Poll Results - CAGE MATCH

10/5/2016

The cage match has ended, and only one warrior has emerged from this battle royale with bloody fists held high.

Here are the results of your collective opinion, after filtering out all the duplicate entries from the same IP addresses. Nice try, guy who voted for Cradle 46 times. And to those of you who voted for everything once each...why? That keeps the poll results exactly the same. I'm baffled.

To the results!

In fourth place, with the aluminum foil medal, is "I didn't read one or the other of those series, so TRAVELER'S GATE!" with 48 votes.

The bronze medalist is "I know you're going to write what you want, so I prefer not to waste my valuable life on this poll," with 71 votes! Evidently only 71 of you value your lives.

Riding shotgun in silver is...drumroll please...Elder Empire! That's not a surprise in itself, since Cradle is more recent and has sold more books, but the 111 of you who voted for Of Killers and Kings / Of Kings and Killers next are more likely to end up happier than anyone else who voted this week.

And the champion, the winner, the gold medalist, the king of the poll, is Blackflame with a staggering 504 votes.

For real, though, that's unbelievable. That's a LOT of votes. To quote Reddit, "RIP my inbox," because I got every one of these poll entries emailed to me.

Thank you to the 734 of you who voted for sharing your opinion! If you voted for Cradle, know that a lot of other people agree with you. If you voted for Elder Empire, know that I agree with you. And if you voted for something else, way to stick it to the man.

The man, in this case, being me.

-Will

67 Comments

dave

10/5/2016 11:30:45 am

so EE next?

Will link

10/5/2016 03:15:51 pm

I'm going to a friend's wedding this weekend, but after that, I'm sitting down with Kings and Killers and trying to figure out what I've got to work with.

Jacob

10/5/2016 11:31:49 am

As someone who has read all 3 of those series, I'm still just sitting here waiting and saddened that the new Traveler's Gate is not out yet :'(

Not that I'm not also excited for the conclusion of Elder Empire...but...Traveler's Gate!!!

10/5/2016 11:34:07 am

im with you put down cradle and EE and lets get going with TGT

Avinash

10/5/2016 11:56:18 am

you know i agree
there are some books that make a space in ur heart or cut it with steel!
so while i like all the series simon will always be my favorite

heck when ever i hear the name simon i picture the scene from his first attack during his fight with the second incarnation of valinhall.

So while i try to follow shera's life mantra.
and lindons way of thinking

i just like Simon,
So as the Eldest would say the strong carves their desire with steel and blood and the weak protest while being strangled in bed.
so kudos to the Cradle guys u won this round.
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Now where did i kept my mask !

10/5/2016 03:19:48 pm

You know, the main reason why Traveler's Gate is taking a backseat for now is because the trilogy actually had an ending point. So it can wait a while, unlike EE or Cradle.

However, it does leave me in a bit of a conundrum.

The next three books are going to be a trilogy, following Simon after CoL, but if I actually just put them up on Amazon as "The Traveler's Blade Trilogy," then new readers will be confused. Because book one of the TBT is really Book 4 of the series.

So do I re-brand it as the Traveler's Gate Series (instead of trilogy) and just call it Book 4? What about the omnibus that I'm selling as the complete trilogy? Plus, structurally, it IS a trilogy.

Do I try to make Book 4 self-contained enough so that new readers can pick it up? That's hard, because old readers like yourself have read everything and don't need so much of a recap. It would be much easier if I were picking up in the same world with new characters and only occasional cameos from the old cast, but I'm not.

It's a pickle.

10/5/2016 03:41:28 pm

HEY WILL (sorry for long post)
ya
Naming it the travellers blade trilogy only may cause confusion,
you could provide a slightly different name that relates to the first series but is slightly different like "The Travellers War Trilogy"(as the major focus was gonna be attack by another empire. )
or "The Queens Travellers Trilogy"(as Valinhall is all but in Queens Leah's hand).or maybe completly different name like "Steel and Blood Trilogy" or "Empires Blades".
but going with second option carries the risk that a new reader may not make the connection between the two series.

