The “Magic 7” Fantasy Book Giveaway will set up your winter reading lineup

November 24, 2020November 25, 2020Leave a comment

Looking for a great fantasy read to get you out of your house this winter? You can step into these books and journey to other worlds beyond your imagination. It’s easy!

Presenting “The Magic 7 Fantasy Giveaway” where you could win signed copies of these seven fantasy novels from a group of great independent authors. It’s a simple contest for everyone. Just follow, like, share, and tag two friends on Instagram. Make sure you use the hashtag #themagic7giveaway to get your entry recorded for a chance to win! If you run the gambit with all seven authors, that’s a maximum of seven chances to win! The contest runs December 1-14. The winner will be selected on December 15.

You already know about me (@foreveravalon.author) and The Outlander War: Book 3 of the Forever Avalon Series. Here’s a look at the authors and the novels in the giveaway:

Blood of the Stallion (The Elder Blade Chronicles, Book 1) by Rhys Snaith — Years of living on the streets and having to fend for himself have made the young thief Yodrick Alton who he is. However, his world is drastically changed when he encounters the notorious pirate Daxon – Captain of the Iron Stallion. Now Yodrick will have to adapt to his new lifestyle while secrets from the past threaten to ruin everything. Lies, deceit and betrayal are all in store for this young pirate, so join him in his quest for the truth and read along as he uncovers the secrets of the Elder Blades. (Instagram @rhyswriting)

Unparalleled by Jenna Hebert — Seventeen-year-old Natalya Wells has one mission-to kill the monsters over the graffiti wall and rescue her best friend, Eve, who is held captive by Ascendants, the rulers of the fourth dimension. A dying land where children become victims of starvation and violence. When the Remnants, evil red-eyed demons, invade the fourth dimension, Natalya is transported to the next world. The fifth dimension is a place where grass shrivels, dies, and regrows all in a matter of seconds. The heat of the sun cannot be felt because the sky is encamped by a mural of glass. Natalya meets Jance, who belongs to a superhuman race called Raidens, warriors who heal with invincible scars. Jance holds a deadly secret about what the scars on his body truly mean, and why his own father is determined to kill him. Eve returns to the fifth dimension and meets Jance’s best friend, Ronan, a boy with no memory of the world he came from before. The three of them bind together to help Natalya become a Raiden. As Natalya endures this grueling transition, she discovers the secrets her friends are hiding, along with the unjust laws and dangerous manipulations that are poisoning this world. After a raging war divides the Raidens against one another, Natalya and her friends must reveal the darkness within themselves and embrace their unique gifts. Natalya’s power may not only shatter the glass world but someone she loves. (Instagram @jhebertbooks)

On the Edge (The Dwelling Hunter Series, Book 1) by M.J. Glenn — For two years, Ebony Wick has survived alone as an outlaw and highwaywoman in Rundlewood Forest. She doesn’t need people. She only needs to survive. But when Hunter Sparrow breaks into her camp and invites her to join his gang, the Bounty Hunters, she finds herself facing a difficult choice. With a burning desire for revenge against a powerful enemy, Ebony must choose between reason and instinct. But in doing so, she discovers a long-hidden secret that will change her world forever. (Instagram @author _mjglenn)

Bound in Darkness: The Lilith trilogy book 1 by [Kim ten Tusscher, Jos Weijmer]

Bound in Darkness (The Lilith Trilogy, Book 1) by Kim ten Tusscher — Inferno at her breath. War under her wings. With two men whispering mayhem in her ear, which way will she turn the bloody tide? Lilith has only ever lived with anger and destruction. The sole dragon shifter known to humankind, she despises her life as an instrument of terror at the hands of a prophetic sorcerer. Finally fleeing years of abuse, she’s distraught when she’s captured for stealing food and forced to answer to a bitter king for her crimes. Hiding her fiery past from the monarch’s shrewd advisor, Lilith grits her teeth and endures brutal lashings to keep her powers secret. But when her former abductor sends spies to reclaim her and threatens carnage in the name of God, she’ll have to choose for which captor she’s willing to spill more innocent blood… Can the tortured woman escape to freedom before the land beneath her burns? (Instagram @kimtentusscher)

