Author Don Jones

Save the Earth? Or save your dog?

Gradient Descent: Schr?dinger's Dog by Jim Christopher, one of many stories of animal bonds: https://books.jim-christopher.com/cross-species-bonds/mjl6nwaxv3

A (hopefully kind) note to my fellow indie authors...

We all want to be successful, for some definition of "success." We want people to read out stories, and to like them.

That desire will be turned against you.

A) The "book club coordinator" who just contacted you about "featuring" your book... they're a scammer.

B) The "senior editor from [insert well-known publishing company]" is also a scammer.

C) The "agent" or "publishing company" that wants to charge you to be represented, or insists that you have to pay for a "cinematic trailer" or some other promotional bit... is a scammer. Publishers do not ask you for money, and agents get paid when they sell your book.

D) Anyone who is explaining "Kindle Publishing Packages" is... well, maybe not a scammer, but close to it. Amazon doesn't charge a penny for you to publish your book with them, whether Kindle, audiobook, paperback, or hardcover.

Not a SINGLE DAY goes by that I don't get at least one of these in my inbox.

Some clues:

A) .com addresses. Nobody working for a business will use these. Now, an independent editor might, but they should still have a website you can refer to.

B) Anyone asking about the book YOU JUST RELEASED, if that was the 3rd in the series and not the 1st. They're just watching Amazon for new releases and targeting you.

C) Anyone who claims to work for a major publisher. Absolutely zero publishers will reach out to you directly, ever, and even their own websites say so. Just because someone looked up a Senior Editor on LinkedIn and copied their name and photo doesn't make them legit.

D) Anyone who sends an (obviously AI-written) email praising your book and pointing out all the things that you know perfectly well you wrote. They're just buttering you up so they can ask for money.

A couple of exceptions.

A legitimate agent—who will usually be getting a ~20% cut of your royalties if they sell your book—may SUGGEST that you need to work with a development editor (or line-and-copy editor, or both) in order to get your book into salable condition. This is not unusual, and you should expect to pay for that service. That said, you should vet said editor and their rates.

If you WANT or NEED someone to help you with your cover art, or laying out your book attractively, or creating promotional images for you to use in your own campaigns, or even paying someone to run ad campaigns for you... those are legitimate services, and you can expect to pay for them. You should vet the service provider, examine their portfolio of work carefully, and ONLY PAY WITH A CREDIT CARD because that gives you the ability to dispute the charge if they vanish with your money.

NEVER PAY FOR ANYTHING WITH A DEBIT CARD, AN ACH TRANSFER, VENMO, ZELLE, A WIRE, or basically any other form of payment, as you will have no recourse. Anyone asking for Wise is probably a scammer. PayPal... yeah, I've seen that with some smaller outfits, but I give PayPal a credit card so I have recourse.

I am also in the habit of sending these service providers an IRS W-9 form, asking for their Taxpayer Identification Number—because that's something I can look up to ensure authenticity modicum of authenticity. For non-US providers, I'll ask for a W-8 instead. Any legitimate service professional will have no problem with these forms.

Please don't let your heartfelt desire for acceptance and success make you a target.

Please share this, if you are inclined to do so, to help other new authors see this important message.

First time with the entire series in one place!

This is the current project.

(My idea for a western-themed LitTPG has not been panning out, so I’m pivoting to Frontier Fantasy.)

If you’d like to read an advance copy, hit me up with your email and I’ll send an EPUB or PDF, your choice. No strings attached, although I’d love your honest thoughts on it if you’re willing to share.

This’ll be a five book series.

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I LOVE this series. I don’t necessarily need a signed copy, but if you’re looking for a deeply clever fantasy, look here.

We finished the initial shipping wave of the second printing of Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora, and have about 25 copies remaining.

Reminder: We can only ship copies within the U.S.
***

The Thorn of Camorr is said to be an unbeatable swordsman, a master thief, a ghost that walks through walls. Half the city believes him to be a legendary champion of the poor. The other half believe him to be a foolish myth. Nobody has it quite right.

Slightly built, unlucky in love, and barely competent with a sword, Locke Lamora is, much to his annoyance, the fabled Thorn. He certainly didn't invite the rumors that swirl around his exploits, which are actually confidence games of the most intricate sort. And while Locke does indeed steal from the rich (who else, pray tell, would be worth stealing from?), the poor never see a penny of it. All of Locke's gains are strictly for himself and his tight-knit band of thieves, the Gentlemen Bastards.

Locke and company are con artists in an age where con artistry, as we understand it, is a new and unknown style of crime. The less attention anyone pays to them, the better! But a deadly mystery has begun to haunt the ancient city of Camorr, and a clandestine war is threatening to tear the city's underworld, the only home the Gentlemen Bastards have ever known, to bloody shreds. Caught up in a murderous game, Locke and his friends will find both their loyalty and their ingenuity tested to the breaking point as they struggle to stay alive...

The Lies of Locke Lamora will be illustrated with a full color cover, and three full-page, full-color illustrations by Edward Miller.

Signed Second Printing: 1000 signed copies, with the same design and art as the original SubPress limited edition: $125

Order: https://subterraneanpress.com/lies-of-locke-lamora-second-printing/

The “I run a book club that wants to feature your novel” scammers are now hitting me up for books I didn’t even write.

I’m not sure how to take that.

Remember what Prince taught us:

In this life, yawn yōn.

So, Amazon informs me one of my titles violates their Ts&Cs. Not one to mess with a 1,000-pound gorilla, I obligingly de-list the title, and ask, "can you tell me what was in violation?" Because I've read the Ts&Cs and can't figure it out. Their reply was less than illuminating.

SOON! "Dungeon Crawler Carl" meets "Gunsmoke" in this LitRPG novel set in the American Frontier. Or something like the American Frontier. I mean, something that's meant to sharply resemble the American Frontier, apart from the Ocular and Galvanic Ink you were given. Yeah.

Give me a follow (or join my newsletter at DonJones.com/freebies) if you'd like an update when this puppy ships. It'll be the first of six!

Spolier: No aliens. I mean, I love DCC, I really do, but he gets away with an awful lot of "alien magic" hand-waving.

Spoiler: There is, however, a talking horse. Named Edward. Ahem.