Alternatively you can write TGT arc2 or Age 2 but please dont as it just sounds dispasonate like R.C.C.2 or SOM 2 it starts to sound like a college class.

Also while the writers always go on about saying you can read this book as series or as stand alone , BUT NO ONE DOES THAT. (have u ever done that urself ??)
every one starts at the Start of Series
What you can do is provide basic back ground info relevant to the current story in first few chapters (1-2).and then provide tit-bit of info where required .

THAT is my humble opinion as a reader and what i think that generally all readers would agree with me.
but let me know what you think (if u read the whole post that is )

P.S. you know how refreshing it is to talk to an author and have him respond actively. never had that with any other series and i have been reading full length novels since i was 10yrs old.

10/5/2016 04:45:38 pm

Avinash,

That's exactly my dilemma with trying to start book four as the first book in a "standalone" trilogy: because no one does that. Nobody starts in the middle of the series. New readers want to start from the beginning.

Even if you COULD technically pick it up and start in the middle, no one wants to. But it makes the Amazon classification so much easier.

The point of confusion doesn't come from the title, I don't think. It comes from the fact that, on Amazon, something either IS part of a series or it is NOT.

Dragonlance would have been very difficult to categorize, if it had come out on Amazon first. It kind of is anyway.

Katy

10/5/2016 05:00:55 pm

Personally I'd go with rebranding it as a series but still have it separated into trilogies. So yes book one of Traveler's Blade would be book four of Traveler's Gate. It worked with Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series so I think you'd be totally fine to go that route.

John

10/5/2016 05:56:03 pm

I'd just stick with calling it Travelers Gate, possibly with a sub-series name if you like. You could have "Travelers Gate: The Blade Saga" or whatever.

As for including background information in the actual text of the novel, I HATE HATE HATE when authors do that.

It is much better to just include a few pages before the novel starts, summarizing important points and/or characters from past books. Then readers who remember well can easily skip it, and those who need a refresher can read it.

10/5/2016 06:50:25 pm

John,

Honestly, I hate that too. Either I remember everything, or I've re-read the series. I don't need a refresher.

So what I would actually do to catch people up is have a mechanism in place for that: Simon going back through the House from the beginning, or whatever. Every character getting a new intro. Not lines like "He remembered his mentor Kai, who died fighting blah blah blah etc."

10/5/2016 08:13:16 pm

I'm not sure I follow.

How would that "mechanism" be positioned in the book(s)?

Would it be easy and straightforward for a reader to skip over the review if they do not need it?

10/5/2016 10:11:49 pm

you are right TGT can wait but no i dotn think you should bother changing it just start the new trilogy and let people know that the back story is TGT and hopefully everyone will just go and read it

Jerry

10/6/2016 04:24:57 am

Will,

A lot of series have started as trilogies and then expanded..

The inheritance cycle foremost in my mind.

Just change it from trilogy to series, cycle, or the wheel of gates.

David

10/6/2016 09:34:34 am

Call it, PART TWO OF THE TRAVELER'S SAGA.

Scott

10/6/2016 01:45:59 pm

I think it's definitely important to find a way to brand it as Book 4 of the Traveler's Gate series, even if you're doing the series as sets of trilogies. It'll be clearer to new readers and likely to get them hooked from the beginning. Also, like Katy said, it's working for Mistborn. Can you change the description of the omnibus to indicate that it's the "Original TG trilogy" or something along those lines? Is it possible to label the next book "Insert Title Here, Book 4 of the Traveler's Gate series, book 1 of the Traveler's Blade trilogy" on Amazon?

Mitch

10/5/2016 11:35:03 am

This is what happens when you write a story almost completely about leveling up.. everyone wants to get to the next level! :) As long as you don't go all "Rothfuss/GRRM" on us, hopefully we'll all be happy.

