Xmas in July

Celebrate Xmas in July at DriveThruFiction by getting any of my titles for 30% off. Head over to https://www.drivethrufiction.com/browse/pub/16618/ and pick up one, two, or all of my titles today...but it's only for a limited time.

Bookstores don't like this cover

I've noticed that a lot of bookstores won't display the cover for my screenplay of The Opium of the People. They list the book, but it's without a cover. I guess some stores find it too controversial...

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

https://books2read.com/u/bzJqDE

People should read first

We've seen quite a bit of backlash to our newest title, Do You Really Want to be a Science Fiction Writer? And everyone of the bad comments has been because of an article titled "Using AI." The reason that people are mad is because they say that we're advocating for the use of AI. These people have obviously not read the book, because that's not what the article is about.

Here's the complete article...you can be the judge...

USING AI

The Future isn’t what it used to be. – Arthur C. Clarke

In reality, this essay can basically be summed up with just one word…DON’T!

AI is basically theft. All it does is combine works of other authors, without their permission, to supposedly “help” your writing. Theft is never a good thing. Would you want someone stealing pieces of your work that you’ve actually worked hard on? If you wouldn’t want it done to you, don’t do it to others.

Many try to argue that AI makes writing easier. Nobody ever said that artistic creation is supposed to be easy. Many of these people are arguing the whole idea of “work smarter, not harder,” but AI does not make you look smart. Quite the opposite actually. AI writing is easy to pick out, and many of the writers using it are not having the success that they claim. I do find it quite amusing that people think using AI to help with their writing will help make them rich. Believe me, very few authors are getting rich. Most authors have “real” jobs that keep a roof over their heads. Writing, including using AI to write, is not a way to get rich. Writing is done because we enjoy it, because we have things to say, and because we like the challenge of creating. AI takes away from all of this. You aren’t creative if you’re using AI, you’re a thief, and if people want to run you out of the business with pitchforks in hand, then I’m with them!

If you truly want to be a writer, then you have to have at least a little talent to pull it off. If you don’t, then this field is not for you, and believe me, AI is not going to suddenly grant you the talent of an Isaac Asimov or a Connie Willis. You’re just going to be a hack. If you don’t have the talent to be a writer, there’s nothing wrong with that. I couldn’t build a house if I tried, and I couldn’t hold political office. I accept these limitations, and do what I can do. Everyone should follow this advice. Being a writer is not for everyone. If you really don’t have the talent, do something else.

I may sound a bit angry in this article (as opposed to my usual charming self), but people using AI to be “writers” is something that actually pisses me off. Use your talents, and if this isn’t one of your talents, then find something else to do.

In addition to being a hack and a thief if you use AI, this technology is also bad for the environment, and bad for our economy. Some people are seeing an increase in their power bills because of the drain that this ridiculous technology puts on the energy grids, and this exorbitant use of power is bad for the environment.

Some people have argued that using spellcheck or grammar check is a form of AI, but it isn’t. These have existed since before the rise of AI, and if anything, they’ve actually gotten worse over the last few years. Words that actually exist are marked as not being in Word’s dictionary, and good god, the grammar suggestions word processing programs suggest are often horrendous. To be a successful writer, you have to actually know some grammar, and it’s even more important now so that you can know when you need to override your stupid word processing program.

Word processing is not AI. Programs like ChatGPT and such are, and if you have the talent to come up with a story and write it, then you should be able to see that programs like these don’t actually help your writing. If you want to be a true wordsmith, then you’ll see that these programs muddle your words and ruin your story. I’ve never personally tried to use AI, but I have seen works where people obviously have, and it’s clear that they didn’t want to take the time and make the effort to actually write something original, and something that was their own, and this is what writing is supposed to be about.

