First Light Chronicles Omnibus: 6 Months As The Top Science Fiction EBook

So it's official: The First Light Chronicles Omnibus has been the top science fiction book on Mobipocket.com for six months.

This is a great landmark to watch as my editor to finishes her work on Spinward Fringe Frontline and I wait for her verdict.

Without the people who have read and enjoyed this book it wouldn't have stayed number one for so long. You read it, posted your reviews and some of you sent me emails. Others actually lent support in other ways. I'd be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to say thank you.

The users on Mobipocket have been simply the best, and I hope that as I move on to Amazon.com and other book sellers that the people there are half as receptive and supportive.

With the imminent release of Spinward Fringe Frontline and the ongoing plans for more Spinward Fringe books, I hope that everyone whose been along so far enjoys the journey going forward. There are only about three hundred people aboard right now which in the publishing industry is less than a few, but to me you are the best core group of readers I could have asked for. I'll do my very best to keep things exciting and to keep everyone entertained.

Thanks again, you'll know my editor's verdict as soon as I do!

RL

Spinward Fringe Frontline: The Wait

So, the 1st of May is almost upon us and Spinward Fringe Frontline is still with the editor. I could give you a lengthy explanation with a few excuses mixed in but I'd rather just come out and say it; it's my fault.

Some books take longer to put out, it's true. There are a lot of reasons for it, and thankfully there are a few simple ones behind the delays with Frontline. This is a large book for the series in size and plotline scope. Some of the characters undergo subtle transformations, others aren't so subtle. The story takes a new turn and you get to discover a lot about why things are the way they are, who was involved and even where the story might be going. In terms of actual physical size this book currently stands at 419 pages and there's still a chance my editor will tell me to expand in certain areas that move more like a high budget action film than a novel. Then again, she may just tell me to keep everything as is (with a few gramattical tweaks I'm sure).

I am sorry this book isn't coming out tomorrow, and I hope to have it out by the middle of the month, but if we need more time to polish this so you'll enjoy it more, we're going to take it and I'll make sure you know about it. My fingers and toes are crossed as I hope this draft passes muster. I like this one so much I've lost all objectivity, but that's why I'm thankful I have a good editor and you can rest assured that anything she does will only make things better.

The book is coming, it's my favourite of the series right now, and that's saying a lot. Frontline is epic in scope, our characters get into more trouble than ever and if you've been reading along so far this is one to look forward to.

Spinward Fringe Frontline: Nearly At An End

Spinward Fringe Frontline is unlike anything I've ever written. I'm almost finished my last draft and my editorial pass and I've tried to call this book a war novel, an adventure novel, a hard core science fiction novel and even a space opera novel. After reaching page 370 of 410 the best conclusion I can make is that it's a Space Opera novel that contains strong aspects of all those other things.

This book is 410 pages after cutting 68 pages out and without the last chapter. I've also scrapped three prologues, two of which were good enough to be prologues, one of which was good enough to be its own short story, but none of them were what I wanted. I have a 1.5m by 2m story board covered in post its that failed to contain what was happening with all the characters, the details of the plotlines and the overall movement of this piece. I'm not saying that writing and editing this book was a nightmare or that it's a mess, but it certainly was an unprecdented challenge for me. Thankfully this book came together as a very linear, clear telling of intertwining plotlines.

Before taking on the topics and stories of Frontline the largest book I had written was a fantasy novel called Fate Cycle: Sins of the Past. That book covers several weeks worth of events and builds a world complete with a history, system of mysticism and several other basic components nessisary to a conventional fantasy world. In comparison Spinward Fringe Frontline is much larger and yes, it addresses the weeks between it and Spiwnard Fringe Triton, the timeline of Frontline covers a week or less. In contrast to the fantasy novel I put out five years ago Frontline doesn't have to establish a universe or introduce a multitude of characters, so the four hundred ten pages (so far), are all plot, character development and action. In terms of television, this book would take about six full length hour long episodes to cover and you could easily stretch it to eight with the right special effects budget. (GRIN)

A lot of our favorite characters grow over the course of this book. At the same time the whole thing occurs during a period of adjustment, things are still developing and I enjoy some of the unexpected challenges the characters face. Other characters embark on a journey that changes them in a lasting way. I have to say that I enjoy this book, partially because of its differences from everything else I've done.

