Saturday 6 May 2017

SPFBO 2017 - Phase 1

Initially this page has the list of entries, assigned to the ten blogs. It also has links to reviews and blog posts from phase 1, listed as they show up, and the entries will be coloured red as they are eliminated, light green if they graduate from any sub-groups the blogs may consider, and bright green if chosen for the final. Individual reviews will also be linked from the book names.

Click on the book titles for links to reviews.

You can see the blogger list and the duties they've agree to here, And the call to authors here.




A note to authors:

First let me say thank you to all the authors who sent their work in. You were so numerous I wasn't able to respond individually but at the end of this post is a list of all the entries I received, which blogger they went to.

Almost everyone who sent in thanked me for taking the time to do this - of course I've spent only a modest amount of time on the project and it is the bloggers who are going to put in the real hours.

Almost everyone who sent in thanked me for the opportunity. And it is a great opportunity - but let's take a moment to keep expectations real here. If we have 300 entries and each blogger is going to select the book they feel is best from the 30 entries sent to them ... that means that 97% of you will fall at the first hurdle. That's just the unforgiving mathematics of the thing.

You may have written a great book, but there may be one in that 30 that the blogger likes better.

Here are my views on 'failure'.


& the annual title wordle!



From which we can see that our average title hovers in the "Magic Storm-Dragon" to "War of the Blood Empire" region.

And the gender breakdown:




SPFBO 2017 posts
There is now a discussion group on Facebook, open to all.
How it will go down at Fantasy-Faction.
Nitty gritty details from Bookworm Blues.
Fantasy-Faction talk about SPFBO 3 and the world of self-pub.
Booknest lay down the law!
Spiffbo central for the Qwillery.
Pornokitsch claims not to be a dick.
On Fantasy Book Critic Mihir tells us what plans he and Cindy have.
On Fantasy-Faction Laura provides banners galore.
The eponymous Lynn reminds us that there can be only one.
Kitty G video blogs on the SPFBO and the titles allocated to her.
I am collecting the finalists for the cover contest here.
For Fantasy Book Review James selects his three favourite covers from their batch and joins in the prediction game!
- Pornokitsch offers some unwanted writing advice.
- On Venturelaxread Katherine selects her cover finalists.
- Fantasy Book Critic select their top covers.
- Bookworm Blues posts their finalists for the cover contest.
- Fantasy-Faction kick off their campaign.
- On Lynn's Books we see her favourite covers!
- Fantasy-Faction talk about the cover contest.
- James chooses Fantasy Book Review's overall top 4 covers
- Lynn is ready to go!
- Booknest kicks off with the first review of SPFBO 2017
- Booknest reviews Throne of Ice
- Pornokitsch reviews and cuts 26 titles!
- Booknest reviews Mercenary
- Lynn reveals her first 5
- On Kelly Stock's blog there's an SPFBO tag & reviews of her fellow contestants
- On Bookworm Blues the first semi-finalist is chosen
- Booknest reviews The Final Harvest
- On Fantasy Book Critic news of a contestant give-away.
- Kitty G on youtube talking about her 1st SPFBO books.
- Booknest review The Ring and The Flag.
- Booknest review A City of Hope and Ruin.
- Booknest review Shadow Shadow
- Bookworm Blues chooses a 2nd semi-finalist!
- Booknest review The Fading Dusk
- Booknest review 99 Days
- Booknest review Blossom and the Beast
- Venturelaxread swings the axe and twenty titles go down
- Booknest choose their first semi-finalist
- Booknest review Men and Dragons
- Fantasy Book Review select Winter's Reach as their 1st semi-finalist
- Fantasy-Faction cut five titles.
- Pornokitsch has criteria!
- Pornokitsch reviews Under Witch Moon
- Pornokitsch reviews Dead Letter
- Pornokitsch reviews Irons in the Fire
- Booknest reviews Spire City
- Pornokitsch selects their finalist!
- Booknest reviews War of the Black Tower
- 1st Semi-finalist selected on Fantasy Book Critic
- Booknest reviews City of Masks
- Booknest reviews Shadowbane
- Booknest reviews The Shattered Orb
- Venturelaxread reviews Magic comes to Whiteport
- Four titles go out on Lynn's Books
- Booknest reviews Rune Empire
- Booknest reviews Requiem for the Wolf
- Booknest picks a second semi-finalist!
- Lynn selects her next 5 titles
- Fantasy Book Critic reviews The Crimson Queen
- Booknest reviews The Silent Song
- Booknest picks a third semi-finalist!
- Booknest reviews Fall Far From The Tree
- Bookworm Blues chooses a third semi-finalist!
- Booknest reviews The Tainted Shrine.
- Kitty G video blogs about her first five titles
- Fantasy-Faction cut more books
- Fantasy Book Critic choose a 2nd semi-finalist!
- Kitty G video reviews semi-finalist The Exercise of Vital Powers.
- Kitty G video reviews semi-finalist Gift of the Phoenix
- Lynn deals with her second batch
- Booknest reviews Pilgrim of the Storm
- Kitty G youtubes about her 2nd group
- Fantasy Book Review reviews semifinalist A Threat of Shadows
- Fantasy Book Review reviews semifinalist Where Loyalties Lie
- Venturelaxread reviews A Conspiracy of Shadows
Venturelaxread reviews Toric's Dagger
Venturelaxread reviews Destiny of the Wulf
- Booknest reviews Wreckers Gate
- Fantasy Book Critic reviews semifinalist Neferitis' Heart
- Fantasy Book Critic interviews A.W. Exley
- Booknest review A Star Reckoner's Lot
- Kitty G video reviews Devil's Night Dawning
- Venturelaxread reviews The Eagle's Flight
- I pontificate on flaws and fairness in the SPFBO
- Venturelaxread reviews Faithless
- Booknest reviews The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan
- Venturelaxread cuts two titles
- On the Weatherwax Report Esme is reading 100 SPFBO books and reviewing at a great rate of knots!
- Another round of mini-reviews on Bookworm Blues
- Kitty G videos her third round up!
- Fantasy Book Critic third round, 2 semi-finalists chosen!
- Booknest reviews Kindling
- Fantasy-Faction cut five more books
- Fantasy Book Critic review The Woven Ring
- Booknest reviews Benjamin Ashwood
- Kitty G video reviews her fourth five
- Fantasy Book Critic review The Songweaver's Vow
- Fantasy Book Review reviews Cage of Deceit
- Lynn looks over her 4th bunch
- Fantasy-Faction cut five more titles.
- Fantasy Book Critic selects another semi-finalist
- Kitty G video reviews her fifth five
- On Bookworm Blues the last five face judgement
- The five semifinalists on Bookworm Blues
- Venturelaxread reviews The Censor's Hand
- Venturelaxread reviews The Way Into Chaos
- Venturelaxread's finalist announced!
- Qwillery reveal their six semifinalists
- Kitty G reviews her last batch of five
- Kitty G selects her final seven and chooses a finalist!
- Valley of Embers reviewed on Bookworm Blues
- Lynn's Books selects another semifinalist
- Booknest reviews The White Tower
- On Fantasy Book Critic the last two semifinalists are chosen
- Bookworm Blues reviews Sufficiently Advanced Magic
- Bookworm Blues reviews Anaerfell
- Bookworm Blues reviews Ascend Online
- Bookworm Blues reviews Once Lost Lords
- Bookworm Blues selects a finalist!
- Fantasy Book Critic review their last 3 semifinalists
- Fantasy-Faction cut a fifth five
- Booknest reviews Pilgrimage to Skara
- Booknest announce the last of their semifinalists
- Fantasy Book Critic selects a finalist!
- Booknest chooses their finalist!
- On Lynn's Books the final batch of five is considered
- Lynn's Books narrows the field to four
- Fantasy Book Review reviews The Silver Mask
- Lynn's Books reviews Jack Bloodfist
- Lynn's Books reviews Today Is Too Late
- Lynn's Books reviews The Empire of the Dead
- Lynn's Books reviews The Archbishop's Amulet
- Lynn's Books chooses their finalist!
- Fantasy Book Review choose their finalist!
- On Fantasy Book Review Mage Slave is reviewed
- Fantasy-Faction review The Tale of Gurion Thricebound
- Fantasy-Faction review Clearwater Dawn.
- Fantasy-Faction review Wings of Justice
- Fantasy-Faction review Stolen Magic
- Fantasy-Faction choose their finalist!
- The Qwillery review their finalist and five semi-finalists!