10/5/2016 11:57:56 am

if he goes Rothfuss or GRRM i may need to get a sword as an incentive.

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coincedently will , where do u live , for future reference...

Satya

10/5/2016 01:38:38 pm

Reading all of your comments makes me feel like Will has added you to some secret watch list.

Not that I'm complaining, any incentive to get books faster is great in my opinion :)

Ian

10/5/2016 11:53:56 am

As interesting as the poll was, what are you going to write next? It is your creative process, not ours.

tyler

10/5/2016 12:35:56 pm

yeah the post was slightly confusing. I know cradle won, but unless i cant read will never said which was up next? right? right?.......

Bridget

10/5/2016 12:47:09 pm

He said the we people were more likely to end up happy so I'm guessing that's next.

10/5/2016 01:37:19 pm

The "we people"? By "we" do you mean "me"?

Bridget Gutting

10/7/2016 06:21:14 am

I meant Elder empire. Stupid autocorrect

Batman

10/5/2016 12:44:04 pm

So your writing a new batman novel right?

10/5/2016 02:03:39 pm

because you're BATMAN.

10/16/2016 11:51:20 am

No, I can't write Batman next.

Once I write Batman, there will be no topping it. It's only downhill from Batman.

Kevin

10/5/2016 03:09:42 pm

Personally, I want the next Elder Empires book. Need to see what happens to Shera!

From a writing standpoint, I feel like Cradle is in a good holding point at the moment, with less plot lines to manage than EE, so it will be easier to revisit it later.

Basically for Cradle, you've only got a few plot points to worry about, and a wide open slate for the future, so taking a break and letting new ideas seep in might not be the worst thing (like a fine wine, let it age a bit).

Although, there is still the unanswered question of what happened to the Wei clan after Unsouled? I suspect this might be a part of Lindon's ascension to Jade, returning to the Wei village to face off with the Heaven's Glory elders.

EE on the other hand, has a lot of interconnected plot lines going on, which will be harder to maintain continuity if you step away from it for too long. Especially with the 1 story, 2 perspectives thing going on.

I think an interesting poll would be which main character from all of your books is the fan favorite, though I think Simon might have an unfair advantage.

10/5/2016 03:48:52 pm

YES
i completely agree.
See cradle is not at a cliffhanger and you can tell that it has a lot of story left which would require a no of books.

but EE has been left hanging it set to be completed and i think it would be better to complete that series at once

cause who knows WILL might decide to start a new series and then we would be left hanging three ways

so i think
complete EE
start a new project
alternate between cradle and the new project

Patrick

10/5/2016 03:56:28 pm

Clearly what is needed now is to merge all three together. The final books of Killers & Kings would take place in the Elder Empire, Simon would find his way there by following a hint from Valin (who has some hints that he found his way there already) and then a future version of Lindon shows up on a mission for Suriel.

This was a joke, but I kinda want to see this now.

10/5/2016 04:04:36 pm

Seriously, I had considered this as a non-canon short story.

Rhys

10/6/2016 03:17:14 am

Please will. Do this. Do it

Madeline

10/6/2016 02:38:35 pm

Please

Gage

10/8/2016 01:40:54 am

Ooh you should definately do this! Since itd be labeled non-canon from the get go you could stuff it full of plot clues and foreshadowing except no one would know what clues and foreshadowing is legit and which ones arent since the story is non-canon afterall.

Definately would be an A+ trolling opportunity. Especially for people like me who like to theorize a lot about the setting and mechanics of the world that dont always get explained.

Corey

10/12/2016 05:47:02 pm

I actually find myself thinking about who would win in an epic cage match between Simon, Shera, and Lindon quite often. Currently Lindon is at a serious disadvantage but I feel like he also has the potential to be the most badass of them all...

Long story short... I root for a non-canon cage match.

I'd probably die of happiness!