I love the dialogue in this book because it's beyond being functional, the characters are really asserting differences in their manner of speech. The story in Frontline goes a great distance to advance things while it brings a lot from the past into focus. I've lost all objectivity again and that's why I'm so happy to have a good, honest editor who will be able to tell me if my work is done or if I have to do another draft. My test readers will be able to sound alarms if I'm missing something or going in the wrong direction.

Having said that, I certainly hope she and everyone else enjoys this book as much as I have. It's complex, it's epic in scale and I'm at the same time looking forward to finishing the drafting and editing process as well as dreading the end because leaving this book behind is hard. I've lived in it for over five months now and the longer you spend with a work the harder it is to let it go.

Having said that, I hope that in a few days I'll be posting my editor's approval as well as an opinion or two from a test reader. If the feedback tells me I have more work to do, I'll tell you as soon as I know and I'll pin down another release date. I'll see you then!

RL

What are you looking to see in Spinward Fringe Frontline? Leave a (spoiler free) comment below!

The Spinward Fringe Test Readers

Lately I've gotten a few emails from people who are very interested in becoming test readers. Sadly, I had to turn them all down and it's not because they were unqualified.

Typically the interested parties are well educated (engineers, teachers, other writers and more), but sadly, I still can't take them on. I wish I could, but there are a lot of reasons why I just can't include them.

So everyone understands why, I thought I would enlighten people on how I put a test group together.

The first thing I do is watch for people who I've met personally and have known for a while. I don't tell anyone that I'm looking for test readers. At least a month before I'm ready I take account of who has read all the books preceding the one I'm finishing and then choose people who don't know each other, aren't prone to posting spoilers on the Internet, are trust worthy, I've known for a while, are educated or well read and I get along with.

When I finish my drafts and my first editorial pass I send copies of secure files out to each test reader. They don't get to know who the other readers are, how many there are or where they are. My editor gets her copy at the same time and she doesn't know any of the test readers either. I have test readers in three countries right now, and the select group are all fantastic people. They'd probably get along famously if they ever got to know each other actually, but sadly, it's a blind reading.

So that's how it works. How are the results from this kind of group? Well, I'm always surprised at what people notice, of their very unique opinions and what they commonly mention. They help me improve as a writer and story teller and with a book as complex and as large as Frontline, they also make good watchdogs, pointing out problems with continuity, characterization and even turning points in the plot.

I'd love to take on more test readers, but as you can see it's hard to find people who fit just right into a blind reading.

The first quarter of Spinward Fringe Frontline has been sent out to the Editor and all the test readers, and I'm eagerly awaiting their comments as I continue to edit the rest of the book. I'll be posting their general impressions as they come in, so check back!

RL

Spinward Fringe Frontline: The Cover and Progress

With 74% of voters in favour of the blue lettered Frontline cover featuring Pandem, the planet that most of the book takes place on, I think it's pretty certain that readers have told me which cover I should use. Thank you for voting everyone, you can check back soon for another poll.

So, with the cover chosen and editing well underway Frontline is a near inevitability. Unless the test readers and my editor have serious problems with the plot and character development I don't see any delays.

As I'm editing this book I'm actually rebuilding several chapters so there's even more focus on the characters and the personal challenges they face in this book. With so many characters vying for attention in this volume I'll admit it was difficult to decide on where the focus should be, but I'm confident in my decisions. I like where the story takes these characters, their journies, and even though I've written three completely prologues for this book so far I'm fairly sure I've got a good book on my hands.