290 of 300 eliminated.


Entries 

Reviews (where available) are linked from the book titles. Just click.


M.M. Perry - Whom The Gods Love
T.O. Munro - The Medusa's Daughter
Kathy Cyr - Max Hamby
Trip Ellington - Evermage: Clash of Chaos 
Glenn G. Thater - Gateway to Nifleheim
Marie Andreas - The Glass Gargoyle
Elizabeth Baxter - The Last Priestess
Gemma Perfect - The Kingmaker
Taddeus White - Kingdom Asunder
Dale Triplett - Halcyon's Wake: Faith
Bethany Adams - Soulbound
Joyce Reynolds-Ward - Pledges of Honor
Nancy Foster - An Ominous Book
Brian Decker - Lamentation's Peak
Grace and Thomas Lockhaven - Quest Chasers - The Deadly Cavern *
James Beach - Ghost Magnet
Luke Chmilenko - Ascend Online +
Andrew Rowe - Sufficiently Advanced Magic +
Steven Kelliher - Valley of Embers +*
Elena Bryce - Guardian of the Grail
Howard Gurney - Twin
Jonathan Yanez - Of Angels and Men
Joshua Robertson - Anaerfell +
Linn Tesli - Reborn
Alesha Escobar - The Tower's Alchemist
Stephan Morse - Once Lost Lords +


Ginny O - The Dawn Warrior
A.R Winterstaar - The Child Revealed
Meghan Richardson & Tina Verduzco - Storm and the Mermaid's Knot
Alexia Purdy - Ever Shade
Richard Parry - Night's Favour
Ryan Mueller - Empire of Chains *
Scott Fitzgerald Gray - Clearwater Dawn +
Melissa Snark - Valkyries' Vengeance
Brian D. Anderson & Steven Savile - Akiri: The Scepter of Xarbaal
C.D. Gallant-King - Ten Thousand Days
Marina Finlayson - Stolen Magic +
Charlotte E. English - Draykon
Terri Bruce - Hereafter
Angela Holder - The Tale of Gurion Thricebound +
K.S. Villoso - Jaeth's Eye
Jade Kerrion - Illusions
Kristal Shaff - Life-charmer
Brett Herman - Chaos Trims My Beard +
Ulff Lehmann - Shattered Dreams
Nigel Bird - Drawn In
Michael-Scott Earle - Wings of Justice +
Joe Bailey - Spellsinger *
Brandon Barr - Ella Dethroned
Guerric Hache - Zeroth Law
Christopher G Nuttall - The Zero Blessing
Gus Campbell - Pagan Heart
Christopher Bunn - The Hawk And His Boy


M.M. Perry - The Arbiter
Charlotte E. English - Miss Landon and Aubranael
Tiffany Cherney - Forgotten Relics
Victor Poole - The Slave From The East
Pippa DaCosta - The Heartstone Thief
Danielle E Shipley - The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale
Matthew Presley - The Woven Ring +
Dominique Kristine - Shadows for a Princess
J.C. Staudt - Warcaster
Rachel Medhurst - Thunder Hunter
Alex Hutson - The Crimson Queen +
R.A. Steffan - The Lion Mistress
C.H. Baum - Gods of Color
A.W. Exley - Nefertiti's Heart +*
Laura VanArendonk Baugh - The Songweaver's Vow +
Ken Lozito - Haven of Shadows
S.K. Wee - Absence of Color
Quenby Olson - The Half Killed
Richard Writhen - The Hiss of the Blade
JT Stoll - The Rift
Adrian G Hilder - The General's Legacy +
A.M. Macdonald - Dybsy
Dhesan Neil Pillay - Wrath of the Exiled
Samuel Gately - Night of the Chalk + *
Derek Siddoway - Windsworn


