The Founding-Week Letters

WordPress.com. Aleric Elos posted: Good morning world! Every author cringes when they receive a bad review.

Respond to this post by replying above this line. New post on SciFan™ (Science Fantasy). Defending “Conquest” as A #LitRPG Story by Aleric Elos. Good morning world! Every author cringes when they receive a bad review. This often cripples their sales, and leaves them feeling discouraged. Today I'm taking this opportunity to defend my story as a LitRPG. I find it quite amusing that the LitRPG definition discussion at https://litrpgforum.com/threads/whats-a-good-definition-of-litrpg.150/ squarely centers *Conquest* inside the LitRPG genre - despite a recent scathing review by LitRPG Podcast's Ramon Mejia. For those of you who read and/or listened to his review, there were several things he stated that really made me question whether or not he actually finished reading the story. If you aren't familiar with the review, you can read it on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1922722707975725&id=1800716793509651

So let's break down the core of Ramon's review point-by-point:

Point #1: \"The story is not LitRPG! By the 50% mark there's one tiny bland undetailed VR game scene but that's it. Instead, a spy thriller/end of the world/portal fiction story with religious undertones and magic.\"

*Conquest* is an \"Entering the game\" prequel story. It explores the oft-unanswered *How* and *Why* the characters are stuck in the game. In one of the opening scenes, one of the protagonists is in the VR game DarkForce playing as his avatar @Hellekith. Soon after this failed quest, his surgically-installed VR equipment is damaged and he can't return to the game. Considering there are 56 chapters total, and the game isn't re-introduced until chapter 29 - then yes, I fully agree with Ramon's statement here. By the halfway mark of the story, there's only one scene inside the game. This was done *strategically,* and is central to the story.

Point #2: \"This feels like a recycled story that had a portal fiction aspect that was modified for the LitRPG genre. Only it wasn't even done well. Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story, it has no relationship to LitRPG.\" There are two issues here. The first is his comment about *Conquest* being a 'recycled' story. I'll actually respond to that comment in a different point below. Instead, let's focus on the rest of this segment of his review. \"Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story\" - again, these chapters weren't inserted *awkwardly* as he claims, but instead *strategically.* The story is written in 3rd Person Omniscient, meaning that the reader experiences the story from multiple POVs. The characters Brittany Parker and Doug Carlton are ex-cops who are now heavy DarkForce gamers. SPOILER ALERT! The central theme of *Conquest* is about how these players end up getting transported in a rapture-like event and become trapped in the World of Zion - which is the template that DarkForce was built off of. This sets up the premise for book 2, *War*, a fully-immersed LitRPG story which I am currently writing.

Point #3: \"After a bare minimum of research, it turns out it is recycled. The story was originally published in July 2016 under the title, Conquest: Rise of the Fifth Horseman: A Cohesive SciFan™ Adventure. You can find the story listed on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30355412-conquest\" First off, this comment is irrelevant to whether or not the story is LitRPG or not - but I'll address it anyway. This is the 4th Edition of Conquest, as stated in the title information. The 1st edition I published hastily in June 2016 because my story was at risk of being plagiarized. I purposely didn’t market it because I knew it wasn’t ready. One month later I republished it under the same title with a newer cover and an edited interior, labeling it as the 2nd Edition. I still didn’t focus on marketing it fully, because I was waiting for Copyright approval. Finally in October 2016 I received approval for the Copyright from the U.S. Library of Congress, and I distributed over 180 copies of the 3rd Edition for free via a Kindle Select promotion during Virtual FantasyCon 2017 to announce my launch, and Conquest hit the Amazon Bestsellers list in the Free category that week. On January 17th 2017 however, a large number of author accounts were closed in error based upon a suspected bot scheme with ‘illegitimate borrower activity’. This removed hundreds of titles, and authors were left out in the cold. I was one of them – but I refused to stand aside as a victim. I fought back with petitions and social media blasts. My efforts were rewarded, and I was able to get my account reinstated. I was told however that I would need to start over and republish with a new ASIN. It was extremely frustrating to know that I would lose all of my hard-earned reviews, so I made an executive decision. Instead of republishing immediately, I turned to another medium – Royal Road Legends (RRL). I had recently discovered the popular LitRPG genre, and had a magnificent brainstorm on how to continue the series as a LitRPG story. This new strategy required a full rewrite of Conquest in order to set up the proper premise for the LitRPG world that starts in Book 2 – *War*. For nearly six months I rewrote my story, posting chapters on RRL as I completed them. When the 4th Edition of Conquest finally launched on May 19th 2017, it blipped for a few hours on the Amazon Bestseller list!

Point #4: \"The author who uses the pen name Aleric Elos warns his readers in the forward, “There are many authors and readers who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG.” Well, sir, before you start to criticize other for trying to define a genre they love, try to write an actual LitRPG story and not just recycle something you’d already written.\" Ironically, the above-mentioned Foreword was only released to 5 ARC readers, and after his scathing review I chose not to upload it (but I'll attach screenshots of it below). He takes the comment entirely out of context, and this was clearly what incited his rage. What my intended message here was that a certain author (who I won't name here) is trying to trademark the term LitRPG so that he can become a Dictator, and that only his Regime of approved authors can control what is and what isn't LitRPG. The entire purpose of my message was that this author's list of \"A LitRPG shall...\" *commandments* are utterly preposterous, and that a real discussion needs to take place to define what LitRPG should be. Ironically, this is now happening! Quest Achieved!

Point #5: Whether it is intentional or not, I feel deceived that the story uses LitRPG in the title, especially considering that the novel comes from SciFan magazine, which has put out several LitRPG issues. Well, this is just a comment as to his narrow-minded opinion. I would have appreciated it had he actually reviewed the story as a reviewer is expected to do, but instead he uses the release of my story to get up on his soap box and preach his orthodox views. The current orthodox definition is a story inside a game with stats and leveling up, with minimal exposure to the real world. Personally, I do not agree with this narrow-minded mold, and I adhere to a more liberal view of LitRPG stories. As it turns out, there are a lot of brilliantly written LitRPG stories that do not fit the orthodox mold. As I stated in my original Foreword, there are many authors who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG. This, I believe, is the ultimate goal LitRPG authors should strive for in order to achieve the best reader experience.

Please help me defend my LitRPG Story by adding your review on Amazon! You can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited, or grab your copy for only $4.95. Paperback coming soon!

http://mybook.to/Conquest-SciFan Aleric Elos | May 24, 2017 at 8:00 am | Tags: #LitRPG, #SciFan, Fantasy, Gaming, MMORPG, RPG, Sci-Fi | Categories: Authors, Special Events | URL: http://wp.me/p7XroE-ZG

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Good morning world! Every author cringes when they receive a bad review. This often cripples their sales, and leaves them feeling discouraged. Today I'm taking this opportunity to defend my story as a LitRPG. I find it quite amusing that the LitRPG definition discussion at https://litrpgforum.com/threads/whats-a-good-definition-of-litrpg.150/ squarely centers *Conquest* inside the LitRPG genre - despite a recent scathing review by LitRPG Podcast's Ramon Mejia. For those of you who read and/or listened to his review, there were several things he stated that really made me question whether or not he actually finished reading the story. If you aren't familiar with the review, you can read it on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1922722707975725&id=1800716793509651

So let's break down the core of Ramon's review point-by-point:

Point #1: \"The story is not LitRPG! By the 50% mark there's one tiny bland undetailed VR game scene but that's it. Instead, a spy thriller/end of the world/portal fiction story with religious undertones and magic.\"

*Conquest* is an \"Entering the game\" prequel story. It explores the oft-unanswered *How* and *Why* the characters are stuck in the game. In one of the opening scenes, one of the protagonists is in the VR game DarkForce playing as his avatar @Hellekith. Soon after this failed quest, his surgically-installed VR equipment is damaged and he can't return to the game. Considering there are 56 chapters total, and the game isn't re-introduced until chapter 29 - then yes, I fully agree with Ramon's statement here. By the halfway mark of the story, there's only one scene inside the game. This was done *strategically,* and is central to the story.

Point #2: \"This feels like a recycled story that had a portal fiction aspect that was modified for the LitRPG genre. Only it wasn't even done well. Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story, it has no relationship to LitRPG.\" There are two issues here. The first is his comment about *Conquest* being a 'recycled' story. I'll actually respond to that comment in a different point below. Instead, let's focus on the rest of this segment of his review. \"Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story\" - again, these chapters weren't inserted *awkwardly* as he claims, but instead *strategically.* The story is written in 3rd Person Omniscient, meaning that the reader experiences the story from multiple POVs. The characters Brittany Parker and Doug Carlton are ex-cops who are now heavy DarkForce gamers. SPOILER ALERT! The central theme of *Conquest* is about how these players end up getting transported in a rapture-like event and become trapped in the World of Zion - which is the template that DarkForce was built off of. This sets up the premise for book 2, *War*, a fully-immersed LitRPG story which I am currently writing.