Students are using AI to help them write papers for school, but the point of school isn’t to write the papers, it’s to learn the material, and you learn the material by writing your own freaking papers. It’s the same with writing fiction of any kind, including science fiction, in order to be a good writer, you actually have to take the time and make the effort. If writing was easy, everyone would be doing it, but writing is a very difficult career or hobby, so if you have to use AI in order to write your stories, you’re either untalented, or you’re shorting yourself on your own abilities. Even if it takes longer to get published by actually writing your own stuff, it’s worth it. You’ve actually accomplished something without stealing from others, and without using a technology that, to be completely honest, is severely lacking.

Also, don’t submit AI created material to editors, especially if their guidelines say no AI. They will almost certainly be able to tell, and you never want to anger a potential editor…remember those long memories!

To close out this essay, I will reiterate what I said earlier, if you want to use AI in your writing, DON’T!

NDP Writing Bundle

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

We've created a bundle featuring Do You Really Want to be a Writer? and the newly released Do You Really Want to be a Science Fiction Writer? You can download both of them for just $4 at https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/528885/ 

Do You Really Want to be a Writer? is now available

Following up on the success of Do You Really Want to be a Writer? Author and editor J Alan Erwine now tackles science fiction. In this collection of 17 essays, Erwine looks at everything from what type of press is right for your work to a brief look at creating aliens and alien worlds.

If you’re interested in writing science fiction, grabbing this book should be a no-brainer.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGWR4DNP

Various retailers: https://books2read.com/u/bzNdv9

DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/528882/

Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/s/5f921d9fdc

Itch.io: https://nomadicdelirium.itch.io/do-you-really-want-to-be-a-science-fiction-writer

When will I learn?

Towards the end of May, I wrote a blog post about people requesting a sequel to Slave to the Stars, and I said that I wanted to work on short stories for a bit, and didn't really want to work on a novel right now. So, of course, while working on the revisions for Do You Really Want to be a Science Fiction Writer? I came up with an idea for a new novel.

So, today I wrote the first thousand words in my sixth novel. I really didn't want to work on another novel at this point in time. Not sure I have the mental facilities to pull it off at the moment, but this novel keeps screaming at me, so I guess I will write it...

Smashwords Summer/Winter sale

The annual Smashwords Summer/Winter sale is currently going on. This year you can download any of my novels, short story collections, or scripts for 25% off at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jaerwine. In addition, all of my short stories are currently available for free. So, if you've ever thought about reading my work, download a few stories to get a taste of the diversity of my stories.

Bestseller for June 2025

This was a really dismal month for sales. Luckily we have credit cards to help with rent.......

My new novel, Slave to the Stars, continues to be my top selling title. https://books2read.com/u/3Gg068

Tilmath was born a slave, but she was no ordinary slave. Unlike most humans, she was an Espari, a human capable of sensing the emotions of other beings.

Now, having escaped from her slave masters, the teenager finds herself on the run and about to meet some of the most interesting creatures she could ever imagine, and go on an adventure that she could never dream of. Using her poorly trained empathic senses, she tries to do everything she can to survive, but quickly learns that survival isn't the most important thing for a slave girl escaping to the stars.

Coming soon

Coming soon from Nomadic Delirium Press

 

A sale for no particular reason

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

We were trying to come up with a good reason to have a sale, and couldn't really come up with one…so, enjoy 33% off of all of our titles for no reason. This includes our rpg and fiction titles! https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/2805/

Things in the works

Right now is a horrible time to be an author or editor. Sales are tanking for almost everyone, and costs are going up, but still, I write...

Things you can look forward to in the near future:

Do You Really Want to be a Science Fiction Writer?

The Ephemeris Guide to Guilds

A couple of short stories

Complete collections of my novels and short stories in hardback

You can get any of these titles when they're released just by supporting my Patreon at http://patreon.com/jalanerwine

Taste of Tales

I've put together a little collection of eight of my stories for a special Kindle Unlimited title. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FCJ43V22 So, if you're a member, you can download it for free.