Harpyness is Only Skin Deep (Tales of Arvia, Book 1) by D.H. Willison — On a world where death lurks around every corner, is friendship the strongest survival tool of all? Darin: bored with his paper pusher existence, he accepts a questionable deal for the LARP adventure of a lifetime. A jump through a dimensional portal strands him on the mythical world of Arvia, where everything is gigantic. Except the life-expectancy of newcomers. Rinloh: a mere ten meters tall. Life in the harpy flock has never been easy for her. Determined to become full-fledged at the upcoming human-hunt, nothing is going to stand–or fly–in her way. A chance encounter between these two–what could possibly go wrong? Humans consider consorting with a harpy a capital offense. Harpies consider the human citizens a tasty part of a balanced diet. Yet the two must overcome a most monstrous conspiracy as the citizens of the city begin disappearing, with a list of suspects as big as the inhabitants of Arvia. (Instagram @d.h.willison)

The Battle for Trimera: Book 1 of the Ruling Priestess by Tanya S.M. Kennedy — It takes a heinous crime to gain control of the monsters called grinlo, but all evidence out of Trimera points to exactly that. Following the death of her parents, Pria’s biggest fear is not being able to return home to Trimera to protect her family and people. But being one of the only High Priestesses in Reia, posting her to the position faces strenuous opposition. Under intense scrutiny, Pria returns to her home terrified any misstep will precipitate her removal from the post. When she is reunited with her older brother’s best friend Mian, a childhood of memories resurfaces threatening the image of strength and calm she struggles to project. But when it becomes clear that the rogue magical being controlling the grinlo is also hunting high priestesses, Pria’s desperate fight to save Trimera quickly turns into a struggle for survival. Will Pria be able to save her home and avoid her predecessor’s fate? The Battle for Trimera is the opening installment in the fantasy adventure series of The Ruling Priestess. If you like strong female leads, brave crush-worthy knights, and epic battles, you will love Tanya SM Kennedy’s story of one woman’s fight to save her home. Buy The Battle for Trimera and join the fight to save Reia today! (Instagram @tanyasmkennedy)

This is a great holiday gift for any avid reader, the gift of fantasy and adventure! Sign up on Instagram today and enter for a chance to win! Good luck!

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon fantasy book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides: Book 2 of the Forever Avalon Series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from iUniverse Publishing and at Amazon, and other booksellers. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from Austin Macauley Publishing, and at Amazon and other booksellers.

My #NaNoWriMo project is finished, so now what?

November 19, 20201 Comment

I realize this may not qualify as a National Novel Writing Month (#NaNoWriMo) project, but it was mine. This past year, I wrote a monster of a fantasy novel called The Last Magus. It was 189,000 words… Like I said, a monster. I just writing and writing until I put a pin in it and thought it was done. Boy, was I wrong.

I realized that it was just too big, so I decide I needed to turn one novel into two. That became my #NaNoWriMo project… Taking one gigantic read and cutting into two. This meant finding a good halfway point, a new epilogue for the first novel to help transition to the new second book, then a new prologue to keep readers in tuned to the storyline and introduce the second novel. Plus, fill in where needed to make them each make sense as two books instead of one. It was a lot to contend with.

So now, my work is finally complete. Instead of one 189,000 word monster, I have one novel at 110,000 words and another at 82,000 words. As a writer, it makes it a little easier that I now have two books to market to publishers and literary agents, not just one. I mean, I’ve been told that 189,000 words is just to much for a single book, but tell that to Gone with the Wind or War and Peace, right? I don’t know which is easier, but what’s done is done. The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart and The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel are their own stories.

Now comes the hard part of trying to get someone to pick them up to publish. I will go the self-publishing route on Amazon Publishing, if necessary, to get my stories out there but I want to take the time and see if someone will take a chance on me. In the meantime, I will continue to send out submission after submission to whomever is open for submissions. For now, here’s a brief glimpse into the world of The Last Magus.