Point #3: \"After a bare minimum of research, it turns out it is recycled. The story was originally published in July 2016 under the title, Conquest: Rise of the Fifth Horseman: A Cohesive SciFan™ Adventure. You can find the story listed on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30355412-conquest\" First off, this comment is irrelevant to whether or not the story is LitRPG or not - but I'll address it anyway. This is the 4th Edition of Conquest, as stated in the title information. The 1st edition I published hastily in June 2016 because my story was at risk of being plagiarized. I purposely didn’t market it because I knew it wasn’t ready. One month later I republished it under the same title with a newer cover and an edited interior, labeling it as the 2nd Edition. I still didn’t focus on marketing it fully, because I was waiting for Copyright approval. Finally in October 2016 I received approval for the Copyright from the U.S. Library of Congress, and I distributed over 180 copies of the 3rd Edition for free via a Kindle Select promotion during Virtual FantasyCon 2017 to announce my launch, and Conquest hit the Amazon Bestsellers list in the Free category that week. On January 17th 2017 however, a large number of author accounts were closed in error based upon a suspected bot scheme with ‘illegitimate borrower activity’. This removed hundreds of titles, and authors were left out in the cold. I was one of them – but I refused to stand aside as a victim. I fought back with petitions and social media blasts. My efforts were rewarded, and I was able to get my account reinstated. I was told however that I would need to start over and republish with a new ASIN. It was extremely frustrating to know that I would lose all of my hard-earned reviews, so I made an executive decision. Instead of republishing immediately, I turned to another medium – Royal Road Legends (RRL). I had recently discovered the popular LitRPG genre, and had a magnificent brainstorm on how to continue the series as a LitRPG story. This new strategy required a full rewrite of Conquest in order to set up the proper premise for the LitRPG world that starts in Book 2 – *War*. For nearly six months I rewrote my story, posting chapters on RRL as I completed them. When the 4th Edition of Conquest finally launched on May 19th 2017, it blipped for a few hours on the Amazon Bestseller list!

Point #4: \"The author who uses the pen name Aleric Elos warns his readers in the forward, “There are many authors and readers who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG.” Well, sir, before you start to criticize other for trying to define a genre they love, try to write an actual LitRPG story and not just recycle something you’d already written.\" Ironically, the above-mentioned Foreword was only released to 5 ARC readers, and after his scathing review I chose not to upload it (but I'll attach screenshots of it below). He takes the comment entirely out of context, and this was clearly what incited his rage. What my intended message here was that a certain author (who I won't name here) is trying to trademark the term LitRPG so that he can become a Dictator, and that only his Regime of approved authors can control what is and what isn't LitRPG. The entire purpose of my message was that this author's list of \"A LitRPG shall...\" *commandments* are utterly preposterous, and that a real discussion needs to take place to define what LitRPG should be. Ironically, this is now happening! Quest Achieved!

Point #5: Whether it is intentional or not, I feel deceived that the story uses LitRPG in the title, especially considering that the novel comes from SciFan magazine, which has put out several LitRPG issues. Well, this is just a comment as to his narrow-minded opinion. I would have appreciated it had he actually reviewed the story as a reviewer is expected to do, but instead he uses the release of my story to get up on his soap box and preach his orthodox views. The current orthodox definition is a story inside a game with stats and leveling up, with minimal exposure to the real world. Personally, I do not agree with this narrow-minded mold, and I adhere to a more liberal view of LitRPG stories. As it turns out, there are a lot of brilliantly written LitRPG stories that do not fit the orthodox mold. As I stated in my original Foreword, there are many authors who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG. This, I believe, is the ultimate goal LitRPG authors should strive for in order to achieve the best reader experience.

Please help me defend my LitRPG Story by adding your review on Amazon! You can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited, or grab your copy for only $4.95. Paperback coming soon!

http://mybook.to/Conquest-SciFan

Good morning world! Every author cringes when they receive a bad review. This often cripples their sales, and leaves them feeling discouraged. Today I'm taking this opportunity to defend my story as a LitRPG. I find it quite amusing that the LitRPG definition discussion at https://litrpgforum.com/threads/whats-a-good-definition-of-litrpg.150/ squarely centers *Conquest* inside the LitRPG genre - despite a recent scathing review by LitRPG Podcast's Ramon Mejia. For those of you who read and/or listened to his review, there were several things he stated that really made me question whether or not he actually finished reading the story. If you aren't familiar with the review, you can read it on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1922722707975725&id=1800716793509651

So let's break down the core of Ramon's review point-by-point:

Point #1: \"The story is not LitRPG! By the 50% mark there's one tiny bland undetailed VR game scene but that's it. Instead, a spy thriller/end of the world/portal fiction story with religious undertones and magic.\"

*Conquest* is an \"Entering the game\" prequel story. It explores the oft-unanswered *How* and *Why* the characters are stuck in the game. In one of the opening scenes, one of the protagonists is in the VR game DarkForce playing as his avatar @Hellekith. Soon after this failed quest, his surgically-installed VR equipment is damaged and he can't return to the game. Considering there are 56 chapters total, and the game isn't re-introduced until chapter 29 - then yes, I fully agree with Ramon's statement here. By the halfway mark of the story, there's only one scene inside the game. This was done *strategically,* and is central to the story.

Point #2: \"This feels like a recycled story that had a portal fiction aspect that was modified for the LitRPG genre. Only it wasn't even done well. Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story, it has no relationship to LitRPG.\" There are two issues here. The first is his comment about *Conquest* being a 'recycled' story. I'll actually respond to that comment in a different point below. Instead, let's focus on the rest of this segment of his review. \"Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story\" - again, these chapters weren't inserted *awkwardly* as he claims, but instead *strategically.* The story is written in 3rd Person Omniscient, meaning that the reader experiences the story from multiple POVs. The characters Brittany Parker and Doug Carlton are ex-cops who are now heavy DarkForce gamers. SPOILER ALERT! The central theme of *Conquest* is about how these players end up getting transported in a rapture-like event and become trapped in the World of Zion - which is the template that DarkForce was built off of. This sets up the premise for book 2, *War*, a fully-immersed LitRPG story which I am currently writing.

Point #3: \"After a bare minimum of research, it turns out it is recycled. The story was originally published in July 2016 under the title, Conquest: Rise of the Fifth Horseman: A Cohesive SciFan™ Adventure. You can find the story listed on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30355412-conquest\" First off, this comment is irrelevant to whether or not the story is LitRPG or not - but I'll address it anyway. This is the 4th Edition of Conquest, as stated in the title information. The 1st edition I published hastily in June 2016 because my story was at risk of being plagiarized. I purposely didn’t market it because I knew it wasn’t ready. One month later I republished it under the same title with a newer cover and an edited interior, labeling it as the 2nd Edition. I still didn’t focus on marketing it fully, because I was waiting for Copyright approval. Finally in October 2016 I received approval for the Copyright from the U.S. Library of Congress, and I distributed over 180 copies of the 3rd Edition for free via a Kindle Select promotion during Virtual FantasyCon 2017 to announce my launch, and Conquest hit the Amazon Bestsellers list in the Free category that week. On January 17th 2017 however, a large number of author accounts were closed in error based upon a suspected bot scheme with ‘illegitimate borrower activity’. This removed hundreds of titles, and authors were left out in the cold. I was one of them – but I refused to stand aside as a victim. I fought back with petitions and social media blasts. My efforts were rewarded, and I was able to get my account reinstated. I was told however that I would need to start over and republish with a new ASIN. It was extremely frustrating to know that I would lose all of my hard-earned reviews, so I made an executive decision. Instead of republishing immediately, I turned to another medium – Royal Road Legends (RRL). I had recently discovered the popular LitRPG genre, and had a magnificent brainstorm on how to continue the series as a LitRPG story. This new strategy required a full rewrite of Conquest in order to set up the proper premise for the LitRPG world that starts in Book 2 – *War*. For nearly six months I rewrote my story, posting chapters on RRL as I completed them. When the 4th Edition of Conquest finally launched on May 19th 2017, it blipped for a few hours on the Amazon Bestseller list!

