Author Topic: Way to go Glynn Stewart!  (Read 5464 times)

TimothyEllis

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Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« on: December 12, 2018, 11:52:20 AM »
For those who follow Space Fantasy, Glynn Stewart has been a rising star for the last couple of years with his Starship Mage series.

He just released the first book in its sequel series, 2 days ago, and its sitting at #87 in the paid store, with petty well all the number #1 tags already including #1 Space Opera.

2 Days! OMFG!

And this is at full price of $3.99.

Way to go Glynn!

I was first directed to the OZ store, and its doing way better there at #31.

Genres: Space Opera/Fantasy/Cyberpunk, with elements of LitRPG and GameLit, with a touch of the Supernatural. Also Spiritual and Games.



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Shoe

Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2018, 12:10:43 PM »
Good writer, but I wonder. A book nearly every six-eight weeks--might a publishing team be in the picture here? If not, I admire his productivity as well as his sales.
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RappaDizzy

Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2018, 12:15:43 PM »
I've never heard of the guy but I have to say great for him. I'll pick up the book and maybe p/u some ideas for the Space one I'm working on.
 

TimothyEllis

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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2018, 12:19:19 PM »
Good writer, but I wonder. A book nearly every six-eight weeks--might a publishing team be in the picture here? If not, I admire his productivity as well as his sales.

He's a writing machine.

A book every 6 weeks is doable. I did it myself early on. It just takes writing for an 8 hour work day.

I wish I could be so productive, but health issues. When I beat them, I hope I can get back to doing what he is.

I've never heard of the guy but I have to say great for him. I'll pick up the book and maybe p/u some ideas for the Space one I'm working on.

Best to get Starship Mage first. The new one is the 7th book for his MC. There is also a spin off series which fills a gap between books 1 and 2.

If you like Starship Mage, binge read the rest.

He also has 3 other series out now, and alternates releases between them.
Genres: Space Opera/Fantasy/Cyberpunk, with elements of LitRPG and GameLit, with a touch of the Supernatural. Also Spiritual and Games.



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solo

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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2018, 12:28:42 PM »
 :tup3b
As long as he's a lone ranger like us...
 

Cate M

Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2018, 01:48:36 AM »
Great news! I'll go check out Starship Mage.  Grin
« Last Edit: December 13, 2018, 04:29:18 AM by Cate M »
 

Bill Hiatt

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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2018, 02:24:50 AM »
Good writer, but I wonder. A book nearly every six-eight weeks--might a publishing team be in the picture here? If not, I admire his productivity as well as his sales.

He's a writing machine.

A book every 6 weeks is doable. I did it myself early on. It just takes writing for an 8 hour work day.

I wish I could be so productive, but health issues. When I beat them, I hope I can get back to doing what he is.

I think more than just commitment is involved, though that's obviously a very important piece. There have been times during which I was writing for eight hours a day, but I still wasn't producing nearly enough to be a full book every six weeks.

Another variable is how good your first draft is and how much editing is required. I've been known to spend a day or two just tinkering with one chapter that I can't get to work the way I want. Someone who produces quality work in that little time must be able to produce a first draft that needs only minor tweaking at best. Being able to write and edit very much faster than normal might also do the trick.


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idontknowyet

Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2018, 07:21:42 AM »
Congrats!!!!

I will be publishing every 4 weeks and I'm not that prolific of a writer. Before I start publishing I'm building a stockpile of books. It is very possible to write that quickly. Amanda does it here and there are people in 20books that do more than 2 books a month.
 

Amanda M. Lee

Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2018, 08:24:58 AM »
Good writer, but I wonder. A book nearly every six-eight weeks--might a publishing team be in the picture here? If not, I admire his productivity as well as his sales.
No. I know him relatively well and he works hard and writes all his own stuff. He does have a co-writer on one series, but they work together and it's right on the cover.
Also, just because you can't hit a certain pace doesn't mean other people can't. Just FYI.

Jake

Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2018, 09:20:41 PM »
I never understood why it mattered so much. One person, a team of people, ghost writers, why does it matter? A good book is a good book regardless of how many people or how long it took to write it.
 
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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2018, 09:35:27 PM »
I never understood why it mattered so much. One person, a team of people, ghost writers, why does it matter? A good book is a good book regardless of how many people or how long it took to write it.

It's a completely fair question. But, I must say it does bother me, the whole team of people publishing under one name, ghost writers, and all of that. Not something I can pin-point, it just feels a bit...I don't know, skeevy to me.

Which is not to say the practice is wrong or unethical or anything like that, it's just... it bothers me for some reason. Reasons that I'm unable to articulate in this moment.

