I've never read Fourth Wing but I do see that it's oftentimes compared to ACOTAR, and now a Fourth Wing tv series has been greenlit, while ACOTAR's series hasn't found its footing yet.

And I think this whole marketing "campaign" (or lack thereof if we're being honest) for ACOTAR 6 and 7 has got me thinking about how long it's been since she released an ACOTAR book and how long the fans have been waiting for one. And in the interim, there's been other authors coming up to fill that void and releasing books on a steady basis to keep the hype going and the series fresh in people's minds.

So all that to say, do you think SJM lost a bit of her momentum, and especially now with the way this marketing campaign has been pretty quiet and unengaging for the fans?

I don't, not really.

I like to look at the numbers and the money. So if we look at SJM vs RY, here's a little breakdown:

SJM = sold over 75 million copies of her works across 3 series (don't forget her next two books have like 4 million preorders each)

RY = has sold over 12 million books for her one series

I've seen RY's romantasy career described as a rocket and I think that's pretty apt. That's a huge number in 2 years. But SJM has longevity and RY's numbers pale in comparison to her Sarah's totals. Plus with Sarah launching three parts written in three books...those sales are going to skyrocket her even further.

And while it feels like it's been a long time for an SJM book...it really hasn't! She just released CC3 in 2024. ACOTAR is not her only ongoing series and she's got every right to update it. According to Bloomsbury, she is set to release a book every 2 years. So she is right on track with releasing her next part in October 206. Which makes me wonder if that's why we are getting part 1 in october....to not break that promise (hmmm). It takes a long time to write, edit, publish a book. Usually 1-2 years! So she is writing and VERY productive. What RY did with her series is honestly unnatural and not the norm - and hence why she's had to take breaks. It burnt her out.

SJM also did have a tv deal, but she got the rights back when she didn't get the standard of control she desires. That's not due to a lack of popularity or momentum, but her personal creative control. She wants a specific story to be told. We don't know what kind of deal RY got or even how much creative control she wanted. I think that's hard to compare.

So, anon, long story short, I don't think she's lost her momentum at all!!! She's written ginormous books one after another, right on schedule as she has promised. If you're chronically on Tumblr/Reddit like I am, you have to remember this is all a vacuum. We are anxious and upset over a lack of a title/blurb. But the rest of the world not chronically online...? Well, they've preordered the books and are contributing to making this a record breaking preorder sales for SJM. They're excited. They got the podcast, they're enjoying the new merch from SJM's multi million dollar global marketing deal with IMG, they're buying their tickets to midnight release parties....

It's so successful RY probably copied the model from her with her next unnamed novella book coming out next.

In the grand scheme of things, it isn't that quiet. It's quiet for us because hell, we are in deep in this fandom if you're here in the trenches with me. We are more impatient because we're starving for content and have been promised a feast but told to wait until October to eat. That makes you want to murder someone. But if you're not a starving person, you are probably very excited to eat! You've got the invite on your fridge and you're like wow I can't wait to go like a normal person. Perspective is everything.

Oh, how curious another world's King. It's an honor too meet another. It's always intriguing to see another. Especially one not as attached to an Slime or Knight as others can be.

1. Where did this spark from? I don’t remember talking about wing flavors 💀

Hi Anon!

There is not an ending guide just yet. Though I hope you've been enjoying the game as is currently!

The game was created as part of the @/interact-if ranked jam around the theme of Cliffhangers, where some aspects of the story are left unsaid/unresolved. So the endings may not even answer your wishes :P (sorry)

Now, I've really been enjoying creating this story and considering seriously continuing it to reach a satisfying proper ending. This will require me to edit a biiiit more the last part of the game to make it fit and include the consequences of your previous actions. The current endings may (or may not) disappear at that point.

An update on whether I am doing it will happen sometime next month.

Now, short spoiler under the cut about the checklist of endings with a tip or two.

Thank you for the question!

EDIT: The list is now also on the Itch page!

2 Endings requires you to refuse to leave your bed (1 on the first day, 1 on the second day).