FAQ

Where can I find your books?
Can I get signed copies of these books?
Can I buy your books directly from you instead of a retailer?
Are these books self-published?
Do you use beta readers?
Are these books edited by a professional editor?
Was AI used to write these books?
Was AI used to make the covers?
How often do you release new books or updates?
Do you offer discounts, bundles, or special promotions?
Do you ship physical books internationally?
Are audiobooks available or planned?
Do you offer large-print editions?
Do you have hardbacks available?
Can libraries order your books?
Do you participate in Kindle Unlimited?
What tools or software do you use to publish?
Do you work with a team or do everything yourself?
What’s the best reading order for your series?
Do you have other stories published elsewhere?
Do you attend conventions or book signings?
Are your books appropriate for younger readers?
Do your books contain any content warnings?
Will there be more stories set in this universe?
Do you have a newsletter or reader group?
How can I contact you for events, interviews, or collaborations?
Can readers send you fan art or fan mail?
Do you have a Patreon or behind-the-scenes community?
Can I use your characters or world in fan fiction?
Are film, TV, or game rights available?
Do you have any social media accounts?

Where can I find your books?
The best place is my Shopify store, but you can also find them on Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble—pretty much anywhere e-books are sold. If you want physical copies, the best places are my Shopify store, Amazon, and Ingram Spark. You can even find them in libraries. Just ask your librarian.

Can I get signed copies of these books?
Yes, but only in the United States and only through my Shopify store at Shop.DawnRossAuthor.com.

Can I buy your books directly from you instead of a retailer?
Absolutely! I prefer it that way because Amazon and others take such huge cuts. But only if you’re in the United States and only through my Shopify store at Shop.DawnRossAuthor.com. All e-book formats are available (even for Kindle). Paperbacks are signed. And you can even get audiobooks from me.

Are these books self-published?
Yes, and the reason isn’t what you think. Some years ago, I was scammed out of $10,000 by someone claiming to be a literary agent. Thousands, if not tens-of-thousands, of people get scammed by fake agents or fake publishers per year.

My experience with one of the editors I hired also deterred me from self-publishing. She had lots to say about changes I should make, including turning one of my main characters into a stereotype. Self-publishing gives me complete control over my work. That’s not to say that I don’t listen to the advice of my beta readers and editors. But I can choose not to take their advice.

Another reason I chose the self-publishing route is because my books appeal more to a niche audience rather than the mainstream market. Sci-fi isn’t currently the fad. Romantasy is. So finding a traditional publisher who is looking for the next big thing is challenging, regardless of how well my stories are told.

Although I chose the self-publishing route, I also chose to ensure that my books are as professional as any traditionally published book. See the next FAQ questions regarding editing and cover designs.

Do you use beta readers?
Yes. I have a great team of beta readers who have been instrumental in ensuring the quality of my storytelling. They help locate plot holes, determine when pacing is off, pinpoint implausible story lines, tighten sentence structures, and more.

Are these books edited by a professional editor?
Yes. My goal has always been to present the best quality. I hired several editors through the first book and stuck with Grace Bridges for the rest of the series. Grace is very thorough and does an excellent job of covering all aspects of editing from developmental to content, to line, to copy editing.

Was AI used to write these books?
Absolutely not. Publicly available AI didn’t even exist when I wrote many of my books and I have not resorted to using them now.

Was AI used to make the covers?
Absolutely not. Publicly available AI art didn’t even exist when I published my first few novels. I started out using image stock sites. Dmitrii Brigidov, the artist found on an image stock site and used for the dragons in my first two books, was hired to do book 3. I couldn’t reach him for book 4 (it was after Covid) so I hired Jon Stubbington. Jon has been creating the art for my books ever since (except for Spire Wilderness, which I hired someone else for). Credits to all the artists are indicated in each book.

How often do you release new books or updates?
The StarFire Dragon series is concluded! But I’m still writing. I can write one full novel a year, plus a novella, and some short stories. Follow me on Amazon, sign up to my newsletter at Dawn’s Newsletter, or sign up to my Patreon at Dawn’s Patreon to stay apprised.

Do you offer discounts, bundles, or special promotions?
Yes! But only on my Shopify store at shop.dawnrossauthor.com. I also run an occasional bundle offer for 5 books with a 7-book bump option. Reach out to me at Starfire@dawnrossauthor.com to find out if I’m currently running that promotion.

