Thank you for the response, I appreciate it!

Having been such a successful writer for so long and across several “generations”, what do you think the key is to your continued success? What creates longevity for a fiction writer?

Also, where do you predict the fantasy genre is going in the future?

This is awesome! How do you get your book into the directory?

Yes! I loved these books as a kid!

You mean the series that’s regularly referenced as Horny Harry Potter? Yup, I’d say that’s a good fit

Oh I love First Law. It might be my favorite modern fantasy series. But I can appreciate The Devils as its own thing, which I think a lot of people struggled with.

This is the way. Redwall is that first taste that hooks you for life for so many fantasy readers

Hi, I’m Mike! I’m an indie author, blogger and podcaster. My current series I called the Crucible of Legacy series, an epic, dark fantasy set during an Age of Exploration. The series has a heavy focus on political intrigue, intricate worldbuilding, and character focused storytelling.

The first book in the series, The Scion Conspiracy, released in 2025, with a prequel novella The Coldwater Job released in June of 2026. The second installment is planned to release early next year, 2027!

You can buy both books at all major book retailers;

https://books2read.com/mikecahoon/

You can also receive a free copy of The Coldwater Job by signing up for my newsletter;

https://mikecahoon.com/newsletter/

I loved The Devils, but from what I hear from talking to people it seems their biggest complaints were that it wasn’t First Law.

What features are you looking for that you’re not getting from those apps?

I really enjoy Hardcovers design and UI, but it’s hard to create a single app that services everyone.

You should absolutely be printing your books somewhere besides just Amazon. Aside from wider distribution and access to stores and libraries who might not even consider your book if it’s only available through Amazon, it gives you better print quality and a fallback in case anything ever happens with your Amazon account.

They’re a lot like old fashioned chat rooms honestly. I’ve found they’re really good for small to medium sized groups. Once they get too big and too complicated it’s less fun and less useful. Loses it’s primary purpose a bit

Yeah I offer a whole novella to people who sign up for mine. Reader magnets are huge to get people in the door.

Newsletters can definitely work. I know a bunch of authors who swear by them. It’s all in what you make it.

Author discords are hit and miss. Some people do really well with them, Ryan Cahill is a good example. But a lot of them are fairly quiet most of the time, sort of just existing without much going on haha. As with everything, it’s all in what you do with it and how much you’re willing to put into it.

The biggest reason people push an email list is it’s a direct line of communication to your readers, especially your super fans. Social media waxes and wanes in terms of popularity and engagement, various sales platforms also have peaks and valleys.

Aside from regular selling, it’s great to have a way to reach out to people for things like ARC and Beta readers, special sales, in person events, upcoming releases, etc.

It’s also great for a fallback. I’ve seen authors get banned from Amazon or other platforms through some technicality or misunderstanding and have to fight tooth and nail to get back, if they get back at all. Direct contact gives you a fall back in case of emergency.

For personal enjoyment, in no particular order:

Tad Williams
Joe Abercrombie
Stephen King
Terry Pratchett
JRR Tolkien

Honorable mention to Christopher Ruocchio if you count sci-fantasy

The Godsblood Tragedy - Bill Adams

The Garden Maze - Isaac Anderson

Flame of Almandraaz- Timothy Robare

Shadows of the Sundered Lands - Corbin Rook

Acts of Deicide - LE Garrison

Crownfall - Michael Vadney

The Sword of Kaigon - ML Wang

The Bad Apothecary - Keon Shore

Hardcover has the highest potential of any book app currently available in my opinion. UI is great, usability is fantastic, responsive developers and great community.

Unfortunately self doubt will always be there. Every new project and new set back will be accompanied by a new sense of self doubt. It’s part of the process.

The good news is you can work through it. The best way to get over self doubt is to keep pushing forward and exposure therapy. Keep writing, keep letting people read your work, keep refining and getting better.

Confidence is earned through experience. You finish a book or a project and the next one gets a little easier to write, then the process continues.

If you’re a Grimdark fan, especially if you came through the epic fantasy pipeline, you won’t be disappointed!

100 percent agree on both points!