do these very often.

Thanks! 38

[Algher]

And now I am reading it... (gotta love Kindle delivery for impulse purchases). 39

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by Algher

And now I am reading it... (gotta love Kindle delivery for impulse purchases).

Thanks! Hope you enjoy it! 40

[Algher]

Originally Posted by Infovore

Thanks! Hope you enjoy it!

OK - the first bar makes me think of the late, lamented Blank Club. I also know the Fairmont bar quite well. 41

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by Algher

OK - the first bar makes me think of the late, lamented Blank Club. I also know the Fairmont bar quite well.

Haha! I forgot you're local. Honestly, I've never been to the Fairmont bar, but I assumed it would be a reasonable choice for something a bit more upscale in downtown SJ. Glad I didn't screw it up. 42

[Infovore]

Just a little plug: the entire series (7 books) is on sale for 99 cents each through Monday. So if you've been thinking about picking them up, this is a good time. Book 8 will be released in mid-December. 43

[Infovore]

I got busy and forgot to update this, but Book 8 is now available through all the usual locations, including Amazon. This one is a "prequel" of sorts, and even though it's Book 8 in the series, it would make an excellent jumping-in point for new readers. 44

[Infovore]

Forgot to post this a while back, but Book 9 has been available since March.

Also, the Boxed Set (books 1-4) is on sale through next week for 99 cents, so if you've had any interest in checking out the series, this would be a great time to do it. 45

[Atamasama]

Dresden Files fan, I grabbed your boxed set. Plan to start it this week. I like the few reviews I read. If they're good I'll get the rest. 46

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by Atamasama

Dresden Files fan, I grabbed your boxed set. Plan to start it this week. I like the few reviews I read. If they're good I'll get the rest.

Thanks! I hope you enjoy them! 47

[Atamasama]

I finished the first book and I'm onto the second. They're pretty good, I've read a lot of fantasy fiction (modern day or otherwise) and this is better than most. I've got a lot of friends into this stuff and I'll spread the word. 48

[Infovore]

Originally Posted by Atamasama

I finished the first book and I'm onto the second. They're pretty good, I've read a lot of fantasy fiction (modern day or otherwise) and this is better than most. I've got a lot of friends into this stuff and I'll spread the word.

Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the books, and I appreciate your spreading the word! The set will be on sale for a couple more days before it goes back to $9.99. 49

[Atamasama]

Finished the box set so I had to buy the others (up to book 9). I also convinced a friend to buy the first 4 box set. I really dig these books. 50