Point #4: \"The author who uses the pen name Aleric Elos warns his readers in the forward, “There are many authors and readers who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG.” Well, sir, before you start to criticize other for trying to define a genre they love, try to write an actual LitRPG story and not just recycle something you’d already written.\" Ironically, the above-mentioned Foreword was only released to 5 ARC readers, and after his scathing review I chose not to upload it (but I'll attach screenshots of it below). He takes the comment entirely out of context, and this was clearly what incited his rage. What my intended message here was that a certain author (who I won't name here) is trying to trademark the term LitRPG so that he can become a Dictator, and that only his Regime of approved authors can control what is and what isn't LitRPG. The entire purpose of my message was that this author's list of \"A LitRPG shall...\" *commandments* are utterly preposterous, and that a real discussion needs to take place to define what LitRPG should be. Ironically, this is now happening! Quest Achieved!

Point #5: Whether it is intentional or not, I feel deceived that the story uses LitRPG in the title, especially considering that the novel comes from SciFan magazine, which has put out several LitRPG issues. Well, this is just a comment as to his narrow-minded opinion. I would have appreciated it had he actually reviewed the story as a reviewer is expected to do, but instead he uses the release of my story to get up on his soap box and preach his orthodox views. The current orthodox definition is a story inside a game with stats and leveling up, with minimal exposure to the real world. Personally, I do not agree with this narrow-minded mold, and I adhere to a more liberal view of LitRPG stories. As it turns out, there are a lot of brilliantly written LitRPG stories that do not fit the orthodox mold. As I stated in my original Foreword, there are many authors who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG. This, I believe, is the ultimate goal LitRPG authors should strive for in order to achieve the best reader experience.

Please help me defend my LitRPG Story by adding your review on Amazon! You can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited, or grab your copy for only $4.95. Paperback coming soon!

http://mybook.to/Conquest-SciFan

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

Got it! Thanks. I'll be reading this soon. :)

On Mon, Sep 4, 2017 at 9:23 PM, Richard Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:

Good morning world! Every author cringes when they receive a bad review. This often cripples their sales, and leaves them feeling discouraged. Today I'm taking this opportunity to defend my story as a LitRPG. I find it quite amusing that the LitRPG definition discussion at https://litrpgforum.com/threads/whats-a-good-definition-of-litrpg.150/ squarely centers *Conquest* inside the LitRPG genre - despite a recent scathing review by LitRPG Podcast's Ramon Mejia. For those of you who read and/or listened to his review, there were several things he stated that really made me question whether or not he actually finished reading the story. If you aren't familiar with the review, you can read it on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1922722707975725&id=1800716793509651

So let's break down the core of Ramon's review point-by-point:

Point #1: \"The story is not LitRPG! By the 50% mark there's one tiny bland undetailed VR game scene but that's it. Instead, a spy thriller/end of the world/portal fiction story with religious undertones and magic.\"

*Conquest* is an \"Entering the game\" prequel story. It explores the oft-unanswered *How* and *Why* the characters are stuck in the game. In one of the opening scenes, one of the protagonists is in the VR game DarkForce playing as his avatar @Hellekith. Soon after this failed quest, his surgically-installed VR equipment is damaged and he can't return to the game. Considering there are 56 chapters total, and the game isn't re-introduced until chapter 29 - then yes, I fully agree with Ramon's statement here. By the halfway mark of the story, there's only one scene inside the game. This was done *strategically,* and is central to the story.

Point #2: \"This feels like a recycled story that had a portal fiction aspect that was modified for the LitRPG genre. Only it wasn't even done well. Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story, it has no relationship to LitRPG.\" There are two issues here. The first is his comment about *Conquest* being a 'recycled' story. I'll actually respond to that comment in a different point below. Instead, let's focus on the rest of this segment of his review. \"Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story\" - again, these chapters weren't inserted *awkwardly* as he claims, but instead *strategically.* The story is written in 3rd Person Omniscient, meaning that the reader experiences the story from multiple POVs. The characters Brittany Parker and Doug Carlton are ex-cops who are now heavy DarkForce gamers. SPOILER ALERT! The central theme of *Conquest* is about how these players end up getting transported in a rapture-like event and become trapped in the World of Zion - which is the template that DarkForce was built off of. This sets up the premise for book 2, *War*, a fully-immersed LitRPG story which I am currently writing.

Point #3: \"After a bare minimum of research, it turns out it is recycled. The story was originally published in July 2016 under the title, Conquest: Rise of the Fifth Horseman: A Cohesive SciFan™ Adventure. You can find the story listed on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30355412-conquest\" First off, this comment is irrelevant to whether or not the story is LitRPG or not - but I'll address it anyway. This is the 4th Edition of Conquest, as stated in the title information. The 1st edition I published hastily in June 2016 because my story was at risk of being plagiarized. I purposely didn’t market it because I knew it wasn’t ready. One month later I republished it under the same title with a newer cover and an edited interior, labeling it as the 2nd Edition. I still didn’t focus on marketing it fully, because I was waiting for Copyright approval. Finally in October 2016 I received approval for the Copyright from the U.S. Library of Congress, and I distributed over 180 copies of the 3rd Edition for free via a Kindle Select promotion during Virtual FantasyCon 2017 to announce my launch, and Conquest hit the Amazon Bestsellers list in the Free category that week. On January 17th 2017 however, a large number of author accounts were closed in error based upon a suspected bot scheme with ‘illegitimate borrower activity’. This removed hundreds of titles, and authors were left out in the cold. I was one of them – but I refused to stand aside as a victim. I fought back with petitions and social media blasts. My efforts were rewarded, and I was able to get my account reinstated. I was told however that I would need to start over and republish with a new ASIN. It was extremely frustrating to know that I would lose all of my hard-earned reviews, so I made an executive decision. Instead of republishing immediately, I turned to another medium – Royal Road Legends (RRL). I had recently discovered the popular LitRPG genre, and had a magnificent brainstorm on how to continue the series as a LitRPG story. This new strategy required a full rewrite of Conquest in order to set up the proper premise for the LitRPG world that starts in Book 2 – *War*. For nearly six months I rewrote my story, posting chapters on RRL as I completed them. When the 4th Edition of Conquest finally launched on May 19th 2017, it blipped for a few hours on the Amazon Bestseller list!

Point #4: \"The author who uses the pen name Aleric Elos warns his readers in the forward, “There are many authors and readers who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG.” Well, sir, before you start to criticize other for trying to define a genre they love, try to write an actual LitRPG story and not just recycle something you’d already written.\" Ironically, the above-mentioned Foreword was only released to 5 ARC readers, and after his scathing review I chose not to upload it (but I'll attach screenshots of it below). He takes the comment entirely out of context, and this was clearly what incited his rage. What my intended message here was that a certain author (who I won't name here) is trying to trademark the term LitRPG so that he can become a Dictator, and that only his Regime of approved authors can control what is and what isn't LitRPG. The entire purpose of my message was that this author's list of \"A LitRPG shall...\" *commandments* are utterly preposterous, and that a real discussion needs to take place to define what LitRPG should be. Ironically, this is now happening! Quest Achieved!

Point #5: Whether it is intentional or not, I feel deceived that the story uses LitRPG in the title, especially considering that the novel comes from SciFan magazine, which has put out several LitRPG issues. Well, this is just a comment as to his narrow-minded opinion. I would have appreciated it had he actually reviewed the story as a reviewer is expected to do, but instead he uses the release of my story to get up on his soap box and preach his orthodox views. The current orthodox definition is a story inside a game with stats and leveling up, with minimal exposure to the real world. Personally, I do not agree with this narrow-minded mold, and I adhere to a more liberal view of LitRPG stories. As it turns out, there are a lot of brilliantly written LitRPG stories that do not fit the orthodox mold. As I stated in my original Foreword, there are many authors who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG. This, I believe, is the ultimate goal LitRPG authors should strive for in order to achieve the best reader experience.

Please help me defend my LitRPG Story by adding your review on Amazon! You can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited, or grab your copy for only $4.95. Paperback coming soon!

http://mybook.to/Conquest-SciFan

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

Awesome, thanks!

