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AuthorAppleton

How to publish 4 books + 1 audiobook in one year

July 26, 2022 by AuthorAppleton Leave a Comment

For years now, I have batted around the challenging prospect of upping my writing productivity. What would happen if I could publish two or more books every year? It’s a huge challenge, mostly due to the other commitments that I have in my life that are not writing-related! But, since September of 2021, I have published four books. This is a milestone, and the challenge for me is how to make that consistent.

Like most writers, I hold a day job that supports my family. I have a wife and five children, and our life is a constant shuffle of priorities. The number one priority for me is legacy, and my family is a big part of that. I want to raise children whom I enjoy, and who love God unabashedly. My writing needs to come second to them, because if it doesn’t then the creative well that I rely on will be spiritually dead. And of what good is a dry well of creativity to thirsty readers who don’t want stories that bore them until they snap the book shut?

I was inspired to push myself in publishing more titles by listening to writers such as Kevin J. Anderson and Steven Higgs. They, among others, focus on telling the stories they love. They are experts at ignoring their inner critic, and at not worrying about how their stories will be received. They simply enjoy the process, and I desire to have that same attitude.

My first step to releasing four books in a year was publishing the long-awaited fantasy epic and fifth book in The Sword of the Dragon series. This was accomplished in September 2021, and the readers’ reception has been stellar! I am truly humbled by how well that series resonates with the fans.

But the next steps were the most challenging, because I wanted to release my first non-fiction book and also another epic fantasy novel.

Using a combination of dictation through Word 365 on my iPhone (I know, it’s a bit weird, but it was effective) and typing up other content on my Freewrite Traveler, and the Macbook Air, I was able to finish and release The Soul of Story in January of this year. It was the first book that reached profitability in its first week after release!

I hired David Moody to redesign/update my website, and a big part of that was to have a New “reader magnet” that subscribers would receive when they signed onto my email list. This was a huge challenge at first, because I had started writing my next fantasy epic and didn’t want to distract too much time from working on it. So again I turned to dictation, and remarkably was able to write and edit an original novelette 10,000-words long, then published that as the reader magnet. I am thrilled with the result, the book The Swordmaster’s Glory.

For the last project in this year’s bonanza, I wanted to start the prequel series to The Sword of the Dragon series. I thought the end product would run a modest 80,000-words. Instead, Shards in Belial (The Sword of the Dragon Origins book 1) clocked in at 110,000-words. I used a combination of dictation and typing to achieve this rapid release. And, again, I’m thrilled with the result.

During this time I also recorded and published The Soul of Story in audiobook format. Granted, it was a shorter audiobook, but this is the second title to get the audio treatment.

I’m no expert at dictation. Not at this point in time. But I am learning it’s faster than typing, and I intend to get a lot more efficient at it. Right now, I run into the problem of external noises interrupting my dictation sessions. I cannot simply step outside on my lunch break at my day job and dictate into my Airpods, because external interference confuses the dictation software and makes the editing a nightmare afterwards. After some research, I found the answer to my dictation challenge is a piece of hardware. A particular microphone that will only pick up my voice and eliminates everything else: the SpeechWare FlexyMike and USB adapter… But it’s not cheap, so it goes on the top of my next hardware to-purchase list. A couple years ago I invested in the Freewrite Traveler, and that has paid off by tripling my word-counts.

Four books represents a lot of writing in one year… a lot of work… but progress is addicting. My final goal is to publish my juvenile illustrated chapter book Father Mouse before September this year. If that is accomplished, it’s a fifth notch in titles published in a single year!

Somehow, I doubt I’ll be able to match this next year… but maybe God has greater plans.

Q: What have you challenged yourself to accomplish this year?

Filed Under: new product, productivity, writing

Available now! Shards in Belial on Kindle

June 14, 2022 by AuthorAppleton Leave a Comment

Over a thousand years before Ilfedo and Dantress were born, the Unholy Trinity of wizards seek scorched earth, and heroes rise to oppose them.

Curl on a couch with your Kindle

The abbot seeking to protect an orphaned boy, the young woman thrust into the role of High Priestess, and the Swordmaster forced to watch his loved ones die.

When the cockatrice appears, it may doom them all.


Reverend Ashinah promised to take care of the orphaned Xavion, but events are beyond his control. Ooletta never wanted to become High Priestess, but she’s stuck with the responsibility at the expense of her own dreams. Only Olympan the Swordmaster has a clear path, but it is a dangerous and bloody quest.

Rated PG-13 for violence and sensuality. Paperback edition will release next, then hardcover, and there will be an audiobook version as well.

Filed Under: Fantasy, new product Tagged With: fantasy, fiction, new release, series, The Sword of the Dragon

Cover reveal and story teaser! Father Mouse

April 15, 2022 by AuthorAppleton Leave a Comment

I’m so pleased to introduce the cover for my upcoming children’s chapter book, Father Mouse. And I found a wonderful artist (thank you Mairi Craig) who has done the cover illustration, and will be doing a lot of interior sketches for this.