Justin Sloan - Land of the Gods *
Elizabeth Baxter - Everwinter +
Charlotte E. English - Faerie Fruit
Ken Lozito - Road to Shandara
Layla Nash - War Witch +
Watson Davis - The Archbishop's Amulet +
Aldrea Alien - The Rogue King
Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - Faeborne
Tirzah Duncan - Grace the Mace
Josh Rhoades & Mike Rutledge - The Apotheosis Break
Alan Tucker - The Devil You Know
Scott Haworth - Dark Moonlighting
Jordan R Murray - The Emperor's Horn
C.V. Dreesman - Cursefell
Kelly Stock - The Soul Guide
Burke Fitzpatrick - Today Is Too Late +
James Jakins - Jack Bloodfist +
Clayton D Baker & Michael H Kuecker - The Saga of Dirt and Poncho +
Patty Jansen - Sand and Storm
Gayle Torrens  - The Tralls of Nindarry
Rob Cornell - Darker Things
Phil Tucker - The Empire of the Dead * +
Jim Beach - Wishful Thinking
Anthea Sharp - Feyland: The Dark Realm
Ilana Waters - The Age of Mages
Sandy Hyatt James - A Gaze of Flint
Autumn M Birt - Spark of Defiance *
S.E Burr - Goblin Fruit
Tom Gaskin - Search of the Lost


James Jakins - Son of Thunder +
Matt Gilbert - The Dead God's Due
Rachel Aaron - Nice Dragons Finish Last
Alexander Grant - The Forbidden City
Simon Rudman - Threads of an Empire
Katika Schneider - Devotion
Brandon Lee - The Beginning After The End
Tamra Westberry - Curse of the Ice Dragon
Lindsey R Loucks - Petrified City
K. Bird Lincoln - Tiger Lily +
C.K. Rieke - The Road To Light
M.T. McGuire - Few Are Chosen
Jack Simmonds - The Boy With Purple Eyes
Pauline M Ross - The Dragon's Egg +
Lucia Ashta - Magic Awakens
Sandra Ulbrich Almazan - Seasons' Beginnings
Jessica V Fisette - Fire and Ice
Mathew Moss - The Path of Man +
Vicki L Weavil - Crown of Ice
Alex Vick - Breaking Magic
Anthea Sharp - Elfhame
D.K. Holmberg - Soldier Son +
Elle Casey - War of the Fey
Jeramy Goble - Souls of Astraeus *
Linda Acaster - Torc of Moonlight
Cynthia Clay - The Romance of the Unicorn
K.R. Boyter - The Legends of Grimous Ironblood
Sonja Black - The Snow White Files
Adam Vine - Corruption *


Antonio Urias - Irons in the Fire +
Benjamin Descovich - Dead Letter +*
Alex Perry - The War of Undoing
Maria Schneider - Under Witch Moon +
Devin Madson - The Blood Whisperers
Phil Norris - Life in the Fast Lane
Watson Davis - The Devil's Library
Alexia Purdy - Reign of Blood
Alison Blake - The Road to Cordia
Peter Petrack - Wayfarers Highway
Kerry La Porte - Past Perfekt
Brian Terenna - Talent Storm
J Philip Horne - Joss the Seven
Laura Perry - The Bed
Jackson Lear - A God Among Thieves
Dominick Murray - Red Season Rising
Aidan Hennessy - The Grey Mage
Aaron Hodges - Rebirth
Tora Moon - Ancient Enemies
Colleen Ruttan - The Last Falcon
Harvey Click - Demon Frenzy Entered last year!
Marsha A Moore - Seeking a Scribe
Brian W Foster - Repulsive
Traci Loudin - The last of the Ageless
Lucas Thorn - Trail of the Necromancer *
Marylin Vix - Everything for Love *
Dorian Hart - The Ventifact Colossus
J.L. Scritchfield - The Last Days of the Wanderer
Craig A Price - The Crimson Claymore
Carl Harwood - Hale's Fire
Louisa Clarkson - The Silver Strand


