Returning to the fray with SPFBO9
This past week has been tense and exciting, as I geared up to enter A Quiet Vengeance in the 2023 Self Published Fantasy Blog Off (SPFBO9). If you’re not familiar with this writing competition, it’s aimed at promoting independently published fantasy novels and is run each year by the author Mark Lawrence. This page sets out some general information, and details of how the current competition is progressing can be found on this separate page. 300 books are entered from around the world, which are then divided into groups of 30, with each group reviewed by one of 10 blogs. Those 10 blogs each pick one winner from their group, which advances to the finals. All 10 blogs then review the 10 finalists, who compete against each other to determine the overall winner of the competition. The whole thing takes 11 months from start to finish.
SPFBO’s profile and importance in the wider book industry is certainly growing. When it began back in 2015 the entries came in over the course of a few days, and not all 300 places were taken. For the 2023 contest those 300 places were filled in 41 minutes, beating the record of 9 hours set the previous year for SPFBO8. There’s a clamour to be involved and more and more writers are seeing the opportunity SPFBO gives to them. Although it’s not the main point of the competition, traditional publishers do take note of those books which do well. A number of authors have secured a traditional publishing deal off the back of a strong SPFBO performance. For those sticking with the independent route, the opportunity to gain further visibility for their work is just as valuable.
I’m a big fan of SPFBO and when I last entered SPFBO7 in 2021 my debut novel Hall of Bones made the finals, very much against my expectations. Two years ago my objectives when I entered were very simple. All I wanted was to get a good review and gain a little bit more exposure.
I therefore had a slightly different set of emotions as I entered SPFBO9. There was the same nervous energy as I sat at my laptop at 12:59pm, waiting for the online application form to go live. I kept checking the ebook file was the right one beforehand – as if it might have miraculously changed overnight. Bearing in mind entries closed at 1:41pm, being on the ball and ready to go from the minute entries opened has to go down as one of my better decisions in 2023!
However, there was also something new there as well. A little voice inside my head that whispered there was much more pressure this year. What if I don’t do as well as in 2021? That would be a failure, wouldn’t it? It would prove A Quiet Vengeance wasn’t as good as Hall of Bones, wouldn’t it? Why put yourself through that?
I explored some of these feelings in my previous blog, The Imposter, because that’s what this was – the insidious voice of imposter syndrome. I’m constantly amazed at how often these feelings and thoughts come back, especially now I’m getting better at recognising them for what they are. There was never any question in my mind that I wasn’t going to enter SPFBO9, but I still had to drown out those negative thoughts to submit my entry.
A dose of realism is important here. This year, I’ve been allocated to Esme Weatherwax’s blog, along with two other previous finalists. We’re not all going to make the finals and, far more importantly, there’s no guarantee any of us will. Being a finalist in previous years basically counts for nothing. Some people might have a higher profile than others, but the point here is the 30 books in the group all start from the same place. No one can tell which one will end up being the favourite, and that’s one of the best things about this unpredictable competition. Back in 2021, I was the rank outsider no one had heard of who made it through. That could easily happen to someone completely different this year, and it probably will.
So, taking all that into account, what are my goals for SPFBO9? They’re exactly the same as they were for SPFBO7! It would be great to receive a good review and a little bit more exposure for my new novel would be nice. Anything else that happens is a bonus.
I’ll finish by wishing good luck to everyone who is taking part in SPFBO9 this year. It’s a fun, wild ride and, whatever the outcome, make sure you take a moment to appreciate being in the competition. Discovering new books and making connections and friendships with other authors is a massive part of what this competition is actually about. Remember to make the most of the opportunity!
