Hey guys!!
Today I have a very special announcement from Jon S. Lewis – who’s the co-author of the Grey Griffins series (from Scholastic) and the Clockwork Chronicles (from Little Brown), as well as the author of the CHAOS Trilogy (from Thomas Nelson). He’ll be telling us all about a new anthology he’s working on with other talented people, to help raise funds for breast cancer research and an initiative to ket kids reading. So, without further ado – Jon!
An Exciting Anthology for a Great Cause
As I write my next book (Grey Griffins: Night of Dragons), I enlisted some of my author friends to write an anthology of short stories set in that same world. I can’t wait to read their stories, but the best part is that 100% of the profits from that anthology will go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation and Kids Need to Read.
And these aren’t just any authors … they’re some of the biggest names in the industry today:
- Brandon Mull | NY Times Bestselling Author, Fablehaven
- Aprilynne Pike | NY Times Bestselling Author, Wings
- Frank Beddor | NY Times Bestselling Author, Looking Glass Wars
- Michael Spradlin | NY Times Bestselling Author, Youngest Templar
- Dean Lorey | Co-Executive Producer, Arrested Development
- Shannon Messenger | Let the Sky Fall, Keeper of the Lost Cities
- Tom Leveen | Party, manicpixiedreamgirl, Sick
- Joseph Nassise | International Bestselling Author, Templar Chronicles
- Matt Forbeck | Leverage: The Con Job based on the TNT television series
- Janette Rallison | My Fair Godmother, Slayers
Revenge Shadow King – Book 1 of the original Grey Griffins trilogy
Why I’m Self-Publishing My Next Two Books
The publishing industry is going through seismic changes and though rock star authors will continue to thrive in the new paradigm, publishers can’t afford to miss on many titles. That means mid-list authors are going to struggle unless they take charge of their own careers.
I was lucky enough that my first trilogy sold over 800,000 copies, but Borders is gone (over 900 stores) and Barnes & Noble has already closed 50 stores since 2008 and they plan on closing in the neighborhood of 275 more (source article). That means less opportunity for people to find of your book. And if isn’t on an end cap (which costs money), there’s a good chance it won’t be found. So I’m going to do it. I’m going to publish my own books.
The One Drawback with Self-Publishing
Each short story in the Grey Griffins anthology will be professionally edited. It will also have its own professional cover painted by Scott Altmann, which means that the final product will look every bit as good as what the major publishing houses produce. But the one drawback with publishing your own book is managing the upfront costs.
The Brimstone Key: Book 1 of the Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles
Crowdsourcing with Kickstarter
It’s why I’m running a Kickstarter campaign to help pay for the artwork and the editorial for the anthology as well as Grey Griffins: Night of Dragons.
Crowdsourcing a book is basically a way for readers to pre-order it so we can invest the money into making the product. And pledge levels for the campaign start at only $1. There are some fun rewards like custom Grey Griffins short stories, collectible character trading cards and sketches from the cover artist.
For the writers out there, we’re offering the chance for a query letter review, a partial manuscript review, and even a Skype brainstorm session where I’ll help you come up with ideas for your story.
You Can Even Get Your Story Published in the Grey Griffins Anthology
I have a passion for helping new writers break into the industry, and I thought the best way to do that with this project was to give someone a chance to get a short story published in the anthology. Your story will end up in the same book with all those New York Times bestselling authors. If it sounds like something you’re interested in, you can find the submission guidelines here.
Thank you
Thanks for taking the time to read this and for your consideration to back the Kickstarter campaign. I’m going to need your help to make this project a reality, and I know that together we can do something incredible!
About Jon S. Lewis
Jon Samuel Lewis is an American writer best known for the acclaimed Grey Griffins series published by Scholastic’s Orchard Books. After selling nearly a million copies in the original trilogy, Lewis and his writing partner, Derek Benz teamed with Little Brown to publish the Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles. He is also the author of CHAOS Novels, a young adult urban science fiction series published by Thomas Nelson and has written for DC Comics. Lewis is also a marketing executive and content strategist who works with Fortune 500 companies on their digital marketing strategies.
I think it’s a great idea, and I’m going to be backing the project on Kickstarter. I’ve already backed two other projects on KS – The Lizzie Bennet Diaries being released on DVD, and a set of amazing playing cards based on Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicles. The best thing about Kickstarter is that you can pledge money, but it doesn’t get taken out of your account until the whole project is backed, and you essentially become a stakeholder in that project. The company is obliged to give you updates on their progress and they answer to their backers, at the end of the day. I’m not really qualified to advise anyone financially, but Kickstarter, and crowd-sourcing in general, is the way of the future! If you’re interested click here to be taken to the Kickstarter webpage!
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