Lilian Oake - Nahtaia
S.J. Madill - Magic comes to Whiteport  +
William C Tracy - Tuning the Symphony
Clinton Harding - Our Monsters
Everly Frost - Beyond the Ever Reach
Tamara Westberry - Divine and Dateless
Meghan Ciana Doidge - Catching Echoes
Kari Stewart - Second Olympus
Jamie Edmundson - Toric's Dagger
Harrison Davies - Destiny of the Wulf
Kay Ling - Beyond the Forest
Christopher Bunn - The Fury Clock
Christina Ochs - The Forsaken Crown
Harmon Cooper - Fantasy Online
Cameron Smith - The Holtur Enigma
David J Normoyle - The Silver Portal
Holly Evans - Stolen Ink
Jesse Teller - Liefdom *
Aidan Meyer - Arcana Zero
Harry Connolly - The Way Into Chaos +
V.B. Marlowe - A Girl Called Dust
Dean F Wilson - The Call of Agon
J.L. Madore - Blaze Ignites
Daniel Olesen - The Eagle's Flight +
Skyler Wood - Dungeon Crawl
Graham Austin-King - Faithless +
R.S. McCoy - The Killing Jar + 
Adam Steiner - The Censor's Hand +*
R.D. Henderson - Wit Fallo *
James Kelly - The Fey Man (replacing title not meeting entry requirements)
Randy Nargi - A Conspiracy of Shadows  (replacing title not meeting entry requirements)



Jesse Teller - Mestlven
Louise Cypress - Mermaid Abroad
Elise Edmonds - Where Carpets Fly
Josh Brannan - Bookland
Craig Schaefer - Winter's Reach +*
J.C. Hart - Serafina's Flame
Michael Timmins - The Awakening
Rebecca Thorne - Mage Slave +*
Andrea L Staum - Blood of the Sire
S.M. Schmitz - Shadows of the Gods
Aldrea Alien - Dark One's Mistress
Jennifer Baldwin - The Thirteen Treasures of Britain
Z.V. Hunter - Calamity Rising
Jennifer Anne Davis - Cage of Deceit +*
J.A. Andrews - A Threat of Shadows +
Alexa Grave - Mind Behind The Mind
C.J. Brightley - The Lord of Dreams
Rob J Hayes - Where Loyalties Lie +
Christian Ellingsen - The Silver Mask +
David Palmer - Ours is the Storm
Amy McNulty - The Ballad of the Beanstalk
Mel Dunay - Marrying a Monster
Sarah Ash - The Flood Dragon's Sacrifice
Will Weisser - Aetheria's Daemon
Catharine Glen - The Rose Crown
Bailey Montagne - Knight and Wizard
John Ryers - The Glass Thief
Jamie Le Fey - Ahe'ey
Kevin McLaughlin - Valhalla Online
Stephanie A Cain - Shades of Circle City


Booknest.eu  (30)
Remy Thomas - Kindling
A.C. Cobble - Benjamin Ashwood
Zig Zag Claybourne - The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan
Yehya H Safwat - The Final Harvest
Sarah Dalton - The Dragon Wakes
Kit Campbell - City of Hope and Ruin
Paula M Hunter - Throne of Ice
Sandell Wall - Rune Empire 
Paul Francois - Shadowbane: Age of Aelfborn
Michael Wisehart - The White Tower *
Jon Kiln - Mercenary
Ashley Capes - City of Masks
Russ Linton - Pilgrim of the Storm
Melissa Giorgio - The Fading Dusk
Eric Knight - Wreckers Gate *
Keith Ward - 99 Days
Jack Conner - War of the Black Tower
Tara Saunders - Requiem for the Wolf +
Darrell Drake - A Star-Reckoner's Lot +
V.B. Marlowe - Shadow, Shadow +*
Toby Bennett - The Silent Song
Amy McNulty - Fall Far From The Tree
E.S. Furlan - The Tainted Shrine
Samuel E Green - The Shattered Orb +
Bailey Montagne - Men and Dragons
R.S. McCoy - Blossom and the Beast
Shane Ramey - The Children of Espen
Jonathan S Pembroke - Pilgrimage to Skara +