Taste of Tales is a collection of eight stories spanning Erwine’s more than a quarter century career. You get a taste of his Solar Federation stories and his Divided States of America stories, plus a few newer and older gems.
Erwine’s readers have asked that each of these stories be expanded into a novel…only time will tell.

For no particular reason...

For no particular reason...I think it's time to remind everyone of my Tales of Dystopia. https://books2read.com/u/4N8YZY

J Alan Erwine's Tales of Dystopia brings you six bleak futures that hopefully will never be possible. Are the stories dire predictions, or warnings of futures possible? It's the author's sincere hope that none of these stories will be taken as a blueprint for the future, but with the way the world seems to be going…he can't be too sure…

Nomadic Delirium Press is lowering e-book prices

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

We know that quite a few people are struggling with money right now, and this includes readers and RPG players, so we’ve decided to lower the price of 28 of our e-books. For full details, check out our blog at https://nomadicdeliriumpress.blogspot.com/2025/06/were-lowering-e-book-prices.html.

This includes the games I've developed, anthologies I've edited, and even some of my own writing.

The Complete Ephemeris 1.0 Tome in print...sort of

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

When we released The Complete Ephemeris 1.0 Tome as an e-book, many people asked why we didn’t release it in print. The simple answer is that the book was over 1200 pages, and almost a quarter of a million words…not something that we could print very easily.
Now, we’ve released the Tome as two separate books. The Complete Ephemeris 1.0 Game Master’s Guide and The Complete Ephemeris 1.0 Player’s Guide. Together, these two tomes contain every rulebook and supplement that was ever released for the Ephemeris 1.0 game.
The only book not included is The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica, which was too large to include in either volume, and is still available as an individual title.

The Player's Guide: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FBGXB9Y7

The Game Master's Guide: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FB9F5FGK

 

Bestseller for May 2025

Very happy to say that my bestselling title for May 2025 was my new novel Slave to the Stars.

Order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7GTW1CZ

Order from DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/521193/

Order from another market: https://books2read.com/b/3Gg068

Tilmath was born a slave, but she was no ordinary slave. Unlike most humans, she was an Espari, a human capable of sensing the emotions of other beings.

Now, having escaped from her slave masters, the teenager finds herself on the run and about to meet some of the most interesting creatures she could ever imagine, and go on an adventure that she could never dream of. Using her poorly trained empathic senses, she tries to do everything she can to survive, but quickly learns that survival isn’t the most important thing for a slave girl escaping to the stars.

Sequel?

I've already had a couple of requests to write a sequel to Slave to the Stars. Um, what? I just finished that book, and even though the ending was open ended, I wrote it that way to show that life does go on for some of the characters. I didn't write it that way to lead into a sequel, but I guess people want what they want.

At the moment, my plan was to work on a couple of short stories that have been running around in my head during the writing of the novel, and when I did start on my 6th novel, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I'd been thinking about a Divided States of America novel, or a galactic empire novel, or a future Earth dystopia, or maybe even a sequel to A Problem in Translation, but I hadn't been thinking about a sequel for the new novel. Guess I need to consider that now...

Half off at Ko-fi

For a limited time, you can download many of my titles, all of my novels, most of my collections, and a few short stories for half off at Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/jalanerwine/link/50OFF, but this is for a limited time, so download today, and go ahead and follow me while you're there.

Publishing costs

Being an independently publishing author is an expensive undertaking, and unfortunately, my printer is raising their costs for print books. I already have my books listed at a low price, so I don't really make much off of them, but with rising costs, I'm going to be forced to raise the prices on most of my print titles some time in June, so if you've ever thought about buying one of my print books, now's the time...https://www.amazon.com/stores/J-Alan-Erwine/author/B0035AMA0A

Sale at itch.io

All of my novels and short story collections are now available at itch.io for 50% off. Order today at https://itch.io/s/153593/50-off-sale, and hell, if you want to buy all of them, you can download every last one of them for just $15!