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

On Sep 4, 2017 9:23 PM, \"Dustin Tigner\" <[email protected]> wrote:

Got it! Thanks. I'll be reading this soon. :)

On Mon, Sep 4, 2017 at 9:23 PM, Richard Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:

Good morning world! Every author cringes when they receive a bad review. This often cripples their sales, and leaves them feeling discouraged. Today I'm taking this opportunity to defend my story as a LitRPG. I find it quite amusing that the LitRPG definition discussion at https://litrpgforum.com/threads/whats-a-good-definition-of-litrpg.150/ squarely centers *Conquest* inside the LitRPG genre - despite a recent scathing review by LitRPG Podcast's Ramon Mejia. For those of you who read and/or listened to his review, there were several things he stated that really made me question whether or not he actually finished reading the story. If you aren't familiar with the review, you can read it on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1922722707975725&id=1800716793509651

So let's break down the core of Ramon's review point-by-point:

Point #1: \"The story is not LitRPG! By the 50% mark there's one tiny bland undetailed VR game scene but that's it. Instead, a spy thriller/end of the world/portal fiction story with religious undertones and magic.\"

*Conquest* is an \"Entering the game\" prequel story. It explores the oft-unanswered *How* and *Why* the characters are stuck in the game. In one of the opening scenes, one of the protagonists is in the VR game DarkForce playing as his avatar @Hellekith. Soon after this failed quest, his surgically-installed VR equipment is damaged and he can't return to the game. Considering there are 56 chapters total, and the game isn't re-introduced until chapter 29 - then yes, I fully agree with Ramon's statement here. By the halfway mark of the story, there's only one scene inside the game. This was done *strategically,* and is central to the story.

Point #2: \"This feels like a recycled story that had a portal fiction aspect that was modified for the LitRPG genre. Only it wasn't even done well. Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story, it has no relationship to LitRPG.\" There are two issues here. The first is his comment about *Conquest* being a 'recycled' story. I'll actually respond to that comment in a different point below. Instead, let's focus on the rest of this segment of his review. \"Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story\" - again, these chapters weren't inserted *awkwardly* as he claims, but instead *strategically.* The story is written in 3rd Person Omniscient, meaning that the reader experiences the story from multiple POVs. The characters Brittany Parker and Doug Carlton are ex-cops who are now heavy DarkForce gamers. SPOILER ALERT! The central theme of *Conquest* is about how these players end up getting transported in a rapture-like event and become trapped in the World of Zion - which is the template that DarkForce was built off of. This sets up the premise for book 2, *War*, a fully-immersed LitRPG story which I am currently writing.

Point #3: \"After a bare minimum of research, it turns out it is recycled. The story was originally published in July 2016 under the title, Conquest: Rise of the Fifth Horseman: A Cohesive SciFan™ Adventure. You can find the story listed on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30355412-conquest\" First off, this comment is irrelevant to whether or not the story is LitRPG or not - but I'll address it anyway. This is the 4th Edition of Conquest, as stated in the title information. The 1st edition I published hastily in June 2016 because my story was at risk of being plagiarized. I purposely didn’t market it because I knew it wasn’t ready. One month later I republished it under the same title with a newer cover and an edited interior, labeling it as the 2nd Edition. I still didn’t focus on marketing it fully, because I was waiting for Copyright approval. Finally in October 2016 I received approval for the Copyright from the U.S. Library of Congress, and I distributed over 180 copies of the 3rd Edition for free via a Kindle Select promotion during Virtual FantasyCon 2017 to announce my launch, and Conquest hit the Amazon Bestsellers list in the Free category that week. On January 17th 2017 however, a large number of author accounts were closed in error based upon a suspected bot scheme with ‘illegitimate borrower activity’. This removed hundreds of titles, and authors were left out in the cold. I was one of them – but I refused to stand aside as a victim. I fought back with petitions and social media blasts. My efforts were rewarded, and I was able to get my account reinstated. I was told however that I would need to start over and republish with a new ASIN. It was extremely frustrating to know that I would lose all of my hard-earned reviews, so I made an executive decision. Instead of republishing immediately, I turned to another medium – Royal Road Legends (RRL). I had recently discovered the popular LitRPG genre, and had a magnificent brainstorm on how to continue the series as a LitRPG story. This new strategy required a full rewrite of Conquest in order to set up the proper premise for the LitRPG world that starts in Book 2 – *War*. For nearly six months I rewrote my story, posting chapters on RRL as I completed them. When the 4th Edition of Conquest finally launched on May 19th 2017, it blipped for a few hours on the Amazon Bestseller list!

Point #4: \"The author who uses the pen name Aleric Elos warns his readers in the forward, “There are many authors and readers who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG.” Well, sir, before you start to criticize other for trying to define a genre they love, try to write an actual LitRPG story and not just recycle something you’d already written.\" Ironically, the above-mentioned Foreword was only released to 5 ARC readers, and after his scathing review I chose not to upload it (but I'll attach screenshots of it below). He takes the comment entirely out of context, and this was clearly what incited his rage. What my intended message here was that a certain author (who I won't name here) is trying to trademark the term LitRPG so that he can become a Dictator, and that only his Regime of approved authors can control what is and what isn't LitRPG. The entire purpose of my message was that this author's list of \"A LitRPG shall...\" *commandments* are utterly preposterous, and that a real discussion needs to take place to define what LitRPG should be. Ironically, this is now happening! Quest Achieved!

Point #5: Whether it is intentional or not, I feel deceived that the story uses LitRPG in the title, especially considering that the novel comes from SciFan magazine, which has put out several LitRPG issues. Well, this is just a comment as to his narrow-minded opinion. I would have appreciated it had he actually reviewed the story as a reviewer is expected to do, but instead he uses the release of my story to get up on his soap box and preach his orthodox views. The current orthodox definition is a story inside a game with stats and leveling up, with minimal exposure to the real world. Personally, I do not agree with this narrow-minded mold, and I adhere to a more liberal view of LitRPG stories. As it turns out, there are a lot of brilliantly written LitRPG stories that do not fit the orthodox mold. As I stated in my original Foreword, there are many authors who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG. This, I believe, is the ultimate goal LitRPG authors should strive for in order to achieve the best reader experience.

Please help me defend my LitRPG Story by adding your review on Amazon! You can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited, or grab your copy for only $4.95. Paperback coming soon!

http://mybook.to/Conquest-SciFan

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

Hey Richard,

Read your email. You make a lot of good points. From what I remember of the podcast, he did use your book as a soap box. It directly affected me in my view of you and your work. He has a captivated audience and can say whatever he wants. There's no fact checking. It's a shame, really. I think Ramon is a cool guy in general, though his narrow vision of LitRPG is a big pushing part for me and GameLit. Have you tried talking to him in private? I wonder if he's reasonable and is willing to see his errors, or if he's stubborn. I want to like the guy, though I've dealt with a lot of people who are not too happy with him. Let's push forward and make GameLit awesome. Remove the gate keepers. :)

On Mon, Sep 4, 2017 at 9:32 PM, Richard Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:

Awesome, thanks!

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

On Sep 4, 2017 9:23 PM, \"Dustin Tigner\" <[email protected]> wrote:

Got it! Thanks. I'll be reading this soon. :)

On Mon, Sep 4, 2017 at 9:23 PM, Richard Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:

Good morning world! Every author cringes when they receive a bad review. This often cripples their sales, and leaves them feeling discouraged. Today I'm taking this opportunity to defend my story as a LitRPG. I find it quite amusing that the LitRPG definition discussion at https://litrpgforum.com/threads/whats-a-good-definition-of-litrpg.150/ squarely centers *Conquest* inside the LitRPG genre - despite a recent scathing review by LitRPG Podcast's Ramon Mejia. For those of you who read and/or listened to his review, there were several things he stated that really made me question whether or not he actually finished reading the story. If you aren't familiar with the review, you can read it on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1922722707975725&id=1800716793509651

So let's break down the core of Ramon's review point-by-point:

Point #1: \"The story is not LitRPG! By the 50% mark there's one tiny bland undetailed VR game scene but that's it. Instead, a spy thriller/end of the world/portal fiction story with religious undertones and magic.\"

*Conquest* is an \"Entering the game\" prequel story. It explores the oft-unanswered *How* and *Why* the characters are stuck in the game. In one of the opening scenes, one of the protagonists is in the VR game DarkForce playing as his avatar @Hellekith. Soon after this failed quest, his surgically-installed VR equipment is damaged and he can't return to the game. Considering there are 56 chapters total, and the game isn't re-introduced until chapter 29 - then yes, I fully agree with Ramon's statement here. By the halfway mark of the story, there's only one scene inside the game. This was done *strategically,* and is central to the story.

Point #2: \"This feels like a recycled story that had a portal fiction aspect that was modified for the LitRPG genre. Only it wasn't even done well. Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story, it has no relationship to LitRPG.\" There are two issues here. The first is his comment about *Conquest* being a 'recycled' story. I'll actually respond to that comment in a different point below. Instead, let's focus on the rest of this segment of his review. \"Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story\" - again, these chapters weren't inserted *awkwardly* as he claims, but instead *strategically.* The story is written in 3rd Person Omniscient, meaning that the reader experiences the story from multiple POVs. The characters Brittany Parker and Doug Carlton are ex-cops who are now heavy DarkForce gamers. SPOILER ALERT! The central theme of *Conquest* is about how these players end up getting transported in a rapture-like event and become trapped in the World of Zion - which is the template that DarkForce was built off of. This sets up the premise for book 2, *War*, a fully-immersed LitRPG story which I am currently writing.

