Dawn of the Lightbearer book trailer

Posted byscottatirrellPosted inAbsolution updates, Koen, Thanatos, Writing journeyTags:, , , , , , , ,

I received a great response to Koen’s book trailer (found here). If you checked it out, I hope you enjoyed it, and a heartfelt thank you! It instantly became the most-watched video on my YouTube channel, which made me ambitious. So, I decided to produce one for Dawn of the Lightbearer. It came out reasonably well. You can find it here. Now, I’m working on one for the entire Absolution of the Morning Star series, which means it will likely be longer. I don’t know if book trailers help, but I enjoy doing them, and they give me a little break from editing the Novice of Thanatos and a creative outlet.

As for updates on Mishal and his journey to becoming a monk in the Order of Thanatos, I have completed four content read-throughs and am now deep in the weeds of editing tedium. Currently, I’m eliminating/ modifying overused words, which entails entering words in the find bar and going through each instance- for example, the often unneeded word ‘just’. I started with 167 cases and got it down to 63. I have a lengthy list of these words, which is a good practice to limit wordiness and reduce repetition, but it is dull. Writing isn’t all glamor of creating worlds and characters. Sometimes, you must wear the gardener hat and do some trimming. I hope to complete editing on the Novice of Thanatos by October, and then we’ll choose whether to self-publish or query.

The other night, I heard a terrifying statistic- the average agent receives 8,000 queries yearly and represents about 3.5 new authors or a 0.04% acceptance rate. I knew it was dismal but talk about a shot in the dark. I would love to be traditionally published, not for fame and riches, but as a life accomplishment, but it may not be worth the time and effort. I will do some soul-searching. Ultimately, I just want to write and share my work with you. At the moment, I’m tired of the begging and the rejection, but maybe that will change by the time the Novice of Thanatos is ready.

And we mustn’t forget Koen’s approach. The ebook is available for pre-order now on Amazon for a special early-bird price of $2.99. It will be $3.99 when officially released on September 22, 2024- just about a month away! It is a 500-page book, so it’s still a deal. I chose 9/22 because it’s a Sunday, statistically the best day to release a self-published book (shrugs). It is also after the start of the academic year, so work will ease a bit, and my in-laws will have returned to China, so I will have more time and energy to promote and market.

Gosh, what an exciting time! My hope is that I can delve back into writing Destiny of the Daystar at the end of September. One step at a time, Scott.

Cheers!

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Published by scottatirrell

Scott Austin Tirrell loves dark speculative fiction, conjuring isolated worlds where ancient mysteries, the raw power of nature, and the paranormal entwine. His work is steeped in the arcane, drawing from the forgotten corners of history and the unsettling grasp of the supernatural. With a style shaped by Clive Barker, Frank Herbert, and Joe Abercrombie, he crafts narratives that pull ordinary, flawed souls into the extraordinary, where reality frays, shadows lengthen, and the unknown whispers from the void. He has self-published eight books, with Koen set to come out in 2025 under Grendel Press. Residing in Boston with his wife, he draws inspiration from the region’s haunted past and spectral folklore. Scott invites readers to step beyond the veil and into his worlds, where every tale descends into the deeper, darker truths of the human condition.

7 thoughts on “Dawn of the Lightbearer book trailer”

  1. I wonder – if you’re seeing quick rejections – (a) how you are researching the agents you want to adopt your work, and then (b) how you are pitching to them. Publishers, it seems, prefer big time to take authors through agents, who will help refine the work, but then agents want authors who make their job easier: authors who have done the hard grind of honing the book *and* their pitch. If an agent is receiving that many unsuccessful submissions, those that get through the sieve must have to really stand out. Does you pitch emphasise the uniqueness of your plot and style? What’s the ‘hook’ that’ll keep readers turning pages? [This is often the motivation for what happens in the plot, in which characters strive for some believable but difficult outcome. Go for the emotions, not for ‘what happens’, and don’t forget the motivation of the antagonists, as well as that of the protagonists.] Can you present that hook in under 200 words? Does your synopsis reveal a compelling plot, with the potential for depth to the characters? Does your excerpt really show the ‘soul’ of the book and yet leave the agent wanting more? Does your pitch show that you are passionate about your writing – not just about getting published? And does the pitch align well with the types of work that the agent normally takes on (not just genre but writing style) – and make a good case for them to try a new author?

    It seems to me, with the amount you have written, and so far self-published, you *do* have passion for the writing. You must have developed a reason – a rationale – for why you are passionate about the particular style of book you write and what makes each book and series a particular ‘act of craft’ for you. And it’s ‘you’ who needs to shine through in your pitch: after all, it’s ‘you’ they’re taking on – not some one-book wonder (or one-wonder book) but a future ‘name’.

    Sorry, you will already know all of that, but in my own line of work, I found that the basics – though clear – were easily forgotten when they really mattered. Perhaps reviewing how you pitch could increase your chance of getting noticed in that massive pile of ‘also ran’ competitors. [I used to have to pitch IT solutions.:)]

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    1. Thanks for the long and thorough response! These are all helpful tips and good reminders/ reaffirmations for everyone. I will note that I did not enter this endeavor in a vacuum. All agents were well-researched and my submissions polished. For those that provided feedback on Koen, the consensus was that it was a good book, but just too long to sell for a first-time author (traditionally published). As I felt cutting 40k words would be detrimental to the story, I ultimately decided to self-publish. There will always be another book. I am happy I received feedback and requests for full manuscripts with a cold-call query, and this implies I kept many of your points above at heart. All material was worked and reworked based on feedback. I learned several invaluable lessons from this exercise and currently I am wrapping up the editing of a book at a more ‘sell-able” word count (The Novice of Thanatos). Koen will do better in the ebook domain anyway, an area that doesn’t really require a publisher. Thanks again!

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  3. If I was not reading a book right now, I would be reading Dawn of the Lightbearer. I took a small peak at the trailer… I will let you know what I think of the book and trailer after I read the book. I am excited ✨️

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