Mechalarum Mini-Update

Haven't had much time to write here lately, as I'm working towards dedicating as many free moments as I can to Mechalarum. Two months might seem like a long time, but I don't want to take any chances. This is the point at which I'm realizing that putting out a novel is a monumentally enormous task, and that writing the first draft (at least for me) is only a tiny sliver of it. Luckily, I've got some great support people on my side to help keep me plugging away!

To make up for being AWOL, here's a cute picture of a puppy! Okay, so he's not technically a puppy anymore, but he is adorable :)

Writing About Crowdfunding for Authors with Buckell, Sullivan, Shvartsman, and More!

I recently received an awesome opportunity to share my thoughts about crowdfunding for authors on the SF Signal blog, along with some of the most interesting people currently pushing the boundaries of publication and promotion methods.

MIND MELD: What Crowd Funding SF/F Novels Means for Authors and Publishers

Excerpt:

"The introduction of crowdfunding is again upending the landscape, this time creating a natural vetting process; a success on a site like Kickstarter shows that an author is likely to have something other than the ability to type tens of thousands of words going for her. It’s never easy to judge how enjoyable a book by a first-time author will be, and crowdfunding provides a great tool to help good reads rise to the top."

The list of co-authors on the article really demonstrated how small the crowdfunded science fiction/fantasy author space is at the moment. I've actually been chatting with three of the eight other authors on the list, including...

Michael J. Sullivan, who recently concluded a thrilling Kickstarter campaign for his book Hollow World during which he raised more than 10 TIMES his funding target of $3,000 and blew through his stretch goals as if they were planets at the mercy of a Superlaser.