Point #3: \"After a bare minimum of research, it turns out it is recycled. The story was originally published in July 2016 under the title, Conquest: Rise of the Fifth Horseman: A Cohesive SciFan™ Adventure. You can find the story listed on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30355412-conquest\" First off, this comment is irrelevant to whether or not the story is LitRPG or not - but I'll address it anyway. This is the 4th Edition of Conquest, as stated in the title information. The 1st edition I published hastily in June 2016 because my story was at risk of being plagiarized. I purposely didn’t market it because I knew it wasn’t ready. One month later I republished it under the same title with a newer cover and an edited interior, labeling it as the 2nd Edition. I still didn’t focus on marketing it fully, because I was waiting for Copyright approval. Finally in October 2016 I received approval for the Copyright from the U.S. Library of Congress, and I distributed over 180 copies of the 3rd Edition for free via a Kindle Select promotion during Virtual FantasyCon 2017 to announce my launch, and Conquest hit the Amazon Bestsellers list in the Free category that week. On January 17th 2017 however, a large number of author accounts were closed in error based upon a suspected bot scheme with ‘illegitimate borrower activity’. This removed hundreds of titles, and authors were left out in the cold. I was one of them – but I refused to stand aside as a victim. I fought back with petitions and social media blasts. My efforts were rewarded, and I was able to get my account reinstated. I was told however that I would need to start over and republish with a new ASIN. It was extremely frustrating to know that I would lose all of my hard-earned reviews, so I made an executive decision. Instead of republishing immediately, I turned to another medium – Royal Road Legends (RRL). I had recently discovered the popular LitRPG genre, and had a magnificent brainstorm on how to continue the series as a LitRPG story. This new strategy required a full rewrite of Conquest in order to set up the proper premise for the LitRPG world that starts in Book 2 – *War*. For nearly six months I rewrote my story, posting chapters on RRL as I completed them. When the 4th Edition of Conquest finally launched on May 19th 2017, it blipped for a few hours on the Amazon Bestseller list!

Point #4: \"The author who uses the pen name Aleric Elos warns his readers in the forward, “There are many authors and readers who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG.” Well, sir, before you start to criticize other for trying to define a genre they love, try to write an actual LitRPG story and not just recycle something you’d already written.\" Ironically, the above-mentioned Foreword was only released to 5 ARC readers, and after his scathing review I chose not to upload it (but I'll attach screenshots of it below). He takes the comment entirely out of context, and this was clearly what incited his rage. What my intended message here was that a certain author (who I won't name here) is trying to trademark the term LitRPG so that he can become a Dictator, and that only his Regime of approved authors can control what is and what isn't LitRPG. The entire purpose of my message was that this author's list of \"A LitRPG shall...\" *commandments* are utterly preposterous, and that a real discussion needs to take place to define what LitRPG should be. Ironically, this is now happening! Quest Achieved!

Point #5: Whether it is intentional or not, I feel deceived that the story uses LitRPG in the title, especially considering that the novel comes from SciFan magazine, which has put out several LitRPG issues. Well, this is just a comment as to his narrow-minded opinion. I would have appreciated it had he actually reviewed the story as a reviewer is expected to do, but instead he uses the release of my story to get up on his soap box and preach his orthodox views. The current orthodox definition is a story inside a game with stats and leveling up, with minimal exposure to the real world. Personally, I do not agree with this narrow-minded mold, and I adhere to a more liberal view of LitRPG stories. As it turns out, there are a lot of brilliantly written LitRPG stories that do not fit the orthodox mold. As I stated in my original Foreword, there are many authors who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG. This, I believe, is the ultimate goal LitRPG authors should strive for in order to achieve the best reader experience.

Please help me defend my LitRPG Story by adding your review on Amazon! You can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited, or grab your copy for only $4.95. Paperback coming soon!

http://mybook.to/Conquest-SciFan

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

Good morning world! Every author cringes when they receive a bad review. This often cripples their sales, and leaves them feeling discouraged. Today I'm taking this opportunity to defend my story as a LitRPG. I find it quite amusing that the LitRPG definition discussion at https://litrpgforum.com/threads/whats-a-good-definition-of-litrpg.150/ squarely centers *Conquest* inside the LitRPG genre - despite a recent scathing review by LitRPG Podcast's Ramon Mejia. For those of you who read and/or listened to his review, there were several things he stated that really made me question whether or not he actually finished reading the story. If you aren't familiar with the review, you can read it on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1922722707975725&id=1800716793509651

So let's break down the core of Ramon's review point-by-point:

Point #1: \"The story is not LitRPG! By the 50% mark there's one tiny bland undetailed VR game scene but that's it. Instead, a spy thriller/end of the world/portal fiction story with religious undertones and magic.\"

*Conquest* is an \"Entering the game\" prequel story. It explores the oft-unanswered *How* and *Why* the characters are stuck in the game. In one of the opening scenes, one of the protagonists is in the VR game DarkForce playing as his avatar @Hellekith. Soon after this failed quest, his surgically-installed VR equipment is damaged and he can't return to the game. Considering there are 56 chapters total, and the game isn't re-introduced until chapter 29 - then yes, I fully agree with Ramon's statement here. By the halfway mark of the story, there's only one scene inside the game. This was done *strategically,* and is central to the story.

Point #2: \"This feels like a recycled story that had a portal fiction aspect that was modified for the LitRPG genre. Only it wasn't even done well. Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story, it has no relationship to LitRPG.\" There are two issues here. The first is his comment about *Conquest* being a 'recycled' story. I'll actually respond to that comment in a different point below. Instead, let's focus on the rest of this segment of his review. \"Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story\" - again, these chapters weren't inserted *awkwardly* as he claims, but instead *strategically.* The story is written in 3rd Person Omniscient, meaning that the reader experiences the story from multiple POVs. The characters Brittany Parker and Doug Carlton are ex-cops who are now heavy DarkForce gamers. SPOILER ALERT! The central theme of *Conquest* is about how these players end up getting transported in a rapture-like event and become trapped in the World of Zion - which is the template that DarkForce was built off of. This sets up the premise for book 2, *War*, a fully-immersed LitRPG story which I am currently writing.

Point #3: \"After a bare minimum of research, it turns out it is recycled. The story was originally published in July 2016 under the title, Conquest: Rise of the Fifth Horseman: A Cohesive SciFan™ Adventure. You can find the story listed on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30355412-conquest\" First off, this comment is irrelevant to whether or not the story is LitRPG or not - but I'll address it anyway. This is the 4th Edition of Conquest, as stated in the title information. The 1st edition I published hastily in June 2016 because my story was at risk of being plagiarized. I purposely didn’t market it because I knew it wasn’t ready. One month later I republished it under the same title with a newer cover and an edited interior, labeling it as the 2nd Edition. I still didn’t focus on marketing it fully, because I was waiting for Copyright approval. Finally in October 2016 I received approval for the Copyright from the U.S. Library of Congress, and I distributed over 180 copies of the 3rd Edition for free via a Kindle Select promotion during Virtual FantasyCon 2017 to announce my launch, and Conquest hit the Amazon Bestsellers list in the Free category that week. On January 17th 2017 however, a large number of author accounts were closed in error based upon a suspected bot scheme with ‘illegitimate borrower activity’. This removed hundreds of titles, and authors were left out in the cold. I was one of them – but I refused to stand aside as a victim. I fought back with petitions and social media blasts. My efforts were rewarded, and I was able to get my account reinstated. I was told however that I would need to start over and republish with a new ASIN. It was extremely frustrating to know that I would lose all of my hard-earned reviews, so I made an executive decision. Instead of republishing immediately, I turned to another medium – Royal Road Legends (RRL). I had recently discovered the popular LitRPG genre, and had a magnificent brainstorm on how to continue the series as a LitRPG story. This new strategy required a full rewrite of Conquest in order to set up the proper premise for the LitRPG world that starts in Book 2 – *War*. For nearly six months I rewrote my story, posting chapters on RRL as I completed them. When the 4th Edition of Conquest finally launched on May 19th 2017, it blipped for a few hours on the Amazon Bestseller list!