Do you ship physical books internationally?
Not at this time, but I’m looking into it. BookVault has some good options, but the paperbacks wouldn’t be signed.

Are audiobooks available or planned?
Yes. StarFire Dragons is out and I currently have Book 2 in production. I have made an agreement with my narrator to do the entire series.

Do you offer large-print editions?
Not at this time. It is something I’m considering, but only after I get hardbacks produced.

Do you have hardbacks available?
Not yet. I have a designer working on StarFire Dragons now, but printing them is expensive since there’s a minimum order quantity.

Can libraries order your books?
Yes! My books are on Ingram Spark, which connects with libraries so that they can order them.

Do you participate in Kindle Unlimited?
No. If I were to put my e-books in Kindle Unlimited, I would not be able to offer them to you directly or sell them anywhere else.

What tools or software do you use to publish?
For formatting, I just use Word. I use Kindle Create to set up the e-books for Amazon. I use Convertio to convert my e-book Word documents to epub, then upload them on the prospective sites. BookFunnel is used to link my e-books to my Shopify store.

Do you work with a team or do everything yourself?
I couldn’t do all this myself without a team. My team comprises beta readers, my editor Grace Bridges, book cover artists, and a book cover designer.

What’s the best reading order for your series?
For the best flow, read the StarFire Dragons series in this order: StarFire Dragons, Dragon Emperor, Dragon’s Fall, Isle of Hogs: A Novella, Warrior Outcast, Orphaned Warrior, Fated Warriors, and Warriors United. Optional reads for the series include Dissonance: A Novella to be read after Warrior Outcast, Spire Wilderness: A Novella to be read anytime after StarFire Dragons, Ascension to Extinction (a short story found in the anthology, Ruins) to be read anytime after StarFire Dragons, The Enforcer: A Novella to be read anytime after StarFire Dragons, and more to come on my Patreon page.

Do you have other stories published elsewhere?
Yes. Moonful of Silver is a sci-fi/western I wrote with Frasier Armitage found on Amazon. Plus I have a short story called Ascension to Extinction that is published in Ruins, an anthology edited by MG Herron, soon to be found on Amazon. I also have several short stories and novellas published exclusively on my Patreon page.

Do you attend conventions or book signings?
Yes. I mostly do events in my home state of Kansas, but I occasionally travel outside of the state for bigger events. You can find out which events I’m attending on my Appearances page (see the navigation bar above).

Are your books appropriate for young readers?
No. Although none of my books have sex, they have language and violence warnings. The violence in books 2 and 3 are particularly dark.

Do your books contain any content warnings?
Yes, for violence and language. The language isn’t over-the-top, but the violence in books 2 and 3 are dark.

Will there be more stories set in this universe?
Most likely! Check out my Patreon page here to see what I’m currently working on. It might be more novels or novellas. They might be set in the same world and contain the same characters, but they will be stand-alone stories that can be read by anyone, even if they haven’t read the series.

Do you have a newsletter or reader group?
Yes. Sign up for my newsletter here to stay up to date on appearances, new releases, and more. Also, check out my Patreon for behind-the-scenes information and exclusive stories at Dawn’s Patreon.

How can I contact you for events, interviews, or collaborations?
You can reach me at Starfire@dawnrossauthor.com. If I don’t respond, it might’ve gone to my spam. If that happens, try reaching me through Facebook.

Can readers send you fan art or fan mail?
Absolutely! I love to hear from my readers. You can reach me at Starfire@dawnrossauthor.com. If I don’t respond, it might’ve gone to my spam. If that happens, try reaching me through Facebook.

Do you have a Patreon or behind-the-scenes community?
Yes! Check out my Patreon for behind-the-scenes, exclusive stories, and merchandise.

Can I use your characters or world in fan fiction?
Yes, I would be honored if you were to use my characters or world in fan fiction! However, you are not permitted to make money on fan fiction without getting permission from me first. If this is something you’re interested in, reach out to me at Starfire@dawnrossauthor.com.

Are film, TV, or game rights available?
Only if you’re not a scammer! I get scam emails like this all the time, so if you’re legit, be prepared to reach out to my lawyer.

Do you have any social media accounts?
Yes. I’m mostly on Facebook nowadays at facebook.com/dawnrossauthor/. I have a Twitter account under the same name but I hardly use it anymore.