The Deathless series has done far better than I ever could have dreamed, to the tune of 10,000 books in the first seven months. That still makes me go =O
There are a lot of reasons I feel the books are selling well, but I suspect the biggest is the covers. I get compliments on them daily, and that’s not surprising. The artwork is phenomenal, and the typography is top notch.
Today I’d like to introduce you to the man who created, and continues to create, that phenomenal art. His name is Nikolai Ostertag, and he hails from Germany. He is also a god-damned GOD. Above is the very first piece of artwork I requested, the hauntingly foreboding cover to No Such Thing As Werewolves.
To the left you’ll find the next piece, the cover of The First Ark. It brings to life my favorite character, Isis- also known as The Mother. Nikolai captured her perfectly, and this image also displays the Primary Access Key. That’s huge, because until the moment I saw this piece both Isis and the key were simply artifacts that lived in my imagination. Now everyone can enjoy them.
Last month I released No Mere Zombie, the second book in the Deathless Saga. Once again Nikolai outdid himself, this time creating a piece that holds a very special significance. The zombified guy on the cover? He’s also my real life best friend, and thanks to Nikolai he’s been captured perfectly. That won me a 20 year bet, by the way.
The timing of this post isn’t accidental. Many of you know that I’m hard at work on Deathless Book 3- Vampires Don’t Sparkle. Nikolai just sent me the first draft of the cover art the other day, and I can confidently say it is his finest work (not that I am totally biased or anything). I can’t wait to get the final draft, and the second I do you’ll see it posted here.
In the meantime do me a favor and spend a few minutes checking out Nikolai’s Deviant Art page. The man is just amazing, and the artwork he’s done for me is only a small fraction of his portfolio,
If you’re a writer consider commissioning some work. His rates are reasonable, and the finished products speak for themselves.
Congrats on the outstanding sale numbers and kick ass covers!
His artwork is very impressive and has helped make a amazing book that much better!!!
However being a junkie wanting a few x I do have to ask about the audiobook for No Mere Zombie? Hope it comes out soon!!!
Very soon, I hope! Ryan has finished his corrections. We’ll be uploading it to ACX tonight, and then we wait for them to approve it. Let’s hope they’re quick about it!
Awesome! I have a saved credit at audible with its name all over it!
Hey Chris, I only have the audible version of the first book. Are you self published at this point? Besides the artwork and great story what else do you credit for your success so far?
Rod
Hi Rod! I am self-published and have turned down publishing deals from several small presses. Story and cover art are definitely important, as you’ve mentioned. Additional factors are production speed (I write really fast), and marketing (I spend a lot of time making sure people know my books exist).
Rod (above) mentioned your writing and extraordinary success, so I looked you up. After reading your blogs and sample chapters all I can say is well done. And thank you for making me think about writing in a new light. Do you use Create Space?
Shannon
Thanks, Shannon. I do use Create Space to for print books, but those are a tiny fraction of my sales. Ebooks are far more lucrative, as are audiobooks. More and more people read that way, and a lot more of them are willing to give an independent author a look. Traditional publishing houses pay to have books placed prominently in bookstores, and that’s still something we can’t match.
I’m okay with that, though. The whole publishing model is changing. We don’t need the help we once did, and authors like me are creating guides to help anyone who wants to write. You can take your own work to market, keep control, and make all the profit.
If audiobooks are so important…then what’s taking so long? I leave in 35 minutes for a road trip; make it happen! JK keep up the amazing work! (maybe it will be up by my return trip Monday…)