Point #4: \"The author who uses the pen name Aleric Elos warns his readers in the forward, “There are many authors and readers who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG.” Well, sir, before you start to criticize other for trying to define a genre they love, try to write an actual LitRPG story and not just recycle something you’d already written.\" Ironically, the above-mentioned Foreword was only released to 5 ARC readers, and after his scathing review I chose not to upload it (but I'll attach screenshots of it below). He takes the comment entirely out of context, and this was clearly what incited his rage. What my intended message here was that a certain author (who I won't name here) is trying to trademark the term LitRPG so that he can become a Dictator, and that only his Regime of approved authors can control what is and what isn't LitRPG. The entire purpose of my message was that this author's list of \"A LitRPG shall...\" *commandments* are utterly preposterous, and that a real discussion needs to take place to define what LitRPG should be. Ironically, this is now happening! Quest Achieved!

Point #5: Whether it is intentional or not, I feel deceived that the story uses LitRPG in the title, especially considering that the novel comes from SciFan magazine, which has put out several LitRPG issues. Well, this is just a comment as to his narrow-minded opinion. I would have appreciated it had he actually reviewed the story as a reviewer is expected to do, but instead he uses the release of my story to get up on his soap box and preach his orthodox views. The current orthodox definition is a story inside a game with stats and leveling up, with minimal exposure to the real world. Personally, I do not agree with this narrow-minded mold, and I adhere to a more liberal view of LitRPG stories. As it turns out, there are a lot of brilliantly written LitRPG stories that do not fit the orthodox mold. As I stated in my original Foreword, there are many authors who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG. This, I believe, is the ultimate goal LitRPG authors should strive for in order to achieve the best reader experience.

Please help me defend my LitRPG Story by adding your review on Amazon! You can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited, or grab your copy for only $4.95. Paperback coming soon!

http://mybook.to/Conquest-SciFan

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

Sadly, yes. I tried several times. In fact, he was one of our regular reviewers for the magazine before he stabbed me in the back. He refuses to respond to any of my PMs now.

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

On Sep 5, 2017 9:33 PM, \"Dustin Tigner\" <[email protected]> wrote:

Hey Richard,

Read your email. You make a lot of good points. From what I remember of the podcast, he did use your book as a soap box. It directly affected me in my view of you and your work. He has a captivated audience and can say whatever he wants. There's no fact checking. It's a shame, really. I think Ramon is a cool guy in general, though his narrow vision of LitRPG is a big pushing part for me and GameLit. Have you tried talking to him in private? I wonder if he's reasonable and is willing to see his errors, or if he's stubborn. I want to like the guy, though I've dealt with a lot of people who are not too happy with him. Let's push forward and make GameLit awesome. Remove the gate keepers. :)

On Mon, Sep 4, 2017 at 9:32 PM, Richard Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:

Awesome, thanks!

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

On Sep 4, 2017 9:23 PM, \"Dustin Tigner\" <[email protected]> wrote:

Got it! Thanks. I'll be reading this soon. :)

On Mon, Sep 4, 2017 at 9:23 PM, Richard Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:

Good morning world! Every author cringes when they receive a bad review. This often cripples their sales, and leaves them feeling discouraged. Today I'm taking this opportunity to defend my story as a LitRPG. I find it quite amusing that the LitRPG definition discussion at https://litrpgforum.com/threads/whats-a-good-definition-of-litrpg.150/ squarely centers *Conquest* inside the LitRPG genre - despite a recent scathing review by LitRPG Podcast's Ramon Mejia. For those of you who read and/or listened to his review, there were several things he stated that really made me question whether or not he actually finished reading the story. If you aren't familiar with the review, you can read it on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1922722707975725&id=1800716793509651

So let's break down the core of Ramon's review point-by-point:

Point #1: \"The story is not LitRPG! By the 50% mark there's one tiny bland undetailed VR game scene but that's it. Instead, a spy thriller/end of the world/portal fiction story with religious undertones and magic.\"

*Conquest* is an \"Entering the game\" prequel story. It explores the oft-unanswered *How* and *Why* the characters are stuck in the game. In one of the opening scenes, one of the protagonists is in the VR game DarkForce playing as his avatar @Hellekith. Soon after this failed quest, his surgically-installed VR equipment is damaged and he can't return to the game. Considering there are 56 chapters total, and the game isn't re-introduced until chapter 29 - then yes, I fully agree with Ramon's statement here. By the halfway mark of the story, there's only one scene inside the game. This was done *strategically,* and is central to the story.

Point #2: \"This feels like a recycled story that had a portal fiction aspect that was modified for the LitRPG genre. Only it wasn't even done well. Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story, it has no relationship to LitRPG.\" There are two issues here. The first is his comment about *Conquest* being a 'recycled' story. I'll actually respond to that comment in a different point below. Instead, let's focus on the rest of this segment of his review. \"Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story\" - again, these chapters weren't inserted *awkwardly* as he claims, but instead *strategically.* The story is written in 3rd Person Omniscient, meaning that the reader experiences the story from multiple POVs. The characters Brittany Parker and Doug Carlton are ex-cops who are now heavy DarkForce gamers. SPOILER ALERT! The central theme of *Conquest* is about how these players end up getting transported in a rapture-like event and become trapped in the World of Zion - which is the template that DarkForce was built off of. This sets up the premise for book 2, *War*, a fully-immersed LitRPG story which I am currently writing.

Point #3: \"After a bare minimum of research, it turns out it is recycled. The story was originally published in July 2016 under the title, Conquest: Rise of the Fifth Horseman: A Cohesive SciFan™ Adventure. You can find the story listed on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30355412-conquest\" First off, this comment is irrelevant to whether or not the story is LitRPG or not - but I'll address it anyway. This is the 4th Edition of Conquest, as stated in the title information. The 1st edition I published hastily in June 2016 because my story was at risk of being plagiarized. I purposely didn’t market it because I knew it wasn’t ready. One month later I republished it under the same title with a newer cover and an edited interior, labeling it as the 2nd Edition. I still didn’t focus on marketing it fully, because I was waiting for Copyright approval. Finally in October 2016 I received approval for the Copyright from the U.S. Library of Congress, and I distributed over 180 copies of the 3rd Edition for free via a Kindle Select promotion during Virtual FantasyCon 2017 to announce my launch, and Conquest hit the Amazon Bestsellers list in the Free category that week. On January 17th 2017 however, a large number of author accounts were closed in error based upon a suspected bot scheme with ‘illegitimate borrower activity’. This removed hundreds of titles, and authors were left out in the cold. I was one of them – but I refused to stand aside as a victim. I fought back with petitions and social media blasts. My efforts were rewarded, and I was able to get my account reinstated. I was told however that I would need to start over and republish with a new ASIN. It was extremely frustrating to know that I would lose all of my hard-earned reviews, so I made an executive decision. Instead of republishing immediately, I turned to another medium – Royal Road Legends (RRL). I had recently discovered the popular LitRPG genre, and had a magnificent brainstorm on how to continue the series as a LitRPG story. This new strategy required a full rewrite of Conquest in order to set up the proper premise for the LitRPG world that starts in Book 2 – *War*. For nearly six months I rewrote my story, posting chapters on RRL as I completed them. When the 4th Edition of Conquest finally launched on May 19th 2017, it blipped for a few hours on the Amazon Bestseller list!

Point #4: \"The author who uses the pen name Aleric Elos warns his readers in the forward, “There are many authors and readers who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG.” Well, sir, before you start to criticize other for trying to define a genre they love, try to write an actual LitRPG story and not just recycle something you’d already written.\" Ironically, the above-mentioned Foreword was only released to 5 ARC readers, and after his scathing review I chose not to upload it (but I'll attach screenshots of it below). He takes the comment entirely out of context, and this was clearly what incited his rage. What my intended message here was that a certain author (who I won't name here) is trying to trademark the term LitRPG so that he can become a Dictator, and that only his Regime of approved authors can control what is and what isn't LitRPG. The entire purpose of my message was that this author's list of \"A LitRPG shall...\" *commandments* are utterly preposterous, and that a real discussion needs to take place to define what LitRPG should be. Ironically, this is now happening! Quest Achieved!

Point #5: Whether it is intentional or not, I feel deceived that the story uses LitRPG in the title, especially considering that the novel comes from SciFan magazine, which has put out several LitRPG issues. Well, this is just a comment as to his narrow-minded opinion. I would have appreciated it had he actually reviewed the story as a reviewer is expected to do, but instead he uses the release of my story to get up on his soap box and preach his orthodox views. The current orthodox definition is a story inside a game with stats and leveling up, with minimal exposure to the real world. Personally, I do not agree with this narrow-minded mold, and I adhere to a more liberal view of LitRPG stories. As it turns out, there are a lot of brilliantly written LitRPG stories that do not fit the orthodox mold. As I stated in my original Foreword, there are many authors who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG. This, I believe, is the ultimate goal LitRPG authors should strive for in order to achieve the best reader experience.

