FAQ

Q: Who are you, and what's this?

I'm AJJSmith, the author of the Light of Esmara series that is something like my passion project. As I'm going the self-publishing route, I decided a website of my own for the series was in order, and I've tried hard to make it into something passable.

(Any advice and feedback is welcome, I'm mostly winging it.)

Q: Why this series?

Honestly? Because it wants to be written. It has been with me for over half my life at this point, and accompanied me through so many ups and downs and changes of life. A lot about it has changed over the years, some tropes leaving for good, others sneaking back in in other ways, but the core of it is still just the same as before.

At some point, I simply woke up for a morning shift, drove to work, and realized in the car that it was time. So, upon returning home that afternoon, I decided on a whim to participate in the NaNoWriMo challenge that year (without actually ever being 'active' on the website when it existed, because writing took up too much time haha), prepared my outline for the first trilogy, and then just...wrote it.

For years and years, I thought it would be impossible to start this series. But it was actually surprisingly easy. Once I got started, it just flowed.

And it's been flowing ever since.

So yeah, that's why!

Q: Why are you self-publishing?

I was going to go the traditional route, but as a lot of things are already put on the authors now apart from just writing their books, and you can lose a lot of agency over your work by going traditional, I decided to opt for the self-publishing route.

Since I am an introvert and socially awkward, this is going to be quite the challenge! But alas, if just one other person manages to find and enjoy it, it will have been worth it.

Q: Can I send you emails and stuff?

Sure! There's a submission form you can fill out, or you can send me an email directly at

thelightofesmara@aol.com

if you like. I welcome any feedback or constructive criticism, though I might take a while to get back to you. Please keep in mind I'm doing all of this on my own, and the day only has so many hours.

Q: Can I also send you hatemail?

Well, I'd rather you didn't?? But I'm not going to stop you. Mind you, I'll likely also not respond to it, but you do you?

Also, all mail gets read to my dog for his opinion, so maybe don't go too overboard. Jason is a sweetheart, I'd hate to scandalize him.

Q: How many books are planned for the series? How much do you already have done?

This is still the early days, so I'd hate to put a definite number on the series as of yet. The series is planned from beginning to end though, and all the subseries are in place, and books titled and summarized. The outlines are still a work-in-progress, though.

For the most recent update, my Patreon has a checklist that tracks the prgress of the whole series as well as what subseries I'm currently on. I like to think I have a decent buffer between finished books and releases planned, but editing can take up a long time, especially when involving third parties. Also, I have a full-time job that can greatly limit the amount of free time I have left to write and work on the series as a whole.

Q: Is any art on this website AI-generated?

No. The background photographs were taken by my mother during a hiking trip (Hi mom!) and she's given me permission to use them for the website. 

All art you see is either done by me, or was commissioned by me from other artists (like the book covers, map, and official character art).

Some of my art on here is pretty old, back when I just started doing digital art in 2016, so they might not look very 'fancy', but I was rather proud of them way back then, and still look fondly upon them now.

Maybe they'll make you smile :)

Q: Even more importantly, is any part of your series AI-generated? 

Absolutely not. This series has been going through my mind in bits and pieces since I was around 13 years old, and all you'll find in my writing process is the usual sleep deprivation, random 3am pacing and rambling, and the sweat and tears of the right word eluding me at the most crucial of times. (Oh, and cursing. So, so much cursing.)

Also, broken keyboard keys as I had to learn the hard way that 'made for eternity'-keyboards have a life-expectancy of around 5mil keystrokes. Which I've reached a few times already I fear. Oof.

Q: What about fanmade content?

Sure! Art, writing, crafts, playlists, mood boards, anything goes.

However, until the series is finished, I can't in good faith read any fanfiction created by others, in case any theories or headcanons are awfully close to where the series is going and people might think I copied from them.

However, I'm flattered about any love the series receives, and will not hinder anybody from creating content of any kind for it.

I do ask that you don't commercialize things excessively, and not right under my nose. 

Q: Who is your favorite character then?

Ha! Like I can answer that.

All of my characters started out as something akin to friends, and over the years as I aged and they mostly didn't, they've since become more something like children. Rebellious, annoying brats that do as they like, mostly. But I digress. So, of course, I love all of them equally.

..........However, I will admit, Evelyn holds a special place in my heart. She is the one character in the entire series that is still exactly as she's always been, no matter whether it's her appearance, her demeanor, or her tale as a whole. Even her name has never once changed.

Some things about the series changed around her, yes, but never her.

So yeah, I think that covers the basics!

If there's anything else you'd like to know, feel free to message me.

Until then, and happy reading~