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The Kingdom of Attlain was a strange world of magic and miracles of modern invention. Humans and Demi-Humans—Alfs, Dwarves, Catsei, and many other unique races—built cities on the technological might of modern marvels called “Magius Engines.” These engines, powered by magic, light the darkness through electric lamps, connected the cities, villages, and towns in all directions by a network of Magius-powered trains and iron-hulled ships. It was a world of endless wonders, as well as many dangers.

Everyone knew Attlain as “the land of eternal magic” and rightfully deserved the distinction. Magic was at the heart of Attlain society, with nearly a third of the population able to use it somehow. Laws governed the use, and misuse, of magic under the watchful eye of the Helios Arcanum. The Arcanum researched and protected the secrets of magic, ensuring no one abused it within the four corners of Attlain.

Across the landscape—Solara and the Iron Wasteland, along the Skjem-Tur Mountains, to Celestrium by the sea—lived monsters of all types. These were creatures of all manner and breadth, vicious and evil, threatening to everyone in Attlain. To that end, the people utilized professional adventurers to root out these creatures and keep them safe. These fighters, magic casters, clerics, and the like kept the ever-changing population at bay. Among these adventurers was a unique group of men and women known as the Magus.

Since time immemorial, the Magus were the protectors of magic, armed with a magic caster’s power and a warrior’s strength. They were able to summon various magical weapons from specialized caches they wore known as an Armory of Attlain. They were legendary among the people of Attlain until the Magus Rebellion. When a few Magus decided they should lead the people instead of protecting them, they rebelled; but the insurrection ended from within the Magus ranks. However, the rebellion already did the damage. The remaining Magus were cast out, feared, and outlawed by all accounts except those few who remained loyal to the crown and lived as adventurers. For generations, they had all but disappeared from Attlain.

After decades of unknown absence from the landscape, a new Magus emerged to reclaim the banner and restore the Magus’s dignity. His name was Marcus Gideon, the Last Magus of Attlain.

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When a computer program points out your mistakes as a writer, it hurts even worse

October 30, 2020Leave a comment

I don’t know if I ever told this story on my blog, but here goes. When I published my first book, Forever Avalon, I was excited. I sent first copies of my book to my friends and family. About a month later, I get an email from my mother with two pages of grammar, spelling, and other errors in my book. She said she enjoyed it but there were mistakes.

That was like a stake through the vampire’s heart at dawn. I couldn’t believe I missed such simple errors, but that is the problem with editing. No matter who does it, a professional editor or your next door neighbor, there are bound to be issues. I have read through my manuscripts several times over and I still find errors.

Finally, I broke down and spent the money on Grammarly. We’ve all seen the ads and how the program works. I wanted to see if it would make a difference in my writing and editing. Low and behold, my eyes were opened. First off, I found out that I write in passive voice more than I thought. It takes one simple word to change a sentence from active to passive and it seems I missed that a lot.

I also found out that Spellcheck is evil! I mean the lowest depths of Hell evil. What Spellcheck missed, Grammarly pointed out as misspelled words (pay attention here Microsoft!) WTF? I had no idea. It’s great that professional editors have an eye for these things, but that’s something an independent author like me isn’t able to afford. Normally, I relied on Spellcheck to help me through my edits. I was wrong.

Also, I found that using Grammarly, I put a lot of prepositions at the end of sentences, used adverbs wrong on different occasions, wordiness in sentences, and my comma misuse was way out of hand. Am I that bad of a writer? No, I don’t think so. I think its just I’ve never been properly edited before and gotten the feedback I needed. Most of my novels have been through a basic editing, not in depth. I found that Grammarly gave me an in depth review of my work and made me a better writer.

As I’ve reviewed my latest WIPs using Grammarly, I found myself correcting the errors without even having to look at the correction column. I knew instinctively what was wrong, after just a few chapters of review. This is where technology helps a writer by showing them their mistakes, and making me correct myself as I write. It’s worked so far in editing my WIP, and as I’m writing new material, it makes me react faster to mistakes or incorrect sentence structure. It’s making me a better writer.

So, to everyone out there, I would recommend Grammarly as a tool to help you in your writing. It has its quirks… There are times it makes me remove a comma then tells me to put it back. I’ve learned to make adjustments to the program so as to fit my writing style. I mean, as a fantasy writer, its hard to make a software program understand words you make up as magic for what it tries to understand as our reality.