Roland Boykin - The Pain of Compassion
B.R. Kingsolver - Chameleon Assassin
Giselle Marks - Princess of Zenina
Joseph Malik - Dragon's Trail
Tim Marquitz - Influx
M Gregg Roe - Audrey of Farmerton
V.B. Marlowe - Naomi Grim
Damien Black - Devil's Night Dawning +
M.L. Spencer - Darkstorm +
Toby Bennett - Umbra +
Sable Aradia - Showdown
Megan Crewe - A Mortal Song
Steven Harper Piziks - Danny
Amy McNulty - Nobody's Goddess
Maya Starling - Dragon's Treasure
Ian Gregoire - The Exercise of Vital Powers +
Paul Lavender - The Eighth God
Cate Dean - Shattered Throne
Gavin Poludniowski - The Fall of Rath
Nyki Blatchley - At An Uncertain Hour
Jodi Cummings - The Four Powers
Phil Tucker - One by One
Beth Hammond - The Sound of the Stones
Jaclyn Dolamore - The Sorcerer's Concubine
Steven Laidlaw - Pulse


RESERVE LIST
Donna Maree Hanson - Argenterra
Travis M Riddle - Wondrous
L.L. McNeil - Moroda
James A Hunter - Viridian Gate Online
B.T. Lowry - Fire from the Overworld
Jenna Black - The Gifted Dead
D.M. Almond - Secrets of the Elders
Kevin Wright - Lords of the Asylum 
Ruthanne Reid - Half Shelf Prophecies
Sarah Waldock - Falconburg Divided

+ Semi-Finalist
* Cover finalist




Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #Prizes #FreeContent 



50 comments:

  1. So many people I know in this. Which is awesome and terrible at the same time :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. So if we're not on the current list should we assume you have not received our entry?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I see that most of the entries have been assigned to bloggers already, however I don't see mine listed above. I submitted on Thursday so I'm hoping my entry wasn't lost? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow! My humble book was accepted into this competition! I hope people give it a chance! So exciting!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mark, could you explain "status needs to be considered" ? I've had my rights returned for my entry (which I can confirm) and the self-published edition goes live on May 20 with a completely different cover. I believe this still falls under your rules as you've stated elsewhere here. Thanks for any clarification.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess that this was the sort of information the blog were looking for when they flagged it for consideration.

      Delete
    2. Yep - good to know! You may also want to point us towards the new cover so that we can consider it for the cover contest. :)

      Delete
    3. Whew, thanks! :) Artist is still working on the cover but she says she should have it ready within a couple of weeks. Don't really want to push her as she may punish me with something hideous. :D

      Delete
    4. Ha! Will make a note of it. Thanks for the update!

      Delete
  6. There is some stiff competition here. Some of the names I know well. Others I have no doubt I'll be knowing very soon.
    Mark Lawrence - I think it is absolutely fantastic you are doing this. I know I speak for the entire indie fantasy community when I say thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Took me six attempts, so I'm glad to be in the 300. Even if I don't win at least I know I was one of Sparta's finest. Good luck to all!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Glad to see technology delivered my book safely (as it so often loves to fail me). I can't wait to see how this all unfolds! Good luck, everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Friendly FYI--it looks like the link to The Qwillery is a 2nd link to Lynn's Books

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi! Did my entry go through? I emailed it this morning. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  11. That's quite the lineup my poor book's up against. A lot of recognisable titles and names.
    Be interesting to see who goes to the next phase.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Screw your courage to the sticking place . . . if there's one thing we've learned during previous SPFBOs, it's to expect the unexpected!

      Delete
  12. More female authors than I would have expected. What does the ratio work out to for this one and past SPFBOs?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's a pie chart here http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/spfbo2.html and here http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/the-great-self-published-fantasy-blog.html somewhere between a third and a half in previous years.

      Delete
  13. Thank you for the opportunity! I got to the game late but it never hurts to try:)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for the opportunity, Mark.
    I feel like my entry is sliding toward a dropping stone door and I've forgotten my hat on the other side. Hopefully it squeaks into contention.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you so much! Amazed to be a part of this!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Both of my books are self published. Not sure why both would be marked "Status needs to be considered." Please let me know if you guys need anything further. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Alexia! I suspect the fact that Reign of Blood shows on Amazon and GR as published by Lyrical Lit (which does handle multiple authors) threw up a flag! But since you're Lyrical Lit, and it is your book... good by me.

      Delete
    2. I'm in the same boat. I'm self-published (under the name World Tree) but I am World Tree (that sounded way more epic and impressive than it is), so I'm assuming that's why mine was flagged?