So far the book is 396 pages thick, and when editing is complete I'm fairly certain it'll be over 400 pages long and the fastest paced piece of work that I've ever put out. I start reading this and have difficulty putting it down myself, so I hope that's true for everyone waiting for this volume.

There's more good news.

As Spinward Fringe Frontline wraps up several storylines, it also begins a new era in the Spinward Fringe series. When I started writing Science Fiction on January 1, 2008 I had a number of ideas and mental images that still haven't been used in the series. Not only that, but new material, new characters and ideas have all come up since then. There's so much more story to tell that I'm absolutely certain that I have enough for three more very good books, exciting books.

Beyond that there may be more. As I said over a year ago, I'm writing this series like a television series or large collection of serialized movies (which Hollywood simply doesn't know how to make), so as long as readers are interested I'll continue writing these books. Spinward Fringe Frontline is looking like a great foundation for the future and a fantastic story on its own.

There's more news coming, so stay tuned!

RL

Spinward Fringe Frontline: It's Finished.

The definitive draft for this book completed a few days ago, and now that I've taken a couple days off and let it all sink in for a while I can say I'm comfortable with the risks I've taken plot-wise, the journeys the characters have taken and I'm ready to begin editing and refining this draft.

Now that pile of pages (about 400 high), isn't so much a mark of progress as it is another mountain to climb as I edit my way through it.

What do I have to say about it now that it's finished?

The plot is simpler than I had expected, the journey far more complex and certain characters get a lot more exposure than I thought I would ever give them, but they move the big picture story along a great deal.

Am I certain that this is the best book I've ever written? Will people enjoy this one as much as or more than the ones that have come before? As with every work I've completed in the last year and a half or so I've lost my objectivity. I know I like what's been done here, that the stories go in the right direction and that I've been true to the characters but I can't be sure if it's in need of another revision. That's why I've brought a few more test readers on board. None of them know each other, I've known each of them for quite some time, they won't get a chance to discuss what they're reading, and they're all more well educated than I am.

My Editor is at the fore of this group, and after I finish editing large sections of this book they'll be sent off to her and the other test readers. The whole process takes a few weeks for a book this size if I've done my job well and there's no need for massive revisions. If all goes well you'll be seeing this book on Mobipocket by the end of April and on Amazon.com by the end of May.

I'm very excited about this book even though it is much darker and riskier than the ones that came before. I'll keep everyone updated on how the editing and test readings are going as the work is done and the results come in. Thank you all very much for your support and for spreading the word. Without you I wouldn't be able to do this full time and Frontline would not only be a different book but it would have taken a year to complete, perhaps more.

The journey continues, and believe me when I tell you it's extremely difficult to restrain myself from skipping my part of the editing process to move on and write the next book in the series. I was supposed to take a break and write a horror novel, but the journey ahead in the Spinward Fringe is so compelling to me that I'm going to put that on hold and write another SF book as soon as Frontline is released.

More news coming soon!

RL

Spinward Fringe: Publisher Offers $3,500 US For Rights

Some writers dream of a publisher coming along and saying; "Hello! We want to buy your book! We'll publish them, you can do signings, get recognition for your work and be eligible for awards!"

To be honest, I wouldn't mind. Despite my love of being independent, able to do whatever I like on the page and release what I like where I want, when I want, the living isn't fantastic. I'm very thankful for the income and support I have, don't get me wrong, but even with stable EBook sales on one website (Mobipocket my books aren't actually popular anywhere else), I'm barely making a living. Amazon sales are nonexistent (literally, I sold one book last week. Hope you're enjoying that Jason! Thanks for picking it up!). Aside from that I haven't been able to get a single vendor for IPhone EBooks to pick up the First Light Chronicles or Spinward Fringe series. Most of them just ignore my emails.

