I would like to thank you for visiting The Fallen Race website and for taking the time to discover the trilogy I have written. I realize there are millions upon millions of websites and trillions upon trillions of books out there, so I sincerely appreciate your decision to explore my books further. I will keep my message brief and (hopefully) to the point.

Through periodic stops and starts, it has taken me several years to complete the first two books in the trilogy (I am currently writing the third and final installment), and it seems even longer in my attempt at publishing them. I have queried hundreds of literary agents and publishing houses, and occasionally have been given faint glimpses of hope (requests for additional chapters, offering of eBook contracts), but overall it has been a rather fruitless exercise. Through this exasperating and painstaking experience, I have determined that writing the books was the easy part; finding them a proper home has been the challenge, a puzzling concept to be sure.

I am not going to delve into a diatribe about the traditional publishing business, a labyrinthine maze of politics, connections, and ultimately, how many books can you sell? This topic has been written about extensively, and I would not be the first, and certainly not the last person to rail against the traditional model. That is simply a discussion for another forum.

What I would like to say is that through all the rejections, form letters, and unanswered emails, I chose to persevere, and encourage other writers to do the same. You absolutely cannot be discouraged by the thoughts and opinions of editors whose only focus is on the bottom line, on how many “units” can be moved. Quality writing, an engrossing story, complex and relatable characters should be the primary focus, but sadly, these elements have become secondary.

Why am I writing this? Because there are such a vast number of excellent writers out there whose work will never see the light of day because they become disheartened and frustrated with the traditional publishing route. I know I was one of them. Similar to the music world, though, where some artists no longer need the support of record companies (middlemen) to sell their music, in today’s environment it is possible for authors to take their work directly to the people, to find their audience and carve out their own niche in the literary world. In today’s global and interconnected world, one can publish, truly self-publish one’s work, in complete and total do-it-yourself fashion.

I had the opportunity to sign with several small publishing houses that offered eBook contracts, but that would have entailed signing over the rights to my books and essentially losing control of how they would be published, a royalty cut in the paltry range of 25-35% for the books I WROTE, and a questionable and likely non-existent marketing campaign. Finally, at long last, I decided that it is time to do this myself, that I would take full responsibility for this endeavor. It is, in hindsight, a decision I should have made a long time ago.

And so here I have arrived. I stand before you humbled, but my confidence unshaken. I have decided to truly self-publish (not using a vanity or subsidy press) because I want to maintain the rights to my books, I want to design the covers and format, and I want to market them as I see fit. Most importantly, I am self-publishing because I want the world to be able to read my books, to see my work, rather than the files simply gathering moss and occupying (significant) space on my hard drive. My readers can judge for themselves what they think.

I have one final message I would like to express to prospective readers. I write because I love it and because I am fascinated and intrigued by the subject matter in these books (and I hope you are too). I write because I want to entertain. I write because I want readers to come back for more. I write because I want to tell a great story. I DO NOT write for money or fame (unlikely anyway). I DO NOT write to pander to what is selling NOW. I do not write (at this point) as my profession, as a career – I have a day job, this is my hobby, my passion, my midnight muse.

And my pledge is to always continue writing quality stories, stories that make you laugh and make you cry, stories that produce goosebumps and startle the hair on the back of your neck in the middle of the night. If my passion ever ebbs, the writing becomes a chore, or if the stories no longer entertain, I will know it is time to hang up the pen.

But for now, I present to you The Fallen Race trilogy. These are my books, my life, and the clichéd blood, sweat, and tears (and everything in between). I put everything I had into these books, and more. All I ask in return is simply for you to read them and (if you like them) to share them.

Thank you again for your time, your support, and for visiting. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Sláinte!