Newpub Talk Chaos

The Book Industry in Chaos

It's been obvious for a while now to anyone who's not chasing unicorns that the book industry is in chaos. The sworn testimony given by editors, authors, and agents in the Penguin Random House-Simon and Schuster merger trial revealed that only 10 percent of oldpub titles move more than 2,000…
August 22, 20244 Comments
Conveyor Belt rapid release

The Pros and Cons of Rapid Release

Because many of my valued neopatrons are newpub or newpub adjacent, my deep dive indie publishing tips usually get reserved for them. But every so often, I part the veil to give regular readers a glimpse of my patrons-only material. Today's post originated from a patron request to lay out…
August 21, 20241 Comment
Book Shelf

Why Authors Need Wide and Varied Influences

A big temptation for new authors is to immerse yourself in a narrow selection of books, often within the genre you're writing. You may feel that keeping exclusive focus on your genre will give you the best chance of mastering its conventions and satisfying your readers. But limiting your reading…
August 19, 20246 Comments

Why New Authors Should Master Genre Conventions Before Breaking Them

One of my cherished neopatrons called my attention to this post by The Brothers Krynn, which itself is a response to another piece by author JD Cowan. After spending some time retreading the "Are fantasy and sci fi separate genres?" debate, it brings up an issue that's running rampant among…
August 15, 20245 Comments
Venus Spectacular Thumbnail

Catch the Venus Spectacular

Attention, newpub boosters: We've got a special announcement for you this time. Because the Venus Spectacular by author Rawle Nyanzi is funding now on Kickstarter! How do you fight your best friend when you have no army? Natsuru Machida, the Chief Witch of Venus, went to visit Akane Isesaki, an…
August 9, 2024
Ayla Rin 1

Back The Hidden Emperor

The leading Hispanic voice in science fiction returns with a thrilling tale of intrigue, stolen identity, and blackmail ... in space! All that excitement and more awaits you in the pages of The Hidden Emperor! A brand-new sci fi graphic novel from Jon Del Arroz and Ms. Krimson! Ayla Rin,…
August 2, 2024
Gold Exigency

Wild Stars: The Gold Exigency – Now on Kickstarter!

Announcing the latest exciting crowdfunder from Cirsova: Michael Tierney's Wild Stars: The Gold Exigency With the price of gold crashing, the Artomiques find a new backing for earth's currency: gems harvested from an endangered alien race! Welcome to the 40th Anniversary of the world of Wild Stars! Thousands of years…
July 26, 2024
Editing

How to Edit Your First Draft

From time to time, I cross-post an item from the exclusive archives to give regular readers a sample of my insider content. If you find value in today's post, you can access weekly subscriber posts through my Patreon or SubscribeStar. You've completed the first full draft of your book. Congratulations! You've achieved what…
July 25, 2024
Phantom Mission

Author JD Cowan Announces Phantom Mission

Friend of the blog, author JD Cown announces his latest project, as well as his foray into neopatronage. Here's a taste of the excitement he has in store: Phantom Mission stars a team of four Mavericks, participants in the Outlaw Games, who are tasked with going to Peace Island to…
July 19, 2024
Writing: The Amateur vs the Professional Path

Writing: The Amateur vs the Professional Path

When new writers come to me for advice, I make a point of asking them one question: Why are you writing? That question catches most people off guard. The number of would-be authors who've never stopped to consider why they want to write is surprising. Because writing as a side…
July 12, 20246 Comments