Please help me defend my LitRPG Story by adding your review on Amazon! You can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited, or grab your copy for only $4.95. Paperback coming soon!

http://mybook.to/Conquest-SciFan

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

He just stopped talking to you? Man, some people in this genre can get so childish. I don't really want to get on the bad side of anyone (despite that, I tend to be vocal against people that do things I don't approve of... haha). Anyway, your message looks like you were giving up writing to develop your magazine. If that was the case three months ago, I hope it's not anymore. I know you've been writing again and I think that's great.

No one person should ever make us feel like we shouldn't write. If they do, they are the one in the wrong. Honestly. What he did enrages me. I'll keep it professional, because I'm no child, though this does change my opinion of him. Hope things improve. :)

On Wed, Sep 6, 2017 at 11:11 PM, Richard Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:

Sadly, yes. I tried several times. In fact, he was one of our regular reviewers for the magazine before he stabbed me in the back. He refuses to respond to any of my PMs now.

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

On Sep 5, 2017 9:33 PM, \"Dustin Tigner\" <[email protected]> wrote:

Hey Richard,

Read your email. You make a lot of good points. From what I remember of the podcast, he did use your book as a soap box. It directly affected me in my view of you and your work. He has a captivated audience and can say whatever he wants. There's no fact checking. It's a shame, really. I think Ramon is a cool guy in general, though his narrow vision of LitRPG is a big pushing part for me and GameLit. Have you tried talking to him in private? I wonder if he's reasonable and is willing to see his errors, or if he's stubborn. I want to like the guy, though I've dealt with a lot of people who are not too happy with him. Let's push forward and make GameLit awesome. Remove the gate keepers.:)

On Mon, Sep 4, 2017 at 9:32 PM, Richard Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:

Awesome, thanks!

Richard M. Mulder

Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine

Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series

Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

On Sep 4, 2017 9:23 PM, \"Dustin Tigner\" <[email protected]> wrote:

Got it! Thanks. I'll be reading this soon. :)

On Mon, Sep 4, 2017 at 9:23 PM, Richard Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:

Good morning world! Every author cringes when they receive a bad review. This often cripples their sales, and leaves them feeling discouraged. Today I'm taking this opportunity to defend my story as a LitRPG. I find it quite amusing that the LitRPG definition discussion at https://litrpgforum.com/threads/whats-a-good-definition-of-litrpg.150/ squarely centers *Conquest* inside the LitRPG genre - despite a recent scathing review by LitRPG Podcast's Ramon Mejia. For those of you who read and/or listened to his review, there were several things he stated that really made me question whether or not he actually finished reading the story. If you aren't familiar with the review, you can read it on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1922722707975725&id=1800716793509651

So let's break down the core of Ramon's review point-by-point:

Point #1: \"The story is not LitRPG! By the 50% mark there's one tiny bland undetailed VR game scene but that's it. Instead, a spy thriller/end of the world/portal fiction story with religious undertones and magic.\"

*Conquest* is an \"Entering the game\" prequel story. It explores the oft-unanswered *How* and *Why* the characters are stuck in the game. In one of the opening scenes, one of the protagonists is in the VR game DarkForce playing as his avatar @Hellekith. Soon after this failed quest, his surgically-installed VR equipment is damaged and he can't return to the game. Considering there are 56 chapters total, and the game isn't re-introduced until chapter 29 - then yes, I fully agree with Ramon's statement here. By the halfway mark of the story, there's only one scene inside the game. This was done *strategically,* and is central to the story.

Point #2: \"This feels like a recycled story that had a portal fiction aspect that was modified for the LitRPG genre. Only it wasn't even done well. Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story, it has no relationship to LitRPG.\" There are two issues here. The first is his comment about *Conquest* being a 'recycled' story. I'll actually respond to that comment in a different point below. Instead, let's focus on the rest of this segment of his review. \"Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story\" - again, these chapters weren't inserted *awkwardly* as he claims, but instead *strategically.* The story is written in 3rd Person Omniscient, meaning that the reader experiences the story from multiple POVs. The characters Brittany Parker and Doug Carlton are ex-cops who are now heavy DarkForce gamers. SPOILER ALERT! The central theme of *Conquest* is about how these players end up getting transported in a rapture-like event and become trapped in the World of Zion - which is the template that DarkForce was built off of. This sets up the premise for book 2, *War*, a fully-immersed LitRPG story which I am currently writing.

Point #3: \"After a bare minimum of research, it turns out it is recycled. The story was originally published in July 2016 under the title, Conquest: Rise of the Fifth Horseman: A Cohesive SciFan™ Adventure. You can find the story listed on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30355412-conquest\" First off, this comment is irrelevant to whether or not the story is LitRPG or not - but I'll address it anyway. This is the 4th Edition of Conquest, as stated in the title information. The 1st edition I published hastily in June 2016 because my story was at risk of being plagiarized. I purposely didn’t market it because I knew it wasn’t ready. One month later I republished it under the same title with a newer cover and an edited interior, labeling it as the 2nd Edition. I still didn’t focus on marketing it fully, because I was waiting for Copyright approval. Finally in October 2016 I received approval for the Copyright from the U.S. Library of Congress, and I distributed over 180 copies of the 3rd Edition for free via a Kindle Select promotion during Virtual FantasyCon 2017 to announce my launch, and Conquest hit the Amazon Bestsellers list in the Free category that week. On January 17th 2017 however, a large number of author accounts were closed in error based upon a suspected bot scheme with ‘illegitimate borrower activity’. This removed hundreds of titles, and authors were left out in the cold. I was one of them – but I refused to stand aside as a victim. I fought back with petitions and social media blasts. My efforts were rewarded, and I was able to get my account reinstated. I was told however that I would need to start over and republish with a new ASIN. It was extremely frustrating to know that I would lose all of my hard-earned reviews, so I made an executive decision. Instead of republishing immediately, I turned to another medium – Royal Road Legends (RRL). I had recently discovered the popular LitRPG genre, and had a magnificent brainstorm on how to continue the series as a LitRPG story. This new strategy required a full rewrite of Conquest in order to set up the proper premise for the LitRPG world that starts in Book 2 – *War*. For nearly six months I rewrote my story, posting chapters on RRL as I completed them. When the 4th Edition of Conquest finally launched on May 19th 2017, it blipped for a few hours on the Amazon Bestseller list!

Point #4: \"The author who uses the pen name Aleric Elos warns his readers in the forward, “There are many authors and readers who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG.” Well, sir, before you start to criticize other for trying to define a genre they love, try to write an actual LitRPG story and not just recycle something you’d already written.\" Ironically, the above-mentioned Foreword was only released to 5 ARC readers, and after his scathing review I chose not to upload it (but I'll attach screenshots of it below). He takes the comment entirely out of context, and this was clearly what incited his rage. What my intended message here was that a certain author (who I won't name here) is trying to trademark the term LitRPG so that he can become a Dictator, and that only his Regime of approved authors can control what is and what isn't LitRPG. The entire purpose of my message was that this author's list of \"A LitRPG shall...\" *commandments* are utterly preposterous, and that a real discussion needs to take place to define what LitRPG should be. Ironically, this is now happening! Quest Achieved!

Point #5: Whether it is intentional or not, I feel deceived that the story uses LitRPG in the title, especially considering that the novel comes from SciFan magazine, which has put out several LitRPG issues. Well, this is just a comment as to his narrow-minded opinion. I would have appreciated it had he actually reviewed the story as a reviewer is expected to do, but instead he uses the release of my story to get up on his soap box and preach his orthodox views. The current orthodox definition is a story inside a game with stats and leveling up, with minimal exposure to the real world. Personally, I do not agree with this narrow-minded mold, and I adhere to a more liberal view of LitRPG stories. As it turns out, there are a lot of brilliantly written LitRPG stories that do not fit the orthodox mold. As I stated in my original Foreword, there are many authors who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG. This, I believe, is the ultimate goal LitRPG authors should strive for in order to achieve the best reader experience.

