Thursday, September 15, 2011

Coming Attractions

So, I made a decision earlier this summer to embark on the epublishing / self publishing path. I hold open the option to publish my novels the traditional way, but for the next twelve months, I'm going to concentrate on getting my work out there for public consumption.

This is something I've been thinking about for at least six months, and many factors went into this decision. First and foremost, I can't build an audience unless I give an audience something to read. Second, science fiction is a very small piece of the book/fiction market. Third, cyberspace is well-suited and better suited, for target marketing and genre fiction. Fourth, no matter the path we choose, marketing and building brand is still pushing a boulder uphill.

My first releases were at the end of June 2011, my free reads: Plantgirl, Translations and Small Graces. I did OK for not marketing them much besides some tweets here and there, my blog and my website. Most of the response was very positive and I made a few fans, more than I had before. Links for download can be found on my website: www.mpaxauthor.com, or on my blog: http://mpaxauthor.blogspot.com


So, I decided my next release would be Semper Audacia. As an ebook, I was no longer constrained by word count and blossomed this space opera story into a novelette. It'll be my first release on Amazon, and will also be released on Smashwords and B&N, same as the free reads. Semper just came back from the editor. Yea! I have very little to do to it, but I have to get the first three chapters of Stopover polished and get Semper formatted. I'm now setting a release date ... October 4th.




Alone. Leda is the last living member of the brigade, the sole defender of her world. War took everyone she knew, leaving her in the company of memories and ghosts. Or is it madness?

The siren blares. The enemy is coming. Or is it? The approaching vessel isn't a friendly design, but it answers with the correct code. Leda must figure out whether the arrival is reinforcements or the final assault. In an aging flyer, she ventures out to meet her world's fate, the last stand.







The release after Semper Audacia will be the first in a series of space opera novellas, Stopover at the Backworlds' Edge. I've completed the first draft and am polishing the first three chapters to add to the end of Semper Audacia. I also started on the first draft of the second novella in this series. I anticipate releasing Stopover by the end of this year. Yea!


 
Humanity, bioengineered humanity created to deal with different environments, has spread out to other stars and planets in the galaxy, called the Backworlds. In the far future Craze's Tavern sits on a backworld's backworld at the fringes of expansion. Last stop for one hundred fifteen light years, Pardeep Station is a heap of dust and little more.

The lepper opens, bringing in a ship that should no longer exist. Stamped with the Foreworlds' mark as if spoiling for battle yet the war ended two generations ago. The vessel drops off a Water-breather, a type of backworlder thought to be extinct. She brings rumors and subterfuge, danger and troubles. Craze knows he has stepped into her trap the moment she walks into his bar. His only hope is that it isn't too late to find a way out.



Still tweaking the blurb copy for Stopover and will be redoing the story trailer.

My most popular download has been Plantgirl. It won me my first fan when I read it at the library over a year ago. So based on that story, I'm creating a second series of novellas and am about halfway through the first draft of the first story. As of yet, it's untitled.


My goal is to get out two to three novellas in each series in the next twelve months. For special deals, sneak peeks and more, you can sign up for my newsletter.



If you'd like to help me promote my release, leave me a comment. :D

What about you? What career plans have you made?

~M. Pax
The stars are the beginning ...
website / blog

25 comments:

  1. So nice to see a fellow science fiction writer keeping the field alive with new ideas and tales, instead of the generic, written-by-committee fluff on the shelves.

    Glad to see you getting your stuff out.

    What would you say has been the most difficult part of the process? Editing? Rewriting? Marketing? Coming up with new ideas for sequels?

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  2. Formatting? lol Having to deal with crappy reviews is tough. Waiting on the piece to come back from the editor so I could set release date was tough.

    Marketing will be pushing a boulder uphill, I know. But I'm prepared for that.

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  3. That's fantastic, congratulations!! I'd love to help promote the book, what would you like bloggers to do? Whatever I can do to help, I'm in. :)

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  4. Julie, you're fab. I'll be in touch with you. Thanks!

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  5. Congrats! That's terrific news. And I love your covers. I'm not a sci-fi fan really, but just based on your covers and blurbs your books sound great.

    My blog is always open to friends looking for an interview or guest blog, etc. And I know a friend who highlights Sci-Fi authors. Email me if you're interested. ;)

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  6. Congratulations! That's exciting that you have decided your path. I can't wait to read it - and will definitely mention it to friends. I can't wait to hear how it goes.

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  7. Thank you J.D. Will be emailing you.

    And thank you, Tonja. I'm really excited. Too excited to sleep. lol

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  8. This is fantastic news, Mary. You are plugging right along. So happy for you. I'll help promote in anyway possible. Just shoot me an email when you are ready.

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  9. I don't have a "writers" blog, but if I can help promote the release in any way, just give a holler! You know I'm cheering you on. :-)

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  10. You got beautiful artwork on those books too. I'll check them out.

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  11. Hi,

    I can't say I'm not a fan of Sci-Fi because I loved the TV series Farscape and Voyager series. Kind of liked Star Trek, but found it a bit cheesy at times. I'm not one for reading Sci-Fi novels, but will when it comes to a fellow writer! The blurb sounds fascinating. ;)

    Good for you in going the Indie e-book route. I've thrown out two historical novellas/novelettes: whichever one cares to call them. They're selling better than expected with no advertising as such. But I don't think a bogsplash Talli Roland style would work for me: not enough followers nor interest in historicals on my section of the blogosphere.

    I'm happy to post up info once you go live on Kindle etc! Just shout!!! ;)

    best
    F

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  12. Thank you, Retta and Francine. I'll be in touch. :)

    Thanks @ the covers, Michael. I had purchased the artwork for the videos. My video gal helped me with the designs. Well, I'm off to get at my editing.

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  13. Thank you, Miranda. Will try to get all this organized over the weekend ... if I don't freeze to death. It's really chilly here today. I'll be digging out winter sweaters to wear to the observatory tonight and all of my thermals.

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  14. Congrats!! So thrilled for you Mary!! You know I'll be lining up to buy the first one, not just the freebies. You go girl.

    Next,let's get those freebies uploaded to Wicked for you on FB -- even more exposure!

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  15. free reads are great. going to check out Plantgirl now.

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  16. Thanks, Alex, CJ and Pope. :) I'll get at it next week, CJ.

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  17. All I can say is "YAY!" I'll be watching for Semper. And I'm headed over to your web site to look for Plantgirl, somehow I missed that one.

    Thanks for sharing the news!

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  18. Thank you, Allan. :D I hope you'll like Semper.

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  19. 'for the next twelve months, I'm going to concentrate on getting my work out there for public consumption.'

    I think absolutely nothing but good can come from this choice.

    You strike me as the kind of woman who would never enter into a decision such as this one without the proper deliberation and all I can say is that I fully support you in it.

    I'm excited to see what will come of your branching out in this way. It's entrepreneurial and visionary and I wouldn't be surprised if a 'traditional' contract were born out of it. Though 'traditional' is undergoing a massive quake, even as we make our best-laid plans.

    Onward, my friend and colleague.

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  20. We all have our own paths and we will all decide what is right for us. This is right for me at this time.

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  21. Good job, Mary! I'm looking forward to Oct. 4 :)

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  22. Congrats...and science fiction is something I dig...have already downloaded your free reads ...plan to read them this weekend. Would love to buy your book...don't have many blog followers but could post on twitter and facebook for you...got friends out there who may like to read fresh/new authors.

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