I understand this is a business, and I'm trying to approach it that way as well with my own books/career, but for some reason the "teams" approach that's starting to dominate the store vexes me. Consider me vexed.  :tap

Maybe someone else here understands what's discouraging about it and can articulate the 'why' better than I can. Also, keep in mind I am but one wee peon with an opinion that matters very little in the grander scheme. 

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Shoe

Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #11 on: December 13, 2018, 11:18:48 PM »

Also, just because you can't hit a certain pace doesn't mean other people can't. Just FYI.

 :icon_rolleyes:
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Shoe

Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #12 on: December 13, 2018, 11:25:27 PM »


It's a completely fair question. But, I must say it does bother me, the whole team of people publishing under one name, ghost writers, and all of that. Not something I can pin-point, it just feels a bit...I don't know, skeevy to me.

I wouldn't say skeevy, necessarily, but perhaps disheartening, if you're a solo writer. It's tough to compete with "marketers" or teams of people functioning under a single pen.
Martin Luther King: "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
 

VisitasKeat

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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #13 on: December 14, 2018, 01:52:59 AM »
I never understood why it mattered so much. One person, a team of people, ghost writers, why does it matter? A good book is a good book regardless of how many people or how long it took to write it.

It's a completely fair question. But, I must say it does bother me, the whole team of people publishing under one name, ghost writers, and all of that. Not something I can pin-point, it just feels a bit...I don't know, skeevy to me.

Which is not to say the practice is wrong or unethical or anything like that, it's just... it bothers me for some reason. Reasons that I'm unable to articulate in this moment.

I understand this is a business, and I'm trying to approach it that way as well with my own books/career, but for some reason the "teams" approach that's starting to dominate the store vexes me. Consider me vexed.  :tap

Maybe someone else here understands what's discouraging about it and can articulate the 'why' better than I can. Also, keep in mind I am but one wee peon with an opinion that matters very little in the grander scheme. 

:smilie_zauber:

Me prawn thinks it's okay to play Milli Vanilli in this publishing business! :shrug
 

Bill Hiatt

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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #14 on: December 14, 2018, 01:59:33 AM »
I never understood why it mattered so much. One person, a team of people, ghost writers, why does it matter? A good book is a good book regardless of how many people or how long it took to write it.

It's a completely fair question. But, I must say it does bother me, the whole team of people publishing under one name, ghost writers, and all of that. Not something I can pin-point, it just feels a bit...I don't know, skeevy to me.

Which is not to say the practice is wrong or unethical or anything like that, it's just... it bothers me for some reason. Reasons that I'm unable to articulate in this moment.

I understand this is a business, and I'm trying to approach it that way as well with my own books/career, but for some reason the "teams" approach that's starting to dominate the store vexes me. Consider me vexed.  :tap

Maybe someone else here understands what's discouraging about it and can articulate the 'why' better than I can. Also, keep in mind I am but one wee peon with an opinion that matters very little in the grander scheme. 

:smilie_zauber:
Ghost writing is a long established tradition and isn't inherently unethical. However, as with everything else, context makes a big difference.

It's interesting that bestselling authors like James Patterson make no secret of the fact that they use ghostwriters. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/10711191/James-Patterson-how-the-bestseller-factory-works.html However, Patterson also reads and revises as needed all his ghostwritten material. For me, that's where one of the ethical boundaries lies. If the material is published under an author's name, it should always be roughly the same quality and should have been reviewed by the named author prior to publication. (It's also worth noting in Patterson's case that the names of the ghostwriters are public. Many of them have launched bestselling careers of their own following their collaboration with Patterson.)

It's also interesting that public figures in recent years have often published their autobiographical material as collaborations rather than solely in their own name. I'm from an academic background, in which credit should always be given to all participants, so that's the kind of "ghostwriting" I favor.

In a lot of fields, though, credit isn't always given to all participants, though sometimes it's implicit. Many times studios bring in multiple writers to punch up particular parts of a script, but only the one or two most major ones are listed in the credits. Supreme Court justices often rely on clerks to do their first drafts. In both cases, though, the practice is well known and not in any way secret. And, as with Patterson, the named writers participate in important ways in the creation of the finished product. Most people aren't scandalized by a justice having a first draft done by someone else--but they would be if the justice published the clerk's work without ever looking at it.

For me, that's one question that influenced whether ghostwriting is ethical or not. Is there one author behind that pen name who oversees production and carefully reviews each novel? If yes, then I have no problem. If no, then I think publishing multiple works under the same pen name that are for all practical purposes written independently is ethically dubious. It amounts to false advertising.

Another aspect of the context is the purpose. Ghostwriting got its impetus from celebrity books where the celebrity author was not necessarily a writer but had a compelling story to tell. Somewhat later, authors whose fans were demanding more than the author could produce turned to ghostwriting in the same way Patterson did. I have no problem with the practice in cases like that. However, self-publishing created a new purpose for ghost writers--to play into the rapid release pattern that seems to work so well. I have the highest respect for people like Glynn Stewart and Amanda Lee who have the self-discipline and talent to pull that off. But creating a pen name that gives the illusion of having the same dedication while twenty people are splitting the actual work? Again, that seems ethically dubious to me.