      Delete
    3. Awesome! Yeah, Both Reign of Blood and Ever Shade are under me, Lyrical Lit. Publishing is me :) I have a few pen names so it was easier to do that. Thanks!

      Delete
  17. Not sure how to feel about the fact that none of the words in my title appear in your word cloud. Nervous? Intrigued? Resigned? "Ventifact" is an actual word, I promise! :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Authors, now's a good time to check if you've added your books on Goodreads or not. I know I'll track my reading there (and I suspect other judges and readers will too).

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi, im from Malaysia and I would like to ask if you would be interested to translate yout boom in Bahasa Malaysia. Feel free to email me at shakiraamalina@gmail.com. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heh, I've never been asked for foreign rights in the comments section of my blog before! The agency that represents me is Sheil Land and you want Gaia Banks there.

      Delete
  20. Just seeing my name on this list is awesome.

    I wrote a fantasy novel!

    And entered it in a contest run by Mark Lawrence!

    How cool is that?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Love the Wordle -- the title of my next book is going to be Blood Storm.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm as pleased as punch by my group, and have googled gobs of my competitors. If I could add one note for future iterations of this, it would be that there's a upper limit cutoff in terms of amazon/ goodread reviews. I've seen several books now with hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of reviews already, and at least one author with a "USA Today Best Seller" in their bio. I know there's not a mission statement about seeking out new talent or anything for SPFBO, but it does feel like we're dealing with some different weight classes in this here imaginary steel ring.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wouldn’t worry. The bloggers who are judging review the big-name authors. It’s unlikely they would have heard of the even the most popular indie submission. So the playing field is about as level as it gets. Here, we’re all featherweights. Good luck.

      Delete
    2. Speak for yourself as a featherweight. Me, I'm bantam. ;)

      Delete
    3. I have to say that whilst I do recognize some of the names in the competition from outside the competition, in your group the only name I recognize is Benedict Patrick, and that's because he was in it last year and has very nice covers.

      Delete
    4. Sorry, don't want to give the impression I'm complaining. I honestly could not be more ecstatic about being in the group that I am in. It's just, as an entirely unknown author, you beg, cajole and then beg some more for reviews, and then still get turned away from some promotion opportunities because you still don't have enough reviews (hypothetically speaking, of course). So, like it or not, reviews and the number thereof, are a kind of indicator as to having achieved that elusive audience we're all aiming for. The real prize for this competition is exposure, so as someone with <10 reviews globally, it's somewhat irksome to see other authors with >1,000 sucking up some of that exposure oxygen we're all supposed to feed off.

      As Brian pointed out above, the bloggers involved are all pros at this here review thing, and I'm sure won't be swayed by the number of reviews an author has. But, like the clearly sci-fi books that have been entered, I think some of these already-established indie-authors are taking up slots that would have provided more benefit to truly-unknown authors.

      Again, I don't want to appear ungrateful for this opportunity. I really appreciate it and just thought I'd add my perspective.

      Delete
  23. Good luck, everyone!

    ~Fantasy Literature

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thank you for considering my book. Totally panicking.

    ReplyDelete
  25. The link to Pornokitsch's finalist is broken.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hi Mark, just wanted to make sure for Stephan Morse under Bookworm Blues that even though his name is red the + mark means he is a semi-finalist? Thanks for all your hard work!

    ReplyDelete
  27. The pie chart above gave me the impression that this blogoff cared about inclusive, diverse voices. The truth is that you give zero fucks about it. Zero women selected to date despite so many quality submissions. What a disappointing initiative. In this day and age fantasy MUST be a shinning light for inclusive and diverse writers. This will make a great article for the Guardian. Oh wait is this comment going to end up at reddit where all the trolls are going to destroy every single entry by women? Are you going to write about meritocracy? Don't. Greetings from Tokyo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't tell me what to write about.

      Five of the ten blogs selecting finalists are entirely run by women. Three have mixed panels, and only two are run entirely by men. They chose the books they they thought were best.

      Delete
  28. Thanks a lot for posting this post, Your post has always been an informative source for me.
    Timing Belt

    ReplyDelete
  29. Replies
    1. The rules are here (linked above from the "call to authors"). But the answer is no.
      http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/spfbo-2017-call-to-authors.html

      Delete