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I’m back after my self-imposed hiatus to protest the social media gods and I find myself in 1984

October 20, 2020Leave a comment

*Social networks are the “Big Brother” of today!*

So, I took off the past week, ignored my social media accounts and didn’t like, post, tweet, or blog about anything. I thought a simple protest against the social media giants for being “censors” when they’re not supposed to be would gain traction. I thought people would care about “Big Brother” keeping tabs on what we could read, talk about, or share with others. I thought wrong. The world kept on turning, the sun rose and set, and life continued as we know it.

And still, to this day, Twitter and Facebook (and Google to an extent) are deciding what constitutes “free speech” online. They put their own bias into what is available on their platforms. Now, please don’t think of this as a political rant, because it’s not. It’s about free speech, the First Amendment, and the rights we have as American citizens. I refuse to be locked down by these or any other social media platform for expressing my own point of view. If not, we are destined to bow at the altar of social media.

George Orwell said it best when he wrote his prophetic novel 1984 in the year 1949:

“In a world of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act!”
The people will not revolt. They will not look up from their screens long enough to notice what’s happening.”
George Orwell, 1984

George Orwell's Inspirational Quotes from “1984” - Orwell Monegros Project

Do you see what I mean? It’s one of the things I love about being an author. Science fiction has always had a prophetic way of seeing into the future, from Jules Verne to George Orwell. It’s strange how science fiction authors have such a deep insight into the world that they know where we’re heading. This is one such moment in history. Whether you believe it or not, we are living in a world that George Orwell imagined.

So now, what do I do? Do I end my social media footprint altogether and not bow before Twitter, Facebook and the like? This would probably be helpful to my psyche but limit my exposure as an author. Or, do I just continue on and hope that these tech giants are brought down to our level through the courts and other legislation? I mean, that’s what happened to Microsoft in the 1990s when they got to big. Then there’s Section 230, a provision of the Communication Decency Act (CDA) of 1996.

“No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider” (47 U.S.C. § 230).
from Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org)

Per eff.org, “online intermediaries that host or republish speech are protected against a range of laws that might otherwise be used to hold them legally responsible for what others say and do.” This gives social media platforms broad latitudes to determine what can or cannot be said on their websites. That, in turn, pisses off people from the Left and the Right which could mean an end to those protections.

There are more questions than answers. I will continue to express my views, no matter how controversial they may be according to the social media “hall monitors” watching over me. I was silent for a week, but no more.

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Changing your novel after its done is crazy, right?

October 14, 2020Leave a comment

So, I woke up the other night at 3 o’clock in the morning thinking about my current #WIP (work in progress) The Last Magus. Something has been bugging me, so much so that I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about it (a common problem with writers). Anyway, this book topped off at 189,000 words. A monster, right? So, I’ve been having issues with the excessive length, but to me it’s a complete book. What do I do?

I had a similar issue with the second novel in the Forever Avalon series, The Dark Tides. I originally started to write this book as a prequel to my first novel, but the more I wrote, the more I didn’t like the approach. I wanted the story to go forward, not backwards, so then the idea came to me. I took the sections I already wrote and decided to use them as flashbacks instead. When I finished The Dark Tides, it was nearly 200,000 words. In the end, I cut it back to around 165,000, but that’s how I wanted it to be. To me, it was a finished novel.

So now I’m having the same issue with The Last Magus. It’s a brute but I love the way it is. What do I do? The answer is simple… Cut it in half. I think if I can find a good point, I can split the story in two and have two novels instead of one big one. So now that I know what to do, the question is how to do it?

I have a prologue, 21 chapters, and an epilogue. Splitting it in half also means writing a new epilogue for the first book and a new prologue for the second book, so they both are connected. I have my work cut out for me on a project I thought was finished with just editing work in progress.

This is a hard decision for any writer. You think you’ve written this great novel, until you start editing and realize… “What the hell was I thinking?” It’s not easy to be so critical of ones own work. I spent a good part of six months writing it in the first place and the next six editing. Now, having to split one novel into two, I have more writing and editing to do. This also puts a damper on other writing projects I had started.

