To Be a Power in the Shadows! (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

Thank you all for reading Volume 4 of The Eminence in Shadow.

I’d like to start out by apologizing for the long wait. The problem is, I had writer’s block. There was a long period where I didn’t know what I should write—what would be right to write—and I ended up not making any progress at all.

I’ve been doing the whole web novel thing more or less since I started writing, and over time, my writing style has gradually shifted to one that’s more suited to that format. In other words, I would regularly check in with the readers and make edits and sometimes rework entire plotlines based on their feedback. Even if their opinions differ from mine, if enough of them are in agreement, I feel like the right thing to do is to respect how they feel. To this day, I still believe that, and I make a point of only doing things “my way” in the course of moving the story along the way the readers want. That’s the writing style my web novel days have fostered in me.

However, that gave me problems when I decided to have Volume 4 go off in its own direction. Without the ability to post a chapter at a time and make changes by looking at the readers’ reactions, I found myself at a loss for how to proceed. I would write a little, then end up deleting it all and starting over from scratch. That went on for over a year.

In the past, my stories weren’t something I wrote on my own. They were something I built together with my readers.

I really am sorry for keeping you all waiting for such a long time, but I did ultimately finish the book and send it off to be published. I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to my editor, who sacrificed hours of their valuable time each day to help me get over my slump.

Now, I do have a special announcement for you all. As it turns out, The Eminence in Shadow will be getting an anime adaptation! This would never have been possible if not for the support you all have shown for the series. My time during the slump made me truly understand just how important you all are. A huge thank-you to every one of you.

I’m getting to the end here, so I’d like to say some more words of gratitude.

Thank you to my editor for helping me through the entire publication process. Thank you to Touzai for the best illustrations I could ever hope for. My thanks to Araki at BALCOLONY. for the incredible designs that adorn this book. I’d also like to thank everyone working on the anime. And last, I’d like to thank my readers for their support. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

Let’s meet again in Volume 5!

Daisuke Aizawa