Kaden

10/5/2016 04:18:51 pm

Yes the poll didn't sway you EE ending here we come or further continuation of the series either way we have won the war in a single battle

10/16/2016 11:53:30 am

My business manager and my graphic designer are still both lobbying for me to do Blackflame next. It's a rough choice.

James link

10/5/2016 07:12:31 pm

While I couldn't get into EE, I want you to finish it, because you don't want to leave it to long or you will never get to it. Plus, you would have free time to give more Simon. Come on, give us some fan service.

10/16/2016 11:54:24 am

I'm not sure which fans to serve, that's the problem.

Josh Turnbull

10/5/2016 08:59:47 pm

As an avid fan, please just follow up on whatever is the closest to be completed. As in stand alone work - not which series is closest to completion.

As a reader from as early as Traveler's gate I agree with your rational, that it is a complete story and the others are midway, just not the conclusion. It's been so long since we lived with/through Simon. Short stories and their amalgamous time/space narration, we have been Valinhalics in need of a fix, bro.

But again, will gladly devour all that you bestow upon us, so just finish whatever has been started.

Word to your mother.

J.T.

10/5/2016 09:02:28 pm

So used to being able to edit my comments I never edit until after the outpour: rationale and "short stories... Aside." Forgot the aside.

10/16/2016 11:56:18 am

The problem is, it would always be easier to write a Cradle book than a pair of EE books. So Cradle is always closer to completion.

Mark

10/6/2016 07:49:23 am

At least tell us what madra types the Path of Blackflame uses!

10/6/2016 02:47:55 pm

Blackflame is the empire. Unsure if theres also a path of blackflame but I assume the title refers to the location in which it will take.
That said, what kind of madra do the Elders give off?

10/6/2016 02:48:15 pm

Brian C

10/6/2016 10:13:04 am

I have an idea. Why not have those short stories, the ones that you didn't write, have them be about TBT or Cradle while you work on EE? That way everyone is happy? Everyone gets a story, even if it is just a little taste.

It isn't like I'm trying to get you to write those short stories or anything... I would never do that...

Tyler

10/7/2016 06:41:43 am

Best. Compromise. Ever. WILL PLEASE DO THIS

Captain Nemo

10/13/2016 12:43:03 am

I agree. Finishing EE, with supplemental short stories from Cradle and TG, sounds like a nice compromise (although still slightly weighted toward those in the EE crowd, like me:)

Adarsh

10/13/2016 09:13:24 am

Oh hell yes. This is a great idea. As longs he catches up on all the short stories he owes us.

10/16/2016 11:57:13 am

That's probably what I'll do, to be honest.

Nikk

10/6/2016 10:58:13 am

Cage Match! I would.. HEY! LOOK OVER THERE! *Punches everyone in the face*

This is a tough choice! Honestly, I love Cradle and Travelers Gate about the same. I would say I lean more towards Travelers Gate because I just finished SoulSmith and I think I can wait for more Cradle if I have Travelers Gate. I still love Elder Empire, but not as much as Cradle and Travelers Gate

But it matters what the voices in your head are telling you to write, so it is up to you!

Do you have a Muse?

10/16/2016 11:57:59 am

I could happily write either one.

10/7/2016 09:05:56 am

Hey Will,

Do you think you could get Bill Wight to do EE so you can focus on Cradle? Or maybe Jill Wight. Or wait. . . both would be ideal, one for each EE book.

Just a thought since you callously ignored the Will of the people. Get it? Will.

Maybe I would lend you my cloning machine. Just make sure the original works on Cradle

10/16/2016 11:59:30 am

I can put Jill on EE, but Bill Wight is my grandfather.

I am William Lawrence Wight III.

Richardson

10/7/2016 12:25:00 pm

Quick question guys, lidon as 2 cores, can he have 2 iron bodies when his other core is ready to break through iron?