It’s also a development issue. I laid out this story and never expected this issue to come up like it did. I mean, my novel just grew and grew exponentially. It had a life unto itself at times. I now have to go back and rethink my original concept. That’s hard for me because I thought I had it down. To be honest, I’m not very good at changing things on the fly. Usually, I write and the story develops as I write.

It’s like having to start the process all over again, which extends out every other project I had going on. It’s difficult to explain but I know other writers can attest to this frustration. I’ve said many times before how my mind is like a Broadway play running nightly shows. My stories play themselves out daily, two extra shows on the weekends. So now, it’s like the lead actor and the understudy have fallen ill, closing the show while another one quickly jumps in to fill the gap; but I can’t stop thinking about getting the other one back on stage. Do you get what I mean?

I think this is why many great authors drank, used drugs, and caroused. If you don’t have something on the side, the sheer madness of it all will overwhelm you. I’ll end this with a great quote from Alain de Botton…

“Writing isn’t a career choice. It’s self-medication that over time precipitates the madness it was meant to ward off.”

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Grab a FREE copy of FOREVER AVALON this weekend!

September 17, 2020September 17, 20203 Comments

This weekend, Sept 18-21, I am giving away FREE ebooks of my first novel, FOREVER AVALON! These ebooks will be available to download through Amazon! I hope you take this opportunity to experience the world of FOREVER AVALON from the beginning! It’s “captivating and addictive” and a “new spin on Camelot” for any fantasy reader! CLICK HERE to get your copy today!

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TAKE AN ADVENTURE THROUGH TIME! Stephanie Drake and her three children were glad to be alive after a sudden storm slammed their boat onto an uncharted island, but it’s not where they think. They found themselves in another world, frozen in time. For more than 3,000 years, the magical island of Avalon remained hidden from the outside world. It was a place of eternal magic, where the descendants of King Arthur ruled over a land filled with magical creatures, wizards, Elves, Dwarves and dragons. On Avalon, Stephanie and her children were being hunted by bounty hunters, thieves and brigands. They found themselves caught in a power struggle between Lord Kraven Darkholm, a powerful wizard descended from the sorceress Morgana le Fay, and Lord Bryan MoonDrake, the Gil-Gamesh of Avalon.

The people of this magical isle have been protected for centuries by the Gil-Gamesh, a descendant of Sir Percival Peredyr, the last Knight of the Round Table. But who is Lord MoonDrake and how does he know so much about Stephanie and her children? Now, it’s a race against time as the Gil-Gamesh must protect these Outlanders—as they are called—and get them home to the outside world. All the while, Kraven Darkholm continued his schemes against the people of Avalon, vying to achieve his ultimate goal of becoming ruler of this enchanted island.

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse Publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available from Austin Macauley Publishing.

A great week for THE OUTLANDER WAR with reviews and interviews

June 16, 2020June 16, 2020Leave a comment

It has been a banner week for myself, for The Outlander War, and the Forever Avalon series in general. I will admit that, as a writer, I love it when people read my books and just get excited about reading it. It’s not about the accolades and awards, but rather the affirmation that I’m doing something that people enjoy. It’s what makes being an author so “kick ass” if you know what I mean. And this past week has been no exception.

I received my first review of the third novel in the Forever Avalon series, The Outlander War, from one of its editors. Michael Stettes is a writer-editor like me, whom I work with in my day job in Washington, D.C. About two years ago, I asked him for his help in editing The Outlander War. To do that, he first asked to read my first two books and then he edited my third before I sent it off to the publisher. Mike was a big help to me and his honesty about my writing and storytelling made me understand the writing process, my often “wordiness” in sentences, and plot holes that I needed to avoid. He recently posted an honest review about The Outlander War.

“The Outlander War is a clever, action-fueled tale of ancient Arthurian magic vs. the modern military, conjured in striking detail through the expertise of veteran Mark Piggott. Every page of this magic vs. machine epic is packed with brilliant details, clever characters, and powerful, heartfelt heroism.”