Now, I'm not belly aching, like I said, I make a very small living that's provided to me by Mobipocket customers and a couple of donators to whom I'm so thankful I can't put it into words, you make it possible to do this full time. I'm just explaining what was behind me responding to an email from a publisher yesterday (after the announcement that my science fiction books took the top 4 spots in Mobipocket's Science Fiction section yesterday, again, thank you Mobipocket and even more; thank you readers!!).

I replied to their email and got a call from one of their account reps, who put the offer on the table. I thought that was a little unussual, to be honest. Normally an offer on a book or a series takes a bit longer, or so I thought. According to him that's not the way it works though, and after a little prodding I got a little more info and eventually he even sent me a proposal contract.

For legal reasons I won't post the publishers name or the contract online but I can tell you that the publisher was not in the US or world top 10, and I'll give you the gist of the contract:

They offered a $3,500.00 US dollar advance on the entire Spinward Fringe series that included Freeground, Limbo, Starfree Port (actually in the First Light Chronicles Series, which the publisher didn't seem to notice), Resurrection + Awakening (they refferenced the ISBN assigned to the combined book available through Amazon.com, so I'm assuming they consider this one volume, not two books), and Triton. The royalty they were offering was also very, very low but would grow as they sold more books to a size that I still thought was really very low, but not quite as bad. The contract included printed books, EBooks, Television, Film and all other resulting merchandise, so I'd really be selling all rights and control.

I would also be obligated to work with an editor on the existing work (how much revision they wanted wasn't mentioned), and they'd take over branding, the covers (which could be a good thing), and publicity.

You know, I'm not in great financial shape, it's true, but after looking at the contract I wouldn't give them the rights to ONE book for those terms, let alone the WHOLE SERIES! Not only that, but I would be surrending a great deal of creative control and if I'm not mistaken I'd have to submit the book I'm working on now (Spinward Fringe Frontline), to them for approval, editing and then they'd probably drag their feet on getting it to press and into Ebook format IF they wanted to publish it at all. People waiting for it now would most likely not see it for a year if it hit the market at all.

Aside from all that, I'd probably get that advance check and not see any more funds for a very long time, so I'd probably have to get a full time job again, which would take a lot of time away from my writing. Suffice it to say, I told politely told them that I wasn't interested and haven't heard a so much as a peep from them since.

Now, I realize that conventional publishers invest a lot of money in a book, that new authors are very high risk, and a lot of books that seem to do well still lose money or take a very long time to turn a profit. I'm not completely new to the publishing industry and I'm aware that offers, big and small, don't come often especially if the author doesn't have any kind of agency representation.

So, I'll say it now;

If there's a publisher or agent out there who can personally offer or get me a real, fair deal for the sale of any of these books and/or exclusive rights for development or publishing then I'll be happy to consider your fair offer. I'm a reasonable person, all I want is to see these books remain accessable to the public, reasonably priced, to maintain the creative freedom I need to tell a good story and I want to make enough to write full time, pay my bills and taxes. If they want to saddle me with an editor who can help me tell an even better story, or maybe suggest some good technical tune ups and tricks, that's fine too. I'm always looking to improve my craft.

I don't want awards, I don't want a mansion on the hill with two Ferrari's in the driveway, and I don't want someone to hold my hand while I'm writing or suggest sweeping revisions that make my work fit conventional moulds, even if it'll make the books more marketable. I get emails from people who enjoy my work on a weekly basis, I sell just enough to survive and have a couple of people who have so much faith in me that they donate some of their hard earned money, and I have the most intelligent, emotionally invested editor I could dream of.

Spinward Fringe Frontline will be out in April, the momentum, the story, and the readers demand it. You'll see that book on Mobipocket, maybe even on Amazon.com.

RL

P.S.

I'm all right with not being wealthy, I'm also all right with never getting another offer again as long as I have the support of my readership. I owe everything to them and truly believe that if I remember them I'll make the right decisions creatively and monetarily. Please voice your opinion of this situation below, I'd like to hear your comments.