I suppose the "Who cares as long as the book is good?" argument could apply even in such a case, but our society hasn't invariably accepted that idea. One could just as well ask what difference it made for a singer to use lip synching (with someone else's voice) as long as the song was good--but we've seen how fans react to revelations like that. We've also seen that pen names with very specific bios attached can get the authors into trouble (for example, by claiming expertise or experiences they didn't actually have).

This situation is new enough that it may be a while before a consensus develops. For me, the line between reasonable use of ghostwriters and questionable use depends upon the context.

 


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solo

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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #15 on: December 14, 2018, 02:56:44 AM »
I never understood why it mattered so much. One person, a team of people, ghost writers, why does it matter? A good book is a good book regardless of how many people or how long it took to write it.

It's a completely fair question. But, I must say it does bother me, the whole team of people publishing under one name, ghost writers, and all of that. Not something I can pin-point, it just feels a bit...I don't know, skeevy to me.

Which is not to say the practice is wrong or unethical or anything like that, it's just... it bothers me for some reason. Reasons that I'm unable to articulate in this moment.

I understand this is a business, and I'm trying to approach it that way as well with my own books/career, but for some reason the "teams" approach that's starting to dominate the store vexes me. Consider me vexed.  :tap

Maybe someone else here understands what's discouraging about it and can articulate the 'why' better than I can. Also, keep in mind I am but one wee peon with an opinion that matters very little in the grander scheme. 

:smilie_zauber:

Me prawn thinks it's okay to play Milli Vanilli in this publishing business! :shrug

LOL. From ghostwriters, team writing, to story buying - the wonders will never cease.
 

Calliope

Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #16 on: December 14, 2018, 02:58:06 AM »
Go Glynn!    :clap: And - I publish six to nine books a year.  That is why I earn six figures.  This is my full time job.

I get coffee and let my dogs out in the morning, and then sit my butt down in the chair around 8 a.m.  I figure out the basic plot elements, the story conflict, the characters' backgrounds and their romance conflict, a few disasters/setbacks, an all is lost moment, who the supporting cast is, etc., in a few days.  I then write a combination rough draft-outline, which takes me a couple of days. Often I write the first chapter or two, just to get a feel for the book and the characters.   Then I start writing the book - two to three chapters a day.  10 to 15 days, rough draft is done - mostly dialogue and action.  I go back and rewrite - 2 to 3 chapters a day - adding in description, emotions, reactions, etc.  I make a third pass, polishing everything up and making it pretty - maybe a week to 10 days.  Send it to my proofreader, who takes a few days.  Publish.  Rinse, repeat.  Of course there are days where I only manage a single chapter, and days when I take off to run errands, travel to visit my adult kids, or just zone out for a day or two - the usual life stuff.

But yeah, very doable to write a book in 6 to 8 weeks.

 
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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #17 on: December 14, 2018, 05:03:59 AM »
To me, folks like Calliope below and Glynn and Amanda are the heroes of the indie community - if you'll forgive the hyperbole inherent in the use of that word. They are highly disciplined and therefore prolific and I think their work ethic is something to which most/all writers ought to aspire. But more than that, they come across as writers. They don't give off the assembly line vibe. You can tell that they care.

In terms of other authors rising to indie prominence, maybe "skeevy" wasn't the right word to use when referring to this new concept of team writing, but there's a gimmicky quality to a lot of what's being put out there that just doesn't feel right to me. It's like certain people, marketer types, have figured out how to attract enough of a certain demographic that makes a book they've written profitable and from there it's just a question of scaling up.

I have a problem with this idea of a large team of people cranking out works like a factory under a few names who then leverage their lists and formidable bank accounts that continue to build as they incrementally squeeze the non-team indies out of the store by slowly raising the bar in terms of what it costs to gain visibility. Eventually, the store winds up becoming team vs. team, whether it's one name on the book's cover, two names or whatever. I think it's a worrying trend.

I don't know if there's a simpler way to put it, but I prefer the idea of financial success earned by one's hard work and dedication and skill as a creative craftsperson working on projects they're personally passionate about as opposed to people creating 'systems' and growing conglomerates larger and larger to where they snowball into these masterminded fiction factories. To me, that's gimmickry, it's not writing or authorship. But again, that's just me.
 
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twicebitten

Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #18 on: December 14, 2018, 05:47:20 AM »
fantastic! Thanks for sharing it. I love to see hard-working indies succeed.
 

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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #19 on: December 14, 2018, 12:59:42 PM »
Go Glynn!    :clap: And - I publish six to nine books a year.  That is why I earn six figures.  This is my full time job.