Those words mean a lot to me. I love hearing from my fans, but coming from someone I consider a peer is a real honor. Thanks Mike!

Lastly, I had the great honor to be interviewed by another peer, author Robert B. Hayek. RB Hayek has been writing for over a decade. A graduate of Cal State Fullerton, Hayek authored two books and a writing credit on two web series. He has written freelance for several websites and also has worked for several prominent companies including Fox Sports and CBS Sports. He invited me to participate in an author interview.

“Piggott went the writer’s route and that enabled him to expand his imagination, and his horizons on the possibilities to what he might do. One of the principal themes in his stories is mixing folklore with fantasy.”

You can check out Robert and his website, providing various services to authors, by clicking here and check out my interview here.

UPDATE: Right after its release, Robert’s interview with yours truly was feature in the online literary magazine, S.H. Literary Times Daily. Congratulations Robert and thanks for the awesome exposure for Forever Avalon!

So, as always, I’d like to put a plug here about helping out those independent authors. Reviews are the life-blood of any authors but it means the most to those of us trying to get by with a big-name publisher or literary agent under our belts. Please, if you read a book, LEAVE A REVIEW. Good or bad, I want to know how I’m doing, just be honest. Thanks again for all your support!

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Coming soon… The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series

June 6, 2020June 6, 2020Leave a comment

I am updating my website to include the synopsis of the next book in the Forever Avalon series, The Prometheus Engine. This is the start of the next and final trilogy in the series, picking up five years after the end of The Outlander War. I will warn you of SPOILERS ahead if you haven’t finished reading The Outlander War. You have been warned…

SPOILERS!

BEWARE!

SPOILERS!

In 3…

2…

1…

Last chance…

Five years have passed since Avalon suddenly returned to the real world and faced, not only the loss of magic, but an invasion by the modern, technological might of the United States and Russia. It was through the efforts of the Gil-Gamesh, Lord Bryan MoonDrake, Champion and Knight Eternal of Avalon—along with a great sacrifice by the Elves of Alfheimer—that Avalon disappeared once again from the real world, hidden away behind a magical barrier that separated the two. However, that victory came with a great cost.

Avalon was torn asunder, shattered from a giant land mass into an archipelago of islands. It was at this moment of weakness that Mordred, the immortal bastard child of Morgana le Fay, usurped the throne from King Bowen Pendragon, the boy king and rightful ruler of Avalon. With an army of undead wraith knights at his command, and the children of the Lords of Avalon at his side, it was child’s play for Mordred to take the granite throne and become King.

The only thing that stand in his way of total domination were the children of the Gil-Gamesh: Hunter, Rose and Ashley. Since the death of their father during Avalon’s Reclamation, these three have resisted Mordred’s reign at every turn from their new home in the ruined Elven city of Alfheimer. Along with the Shield Maidens of Avalon and the Hîldrägo Boquè, an elite corps of Elven warriors, they fight to reclaim the throne for King Bowen and restore Avalon to the people.

But even now, Mordred schemes to bring down the resistance through the construction of an ancient magical artifact… The Prometheus Engine. Only the immortal king knows its secrets and the power it will bring him, no matter what the cost. Now, Hunter and his siblings’ race across the archipelago to uncover the secrets of the engine and discover the truth behind Avalon’s Reclamation.

The story continues in THE PROMETHEUS ENGINE: Book 4 of the FOREVER AVALON Series, coming soon!

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Writers beware! Social media will not let you write!

May 19, 2020May 19, 20202 Comments

It’s safe to say that, in this world of perpetual quarantine, we have become a society “social media” parasites. We are living vicariously through our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. Twitch, Zoom, and more. It is the only way we are communicating, coming together, and sharing ideas.

For writers, especially independent authors like me, social media is our bread and butter when it comes to marketing. I work at least 20 hours a week on social media, between designing posts and imagery to scheduling them, responding to queries, etc. When you’re working a full time job, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for eating, sleeping, or writing for that matter.

Plus, there is the draw, the allure, of social media. Between crazy cat videos, cute puppy videos, TikTok girls, creative artwork, and inspirational quotes, there is a constant draw into the world of social media. It’s part of the constant distraction of the internet, the kryptonite of authors. We want to sit and write, but the flow is interrupted.

