An Update on my SPFBO 8 Entry…
Well, it’s not really an update, as I’m still waiting to hear from the review team that has The Moon’s Eye. But I’ve had so many people ask how the competition is going that I felt obligated to post something.
As of the writing of this post, the competition has been whittled down to 195 books. That means 105 have been cut. As I said, mine is still pending.
8 have been selected as semi-finalists so far. You can check out the full list of reviews, cuts, and semi-finalist entries on Mark Lawrence’s blog, here: SPFBO 8 – the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off 2022 – Phase 1.
We’re past the half-way mark in Phase 1, so in theory, I should learn something soon. When I entered, I was terrified of the outcome. After the blog tour my book went through in July, I think I made the right decision. But I never imagined the waiting would be this hard.
Almost every day in August (with the exception of this week), there have been new reviews added to the competition and more cuts. Only 10 books will make it to Phase 2 – that means 290 will be cut in Phase 1, or for those who like math, 96.7% of the entries.
I always knew it would be a long shot, but I had to try. Maybe I’ll get lucky. Maybe I won’t. But either way, it’s been a fun experience so far – and I’ve found a few new books to read!
Here are the books from SPFBO 8 that I’ve read so far (either since it started, or prior to June 1):
- Blind the Eyes by K.A. Wiggins*
- In the Shadow of Ruin by Tony Debajo*
- Oil and Dust by Jami Fairleigh*
- The 13th Zodiac by L. Krauch
- The Blood of Outcasts by D.A. Smith
- The Inquisitor by H.C. Harrington
- The Lost King by T.M. Kohl*
- The Skin by J.E. Hannaford
- These Violent Nights by Rebecca Crunden*
* Indicates books read prior to the contest start date.
And I’ve added more to my future reading list. In that respect, the contest has been a lot of fun. Feel free to contact me if you’d like any reading recommendations. I’m happy to share!
A couple related notes:
This video was recently posted by Mark Lawrence. It explains why he started the SPFBO contest and some additional details about it. It’s a long video (25 minutes), but can answer some questions far better than I can.
He also has a video reviewing all of the previous SPFBO champions (2015 – 2021). It’s an even longer video (37 minutes), but should give you an idea of what sorts of books win the competition and some of what happened for the books/authors after they won.