I get coffee and let my dogs out in the morning, and then sit my butt down in the chair around 8 a.m.  I figure out the basic plot elements, the story conflict, the characters' backgrounds and their romance conflict, a few disasters/setbacks, an all is lost moment, who the supporting cast is, etc., in a few days.  I then write a combination rough draft-outline, which takes me a couple of days. Often I write the first chapter or two, just to get a feel for the book and the characters.   Then I start writing the book - two to three chapters a day.  10 to 15 days, rough draft is done - mostly dialogue and action.  I go back and rewrite - 2 to 3 chapters a day - adding in description, emotions, reactions, etc.  I make a third pass, polishing everything up and making it pretty - maybe a week to 10 days.  Send it to my proofreader, who takes a few days.  Publish.  Rinse, repeat.  Of course there are days where I only manage a single chapter, and days when I take off to run errands, travel to visit my adult kids, or just zone out for a day or two - the usual life stuff.

But yeah, very doable to write a book in 6 to 8 weeks.

I'm almost afraid to ask how many books you have published.

Though a lot of trad authors would love to be in your position. Hell, a lot of indies too! And thanks for sharing, gives the rest of us, especially newbies like me, a goal to strive for. It's possible, guys! Back to writing! :)
 

Bill Hiatt

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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #20 on: December 15, 2018, 02:09:47 AM »
I don't know if there's a simpler way to put it, but I prefer the idea of financial success earned by one's hard work and dedication and skill as a creative craftsperson working on projects they're personally passionate about as opposed to people creating 'systems' and growing conglomerates larger and larger to where they snowball into these masterminded fiction factories. To me, that's gimmickry, it's not writing or authorship. But again, that's just me.
That's a good way to look at it. I was also thinking of an analogy involving racing the other day. Isn't the achievement of a marathon runner far more impressive than the achievement of a relay team that uses several people to cover the same distance. Of course, the latter isn't a valid marathon entry, but if it were, there's no question how most people would react to it.

Would average readers care who wrote the book they were reading as long as they enjoyed it? Maybe not--but if it truly makes no difference, then why would multiple people hide behind the same author pen name instead of creating brands of their own? They know perfectly well that the fictitious author brand that appears to be producing books faster than lightning gives them an advantage.

If multiple authors want to write as a team, there's nothing wrong with that. I think when we get into a situation in which the collaboration is secret, that's when it becomes problematic. To me, it's like claiming factory-produced furniture is really handmade. There's nothing wrong with mass-production--unless it claims to be something else.

I'm a happy prawn who may never rise above that status because I don't have the self-discipline or the skill to write fast enough to be in the same league as Calliope, Glynn Stewart, or Amanda Lee. If, by some miracle, I do rise above that status, I want it to be based on my own efforts and not because I'm a cog in a mass-production machine.


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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #21 on: December 15, 2018, 04:54:32 AM »
I agree with Bill. I am but a new author in the industry, part-time at that, but I get to write what I want to write. Sometimes, I can type out the story quite fast especially when the Muse hits me with a sledgehammer. I am still considering exploring other genres outside of fantasy and science fiction. For now, I had ten books out in 14 months though the main fantasy series (4 books now/all genre bestsellers at one point) clock word numbers at 105k to 120k words. The rest are either novellas or novels with a 50k to 60k word count. For 2019, I have about 8 story ideas (3 are series sequels) which I hope I can publish within the period I expect - unless some new tale crops up and refuses to let go.

I guess a high writing rate is possible provided one has the time and dedication.
 

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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #22 on: December 15, 2018, 11:23:39 PM »
Good for Glynn!! He has worked hard the past few years to achieve this. I've listened to him in some interviews, very down to Earth, works real hard, creates stories that readers are obviously interested in. Nice job!!!
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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #23 on: December 16, 2018, 04:09:41 PM »
Congratulations to Glynn!


Also, just because you can't hit a certain pace doesn't mean other people can't. Just FYI.

 :icon_rolleyes:

Wow, that wasn't a very mature response. I don't personally know Amanda but I've seen the way her career has progressed, and I wouldn't be so grossly dismissive of things she says.
 

TinkSaid

Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #24 on: December 17, 2018, 11:37:04 PM »
fantastic! Thanks for sharing it. I love to see hard-working indies succeed.

This! Adding my thanks to Timothy for sharing :)
 

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Re: Way to go Glynn Stewart!
« Reply #25 on: December 18, 2018, 01:22:36 AM »
It's always good to hear about successful self publishers. It reminds us all that trad is not the only way to go. Sure, most self pubbers will never hit that level--but most trad published authors don't, either.

There are different formulas for success that can't always be replicated, but hard work and dedication are usually part of this kind of success, as they clearly are in Glynn's case.


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