Afterword
Greetings, everyone. I’m Squid, the author of Sure-Hit Dungeon Explorer 1: Leveling Up by Safely Sniping with Guaranteed Shots. Thank you so much for picking up my work.
This story was posted on Syosetu and Kakuyomu, and by sheer luck, it won the 4th HJ Novel Award (First Half, Syosetu Category) from Hobby Japan, leading to its publication as a book. I started posting on the web about two years ago, but I never imagined I’d achieve my dream of publication so soon. I first discovered Syosetu in my first year of high school, shortly after my parents bought me a smartphone. The fantasy and entertainment novels there were unlike anything I’d read before, and I quickly became a huge fan of “Narou novels.”
Back then, I never dreamed I’d write my own stories, let alone win a contest. But after enrolling in vocational school, I took a leap and started writing, leading to where I am now. While writing the web version, I was encouraged by readers’ comments and advice, which helped me achieve this dream of publication. The joy of receiving the award notice was immense, and even now, it’s a happy memory.
That said, there were challenges. Specifically, during the “author proofreading” process, the editors’ feedback was spot-on, highlighting my shortcomings and keeping me busy with revisions. Writing for readers made me acutely aware of my inexperience, but the struggles helped me identify improvements I wouldn’t have noticed alone, allowing me to grow as a writer.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved. First, my editor. Thank you for your support throughout the publication process. Your advice was invaluable, and though I’m still inexperienced and may cause trouble, I hope for your continued guidance. To the proofreaders, thank you for your detailed feedback and suggestions, which helped refine awkward or potentially off-putting parts of the text. I’m still learning, but I look forward to working with you.
To the typesetters and designers, thank you for making the text readable and creating a beautiful cover and logo. I hope for your continued support. To the printers, thank you for turning this into a tangible book. In today’s busy publishing world, I appreciate your efforts alongside the distribution and sales teams.
To the illustrator, Herigaru-sama, thank you for the amazing artwork. Seeing my vaguely imagined characters come to life with such coolness and charm was thrilling. I hope we can work together for a long time.
Finally, to you, the readers who chose this book among countless others, thank you. I’ll keep striving to write engaging stories for both the web and print. I hope to express my gratitude again in volume two, so please continue supporting me.
Thank you for reading this far. I hope we meet again in the next volume.
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