10/7/2016 12:48:36 pm

Already asked and answered. It was in the comments of the "Soulsmith Coming Now" blog post.

10/8/2016 02:02:00 am

The short answer is no. His body is already reforged so it cant be reforged again.

However Will added that Lindons soul quality still has room to improve, which could simply just mean that the iron body is set and he needs to move on to Jade to improve or it could be a hint that the two cores will come into play later during Jade.

Im inclined to believe the latter, the twin cores gets mentioned too often and Lindon keeps trying to figure out how he can take advantage of it too often for it to merely just be a defense against core attacks.

ANDREW LUSCOMB

10/8/2016 08:44:47 am

Did you get the couch i sent you from valinhall limited? They said its a great motivator and only eats writers like ruthfuss so no worries for you right?

10/13/2016 12:51:50 am

Hey Will, a while ago -- as in years ago -- you mentioned writing a Valin/Valinhall prequel. Is that still something you might do, or was it just an idea that you discarded?

10/16/2016 12:00:06 pm

I haven't discarded it, but it did get pushed down the priority list quite a bit.

Lashan

10/13/2016 08:14:32 am

Will, can you put somewhere on the website current progress tab. This way people will , probably, but you less while you working. Brandon Sanderson's site has one so everyone can keep and eye on him( peeking is such a human trait), it's almost like we are allowed to progress to Copper and see your writing aura. Plus, it keeps one on his track to progression to next level/book.
Path of writing is a painful path of multiple cores but counting the reviews of Cradle against other books one would wonder if the Dragon Fever of writing Cradle book/a outweigh developing other cores/books at this stage ( plus it is so much harder to cycle Elder Empire madra).
You have and interesting decision to make : which core to develop next. Maybe you will prove everyone a report on your future progress ( we will wait for the detailed manual of your path). Progress report: Provide?

10/16/2016 11:49:41 am

You know, I've considered putting a progress bar up on the site, but it wouldn't be much use. I never really know where I am in terms of progress.

I'm still considering it, though.

DKIT

10/16/2016 06:43:45 am

Will. I'm a new convert. just finished the first two Cradle books, and well, I am writing on your blog so that should tell you something about how I feel about them. First, the platitudes:

Terrific plot structure
Fantastic character development
Engaging dialogue
top notch writing really. Top Top.

Second, instant gratification:

After reading some of the bloggers' comments, I will immediately dive into either Elder Empire or Traveler's Gate while I wait for you to finish BlackFlame (which should be your next book). Frankly, I need more Will Wight stuff at the moment. So, because Cradle was so good, I am going to read everything else. What should be next, a little help here.

10/16/2016 11:48:51 am

Thanks, Dkit! Your encouragement has warmed the depths of my icy heart.

As for what to read next, it probably should be Traveler's Gate. I personally think the Elder Empire books are better written, but they're also not finished yet, where as TG is a complete trilogy.

And thanks for giving me a shot! I'm glad you're enjoying Cradle, and I hope you like Blackflame even more!

DKitt

10/16/2016 12:04:17 pm

Thanks for responding Will. I bought the Traveler's Gate trilogy and will start it tonight. One thing about Cradle and Linden. What's so compelling and interesting to read is the conflict that he has between his insatiable almost greedy desire for power and his inherent goodness/honor to do the right thing. Just great stuff. Also, even though I saw the Eithan/Arelius thing coming, it was still so perfect.

10/16/2016 07:05:03 am

Humble opinion: Read Travelers Gate trilogy: it's at a reasonable temporary conclusion, less "complicated" and less likely to stop in future. Looking at the review counter of all 3 series Cradle and TH are clear winners with Ee( elder empire ) harder to get into and this sell.
Looking at the rapidly increasing reviews counter and taking into account speed of Will's creative writing One would suspect he is already finished a chapter of two in Blackflame.

Dkit

10/16/2016 06:23:39 pm

Thanks Lashan!

In which we ramble on.
And by we, I mean me.