Please help me defend my LitRPG Story by adding your review on Amazon! You can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited, or grab your copy for only $4.95. Paperback coming soon!

http://mybook.to/Conquest-SciFan

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

Dustin,

Honestly, yes. I had given up - but between encouragement from my narrator and now from you guys, I feel like I have new purpose.:) Thank you for reading my rebuttal. I've felt like I was tied up and muffled. Now I have new reasons to continue writing.:)

Richard M. Mulder

Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine

Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series

Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

On Sep 6, 2017 11:51 PM, "Dustin Tigner" <[email protected]> wrote:

He just stopped talking to you? Man, some people in this genre can get so childish. I don't really want to get on the bad side of anyone (despite that, I tend to be vocal against people that do things I don't approve of... haha). Anyway, your message looks like you were giving up writing to develop your magazine. If that was the case three months ago, I hope it's not anymore. I know you've been writing again and I think that's great.

No one person should ever make us feel like we shouldn't write. If they do, they are the one in the wrong. Honestly. What he did enrages me. I'll keep it professional, because I'm no child, though this does change my opinion of him. Hope things improve.:)

On Wed, Sep 6, 2017 at 11:11 PM, Richard Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:

Sadly, yes. I tried several times. In fact, he was one of our regular reviewers for the magazine before he stabbed me in the back. He refuses to respond to any of my PMs now.

Richard M. Mulder
Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine
Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series
Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

On Sep 5, 2017 9:33 PM, "Dustin Tigner" <[email protected]> wrote:

Hey Richard,

Read your email. You make a lot of good points. From what I remember of the podcast, he did use your book as a soap box. It directly affected me in my view of you and your work. He has a captivated audience and can say whatever he wants. There's no fact checking. It's a shame, really.

I think Ramon is a cool guy in general, though his narrow vision of LitRPG is a big pushing part for me and GameLit.

Have you tried talking to him in private? I wonder if he's reasonable and is willing to see his errors, or if he's stubborn. I want to like the guy, though I've dealt with a lot of people who are not too happy with him.

Let's push forward and make GameLit awesome. Remove the gate keepers.:)

On Mon, Sep 4, 2017 at 9:32 PM, Richard Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:

Awesome, thanks!

Richard M. Mulder

Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine

Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series

Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org

On Sep 4, 2017 9:23 PM, "Dustin Tigner" <[email protected]> wrote:

Got it! Thanks. I'll be reading this soon.:)

On Mon, Sep 4, 2017 at 9:23 PM, Richard Mulder <[email protected]> wrote:

Good morning world! Every author cringes when they receive a bad review. This often cripples their sales, and leaves them feeling discouraged. Today I'm taking this opportunity to defend my story as a LitRPG. I find it quite amusing that the LitRPG definition discussion at https://litrpgforum.com/threads/whats-a-good-definition-of-litrpg.150/ squarely centers *Conquest* inside the LitRPG genre - despite a recent scathing review by LitRPG Podcast's Ramon Mejia. For those of you who read and/or listened to his review, there were several things he stated that really made me question whether or not he actually finished reading the story. If you aren't familiar with the review, you can read it on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1922722707975725&id=1800716793509651

So let's break down the core of Ramon's review point-by-point:

Point #1: \"The story is not LitRPG! By the 50% mark there's one tiny bland undetailed VR game scene but that's it. Instead, a spy thriller/end of the world/portal fiction story with religious undertones and magic.\"

*Conquest* is an \"Entering the game\" prequel story. It explores the oft-unanswered *How* and *Why* the characters are stuck in the game. In one of the opening scenes, one of the protagonists is in the VR game DarkForce playing as his avatar @Hellekith. Soon after this failed quest, his surgically-installed VR equipment is damaged and he can't return to the game. Considering there are 56 chapters total, and the game isn't re-introduced until chapter 29 - then yes, I fully agree with Ramon's statement here. By the halfway mark of the story, there's only one scene inside the game. This was done *strategically,* and is central to the story. Point #2: "This feels like a recycled story that had a portal fiction aspect that was modified for the LitRPG genre. Only it wasn't even done well. Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story, it has no relationship to LitRPG." There are two issues here. The first is his comment about *Conquest* being a 'recycled' story. I'll actually respond to that comment in a different point below. Instead, let's focus on the rest of this segment of his review. "Besides a few small VR game chapters inserted awkwardly into the story" - again, these chapters weren't inserted *awkwardly* as he claims, but instead *strategically.* The story is written in 3rd Person Omniscient, meaning that the reader experiences the story from multiple POVs. The characters Brittany Parker and Doug Carlton are ex-cops who are now heavy DarkForce gamers. SPOILER ALERT! The central theme of *Conquest* is about how these players end up getting transported in a rapture-like event and become trapped in the World of Zion - which is the template that DarkForce was built off of. This sets up the premise for book 2, *War*, a fully-immersed LitRPG story which I am currently writing. Point #3: "After a bare minimum of research, it turns out it is recycled. The story was originally published in July 2016 under the title, Conquest: Rise of the Fifth Horseman: A Cohesive SciFan™ Adventure. You can find the story listed on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30355412-conquest" First off, this comment is irrelevant to whether or not the story is LitRPG or not - but I'll address it anyway. This is the 4th Edition of Conquest, as stated in the title information. The 1st edition I published hastily in June 2016 because my story was at risk of being plagiarized. I purposely didn't market it because I knew it wasn't ready. One month later I republished it under the same title with a newer cover and an edited interior, labeling it as the 2nd Edition. I still didn't focus on marketing it fully, because I was waiting for Copyright approval. Finally in October 2016 I received approval for the Copyright from the U.S. Library of Congress, and I distributed over 180 copies of the 3rd Edition for free via a Kindle Select promotion during Virtual FantasyCon 2017 to announce my launch, and Conquest hit the Amazon Bestsellers list in the Free category that week. On January 17th 2017 however, a large number of author accounts were closed in error based upon a suspected bot scheme with 'illegitimate borrower activity'. This removed hundreds of titles, and authors were left out in the cold. I was one of them – but I refused to stand aside as a victim. I fought back with petitions and social media blasts. My efforts were rewarded, and I was able to get my account reinstated. I was told however that I would need to start over and republish with a new ASIN. It was extremely frustrating to know that I would lose all of my hard-earned reviews, so I made an executive decision. Instead of republishing immediately, I turned to another medium – Royal Road Legends (RRL). I had recently discovered the popular LitRPG genre, and had a magnificent brainstorm on how to continue the series as a LitRPG story. This new strategy required a full rewrite of Conquest in order to set up the proper premise for the LitRPG world that starts in Book 2 – *War*. For nearly six months I rewrote my story, posting chapters on RRL as I completed them. When the 4th Edition of Conquest finally launched on May 19th 2017, it blipped for a few hours on the Amazon Bestseller list! Point #4: "The author who uses the pen name Aleric Elos warns his readers in the forward, ‘There are many authors and readers who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG’. Well, sir, before you start to criticize other for trying to define a genre they love, try to write an actual LitRPG story and not just recycle something you'd already written." Ironically, the above-mentioned Foreword was only released to 5 ARC readers, and after his scathing review I chose not to upload it (but I'll attach screenshots of it below). He takes the comment entirely out of context, and this was clearly what incited his rage. What my intended message here was that a certain author (who I won't name here) is trying to trademark the term LitRPG so that he can become a Dictator, and that only his Regime of approved authors can control what is and what isn't LitRPG. The entire purpose of my message was that this author's list of "A LitRPG shall... *commandments* are utterly preposterous, and that a real discussion needs to take place to define what LitRPG should be. Ironically, this is now happening! Quest Achievement! Point #5: Whether it is intentional or not, I feel deceived that the story uses LitRPG in the title, especially considering that the novel comes from SciFan magazine, which has put out several LitRPG issues. Well, this is just a comment as to his narrow-minded opinion. I would have appreciated it had he actually reviewed the story as a reviewer is expected to do, but instead he uses the release of my story to get up on his soap box and preach his orthodox views. The current orthodox definition is a story inside a game with stats and leveling up, with minimal exposure to the real world. Personally, I do not agree with this narrow-minded mold, and I adhere to a more liberal view of LitRPG stories. As it turns out, there are a lot of brilliantly written LitRPG stories that do not fit the orthodox mold. As I stated in my original Foreword, there are many authors who are adamantly trying to force LitRPG into their own narrow definitions, but in my opinion what all LitRPG novels have in common is the euphoric feeling gamers experience when playing and leveling up in a MMORPG. This, I believe, is the ultimate goal LitRPG authors should strive for in order to achieve the best reader experience. Please help me defend my LitRPG Story by adding your review on Amazon! You can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited, or grab your copy for only $4.95. Paperback coming soon! http://mybook.to/Conquest-SciFan Richard M. Mulder Co-Producer of SciFan™ Magazine Author of The SciFan™ Universe Series Newsletter: http://newsletter.SciFan.org