Realistically, how much is my novel going to sell? Its a "literary"

Post the first sentence of your novel here.

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>>9586888
I didnt start writing it chronologically, but its most likely going to be a version of "Love hangs from my hand"

>>9586884
>thinks he's gene wolfe

barely no one is going to buy it most likely and if they do 95% will go to the publisher. You'll prob end up paying them. such is the literary life

sounds interesting so far i guess, an excerpt would be cool

>>9586915
I only actually discovered Wolfe when I was already 2 years into this, but I chose first person styled narration because of BOTNS. However, the world isnt sci-fi in the sense how BOTNS is, its more like a nightmare instead of an apocalyptic future

>>9586918
Ive only written chapters from the secondary protagonists pov at the moment, but ill look into picking a short excerpt when I get out of the sauna

>>9586894

sounds shit

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>>9586918
Heres a little excerpt- Its about the second protagonist burying a baby's arm. Its a first draft though

"As night approached Magnolia’s countryside visage, I found myself at the backyard of the mansion. I brought an iron shovel with me, one I had found from a little storage room. The manliest of men, as if in a sad painting, I plunged the tool into the grassy ground. Only a worker’s cap and a pair of suspenders were missing as I worked the yard, turning soil over into a little pile at my side, the hole I dug growing and growing. There was no sweating or fatigue, but the creaking of my dismal armor gave the scene a sound. What a tragedy! Call me sanctimonious, if you must, but everyone can afford a revelation and this is for the best- for everyone. At the side of true darkness, I’m a flicker of light regardless of my mistakes. I would do anything to make this right. "

>>9587032
No publisher will touch that. Prose needs to be completely invisible.

>>9587045
>Prose needs to be completely invisible.

what does this even mean?

>>9587032
Interesting. Would probably make more sense with more context or understanding of the characters, but ok.

Do you have a larger synopsis that you can share without spoiling details, interesting aspects of the world? What makes it an SF setting?

Also, if you give some indication of other authors you like to read or books that influenced you anons might be more interested. I don't know tho, just my random suggestions

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>>9587059
>Do you have a larger synopsis that you can share without spoiling details

Protagonist wakes up in a mechanical nightmare, book starts right after killing his newlywed wife. First part of the story (devil from nothing) is him going through the place, fairly horror and science fiction themed. Second part (memory) focuses more on the second protagonist (the antagonist) and how protag 1 travels though what is basically a finnish countryside to kill protag 2

> interesting aspects of the world? What makes it an SF setting?

the science fiction aspects are mostly present in part one, the second part going lighter on them (and just to clarify here, the "parts" are still both in one book, theyre just separated as if a new story began)

The laws of physics are altered which ties into the religious aspect, but its "explained" by the whole world being a sort of parallel dimension/ nightmare (the paracosm/fantasy of a nightmarish, cosmic horror inspired entity). After dying, some people get turned into "Sanquisitors" by this monster, creatures that collect blood and are being manipulated into being as cruel/ violent as possible.

>>9587091
sounds like you've put some thought into it

well keep writing i guess. prose is hard, mine always winds up becoming cheesy and stupid so i've been looking into screenplay writing instead. i find it also helps me to think about ideas and block them out visually

ideas seem interesting enough tho. i like religious-pulp-sf stuff, like 40K. as long as it's not too dark or heavy and the writer isn't trying to meme me to death with symbolism or tropes and knows to write well enough

>>9586884
Depends entirely on which publisher picks it up and how much they market it. Even if you've written the next [insert title of classic here], it will only sell in proportion to the amount of investment it generates.

Good rule of thumb is that if they offer you an advance above $5k then they've got faith in you, and if they ask for a stipend to cover marketing costs then you should try someplace else.

Best of luck, and don't forget to format your manuscript properly.