Coming Fall 2022

Tease: When a random meteorite fragment crashes into the second story window of the house on Lemon Lane, it brings toy soldiers to life, throwing Father Mouse’s life into chaos.

Coming this Fall 2022!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: chapter book, childrens book, illustrated, new book, new release

How non-fiction informs fiction writing

March 25, 2022 by AuthorAppleton 1 Comment

Our brains all work differently. Personally, I can absorb a lot of information but the order of that information can easily be confused. I know a lot of historical facts but the chronology of events becomes confused, at times, as my brain focuses on the specificities of situations told in story form. These are the building blocks for good fiction writing.

The more we read, the more life we live, then the greater the creative output we will have. All of life informs our writing. We consume data constantly, whether consciously or unconsciously, and that data is filtered through our beliefs, convictions, and preferences.

Do you ever find yourself sitting in a room, whether a coffee shop or in a store, just listening to the people around you? I do. I find people to be alternately intriguing, annoying, infuriating, motivated, lazy, kind, and rude. And as I listen and observe, real life informs the characters I create in my fiction stories. Observation helps us to create characters that are not carbon copies of one another, but rather are uniquely suited to add interest to their story environment.

Admittedly, I have even based a few characters on close friends of mine and family members. The real people inspire memorable fiction characters.

I once heard a preacher say that fiction is truer than non-fiction. It seemed a strange assertion, yet it holds great merit. What is truer than Pilgrim’s Progress, Hinds Feet On High Places, or Ben-Hur? In fiction, every evil deed can be brought to light, and every good thing can be revealed in fuller glory than we typically see in real life.

In my recent book The Soul of Story I did touch on this subject, but it was not the focus of the narrative. I think that fiction is an incredibly powerful tool, which can effect real change in the hearts of men and women. It can inspire us to highlight our best tendencies and reject our worst impulses, becoming the heroes and heroines this world needs, serving God and serving others.

Non-fiction is invaluable as a research and inspirational tool to the fiction writer. The old saying is true: “Truth is stranger than fiction.” That being the case, let’s look to real events to invent originality in our fiction stories.

Q: How does non-fiction inspire your creative storytelling?

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Release day! The Swordmaster’s Glory (The Sword of the Dragon origins)

March 4, 2022 by AuthorAppleton 2 Comments

Now available to list subscribers. Get yours FREE today!

The wizard Hermenuedis has burned the lands of the Eiderveis, and only the fairy tree remains along the banks of the stream. But the albino dragon sends Theseun, one of the legendary swordmasters, to bring the fairies to safety. When the wizard’s army comes upon them, can anyone survive?

All you need to do is sign up! CLICK HERE

Filed Under: Books, Fantasy, new product

Cover reveal and tease! The Swordmaster’s Glory publishes next month

February 22, 2022 by AuthorAppleton Leave a Comment

Coming next month! The Swordmaster’s Glory (The Sword of the Dragon origins). This novelette ties directly into the other novels, expanding the lore and ancient history of Subterran.

The wizard Hermenuedis has burned the lands of the Eiderveis, and only the fairy tree remains along the banks of the stream. But the albino dragon sends Theseun, one of the legendary swordmasters, to bring the fairies to safety. When the wizard’s army comes upon them, can anyone survive?

Filed Under: Books, Fantasy, fiction, new product

Cover reveal! SHARDS IN BELIAL

February 19, 2022 by AuthorAppleton Leave a Comment

I am so excited to reveal (finally) the cover for the first full-novel release in The Sword of the Dragon origins series! Coming Summer 2022, this epic fantasy lands us in the midst of the ancient war, as the unholy trinity of wizards wreaks havoc upon the lands of Subterran.

When the unholy trinity of ancient wizards mysteriously arrived in Subterran, Olympan and the other swordmasters rose from the lands touched by the prophets to fight them at every opportunity. Now, the war has arrived at Olympan’s doorstep, and the most dreaded member of the wizard trinity is behind it. Meanwhile, Ooletta is struggling to accept the role thrust upon her by her people: the role of high priestess. If she cannot accept her fate, then what destiny will she choose?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: epic fantasy, fantasy books, fantasy series, new release, scott appleton, The Sword of the Dragon

The Swordmaster’s Glory novelette is written!

February 15, 2022 by AuthorAppleton Leave a Comment

Today I finished writing a story which I’ve been meaning to do for a few years. It’s titled The Swordmaster’s Glory (The Sword of the Dragon origins) and will be published next month. It’s an exclusive release to all email list subscribers. Currently, I have several artists competing for the cover design and I have a few promising contenders. You can expect to see the cover revealed next week!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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New release!

Now Available! The Sword of the Dragon series book 5

Progress on projects:

“Shards in Belial” (The Sword of the Dragon Origins) 52,700-words

“In Search of Dragons (The Sword of the Dragon book 6) 6,400-words

“Father Mouse” 7,996-words

“The Soul of Story” audiobook 62%

“Neverqueen 3: The Queens Two” (Fantasy) 200-words

“Specter” (Fantasy) 1,000-words

“The Star Train” (Science-fiction 27k-words

“Ironwing” (Fantasy) cover designed!

“Dragon Offspring” audiobook

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