“If your content isn’t driving conversation, you’re doing it wrong.” –Dan Roth, LinkedIn’s executive editor

Social media is a necessary tool for today’s authors. Through it, you can collaborate with other authors, find new readers, and promote your latest novel. It’s how we “IndieAuthors” find our niche in the book world. It’s the cheapest form of marketing an author can do. I can design a post and then use that same post for Facebook or Instagram as an ad. It’s an easy way to carry over from one form of advertising to another. I can spend $100 a month in Facebook and Instagram ads that reaches nearly 30,000 people. That’s money well spent, but only if it turns into books purchased or downloaded.

“Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them. Sometimes, it’s an ad.” – Howard Gossage, real-life MadMen inspiration

The other problem is that there are so many “one-off” author support sites for independent authors like me. I belong to a couple of different sites, allauthor.com and bookbrush.com, that I pay an annual fee for tools in designing ads and social media posts, direct posts to other authors and readers, and a support network of other independent authors. They have been a great asset for me, but there are some out there that are scams who want money to send out tweets about your book to imaginary lists of people. So, beware before you buy into it.

Lastly, don’t be a social media butterfly or wallflower. You need to be aggressive in everything you do. If you aren’t paying attention, responding to comments or retweets, you might lose your audience. Don’t hesitate and be assertive, but always remember. Being a writer is the most important aspect of your job, so don’t stop writing for the sake of social media. You have to write, blog, and post, all at the same time. Multi-tasking is a bitch, but a necessary one. Remember that!

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Great news on the WAR front!

April 23, 2020April 24, 2020Leave a comment

I have two great bits of news to report this week on The Outlander War: Book 3 of the Forever Avalon Series! This has been one of the best weeks I’ve had as an author and I wanted to share it with you.

The Outlander War completes my first trilogy, the third book in the Forever Avalon series. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in the heart of a naval exercise, Avalon suddenly reappeared, causing disruptions on both fronts. The US Navy, now circling the mysterious island, wants answers. The tensions build as modern technology faces off against ancient magic on an island where the laws of magic supersede the laws of science, causing mechanical weapons to falter and shut down. As military forces continue to surround the mysterious island, bringing both sides to the brink of war, an ancient evil arises from within, one that has been seeking the throne of New Camelot for three millennia.

First up, I did an interview with a wonderful author and podcaster, Segilola Salami of The Segilola Salami Show. Her virtual cafe is always open with tips and advice for authors, book readers and other literary enthusiasts. We talked about the ins and outs of self-publishing, the problems facing an independent author, and my fantasy novels and the myths and legends behind them. It was a great interview, from one side of “the pond” to the other, and I would recommend you checking it out as well as listening her other podcasts! You won’t be disappointed.

book awards author writing Secondly, The Outlander War made the short list (lucky #7) for the 2019 Drunken Druid Book Award from the Emerald Isle of Ireland. The Drunken Druid aims to exhibit, nurture and promote creative people in accordance with the highest professional standards. In 2013, an Awards Program for the best original full-length novel was created to bring recognition to books of up and coming authors. This literary prize is awarded each year for the best original full-length fictional novel. This is a tremendous honor for me and I can’t thank Sara Knight and the entire Drunken Druid staff for considering me for this award.

So, after being stuck indoors for nearly six weeks with just my wife and my dog during a pandemic, worrying about my own future as an author, I’ve had my best week ever. Here’s to hoping that better things yet to come!

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Mark Piggott | Fantasy & Steampunk Author

Award-Winning Author, Writer-Editor, U.S. Navy Veteran, Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Anime Nerd, & Certified "Geek"

Tag: independent author

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Grab a FREE copy of FOREVER AVALON this weekend!

A great week for THE OUTLANDER WAR with reviews and interviews

“Piggott went the writer’s route and that enabled him to expand his imagination, and his horizons on the possibilities to what he might do. One of the principal themes in his stories is mixing folklore with fantasy.”

Coming soon… The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series

Great news on the WAR front!