What’s Next?

Pilgrimage — A Novel of the Sovereign Era, the second volume of the Charters Duology and the third book of the Sovereign Era cycle, is in the hands of the copy editor. I’m done writing the thing; it’s all cleanup at this point.

The revised, expanded edition of Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era is likewise complete, with the paperback edition weeks away from hitting the market. It’s time for me to think about what’s next for me, creatively.

Astute readers will remember that I laid out my creative content plans for 2013 back in January. You don’t have to be particularly astute to recognize, however, that those plans have suffered the same fate the best laid plans oft do. A flu in February, the ever-present need to pursue freelance creative services gigs, editing going slower than I’d planned… when I’d laid out the year in January, this isn’t where I’d hoped to be in May.

I’m hitting re-set, and I’m looking for your input. First, the re-set:

What’s Next For The Rest of 2013

Here’s what I hope to accomplish in the rest of the year:

Next On Deck

In the immediate future we have…

Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era Revised and Expanded Edition Paperback

I’m shooting for a street date of May 28 or June 4. The paperback is designed and laid out; one more editing pass and I’ll be ordering a proof.

Pre-orders will start very soon… stay tuned. If you are a patron of the Pilgrimage Kickstarter campaign, you’ll have the opportunity to order an autographed copy for 50% off the retail price. If you’re on my mailing list, I’ll have a pre-order deal for you, too!

Pilgrimage — A Novel of the Sovereign Era Ebook Pre-Order

As with the revised and expanded Brave Men Run, Pilgrimage will be available in ebook formats a few weeks before the print edition is out. I’m hoping to start pre-orders toward the end of May!

If you’re on my mailing list, you’ll have the opportunity to pre-order at a discount. If you’re a patron of the Kickstarter campaign, you’ll receive your patron questionnaire somewhere around the end of the month so I can get the ebook bundle to you if you’re eligible.

An Updated Brave Men Run Podcast

The free podcast edition of Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era was recorded and released between September of 2005 and May of 2006. It no longer reflects the revised / expanded edition of the book, and it’s not representative of the work. It needs to go.

I don’t think it’s worth the time it would take to re-record it. Instead, I’ll record new intro and outro material and re-package the existing audio content so that it’s clear to listeners that the podcast is, effectively, an abridged version of the novel.

This semi-new podcast edition will replace the existing version on Podiobooks.com if possible… if not, the Podiobooks.com version will go away and the free podcast will be available from this site.

The Abridged Free Podcast Edition of Pilgrimage

Similar to the revised, expanded edition of Brave Men Run, Pilgrimage is presented through the first-person point of view of Nate Charters and the third-person points of view of other characters. The podcast edition of Pilgrimage will be limited to the chapters told from Nate’s point of view.

I’ll start recording this in June. Hopefully it’ll be available by the end of that month, but that’s going to depend entirely on my free time.

Summer, 2013

I have a couple of small non-fiction projects planned for some time this summer, and I’d like to start a big, ongoing project as well. Let’s talk about the non-fiction stuff first. The big project… that’s the one I need your input on. Read on…

Reading The Amazing Spider-Man

The cover is done and all but the last few chapters of this critique of the first year of The Amazing Spider-Man comicbook (with an eye for writers and creators on how an endearing and enduring storyworld is created) are written.

The book covers the first twelve issues and the first annual and is based on the blog series of the same name. This will be released in ebook formats before the end of summer.

Crowdfunding For Indie Authors

As I’ve mentioned, I ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to produce Pilgrimage — A Novel of the Sovereign Era. I’ve officially and unofficially advised other writers and filmmakers on their own Kickstarter projects. This short book will outline my crowdfunding methodology and strategy in the hopes that others will find the information and advice useful in their own endeavor.

It’s outlined and about half written and the cover is done, and I’ll release it in ebook formats before the end of the summer.

Outline Daikaiju Planet

I really want to write a novel set in my Daikaiju Universe storyworld. I’ve got a trilogy worked out at the broad-strokes level. With Pacific Rim and the reboot of Godzilla on the horizon, it seems like a good time to flesh out the first volume. I’ll begin working on this in the summer. Ideally, I’ll start writing in the fall.

Fall / Winter

The last six months of the year will ideally be spent working on Daikaiju Planet and… well, we’ve come to it. The next is up to you. Let’s talk about that.

Free Serial Fiction: Help Me Decide What To Write

In a month or so, I’m going to start work on a serial fiction project. Each story arc will be presented in fifty two weekly installments of about a thousand words each, and distributed via email subscription.

The cost will be… whatever you feel like paying, beginning with and including nothing at all. I will ask for your email address and the permission to occasionally market other content, products and services to you.

That’s right. Weekly story content for a year, delivered via subscription, right to your inbox, for free if you want. After the annual arc is complete, I’ll package it up and offer it for sale in ebook and paperback formats and start a new free arc.

You Decide What Story I Should Tell

I have three different stories especially suited for presentation as a weekly serial. I’m equally fond of, and excited about, each one. And they’re as different as can be from one another.

So, taking a page from the playbook of my colleague, the indie author Jake Bible, I’d like to let you tell me which one I should do — and I’d like you to tell me what it is that excites you about your choice!

And your choices are:

Harry Turpin, Mystic Protector: Baby Blue

Exposed to the fact that magic is real, challenged by a legacy of duty… can regular guy Harry Turpin handle a dangerous responsibility and avoid the curse of insanity that runs in his family while facing down a vile threat to reality itself?

Set in my Protector storyworld, “Harry Turpin, Mystic Protector” is an urban fantasy / occult thriller with a hero who’s more like a much-less-dangerous Repairman Jack than a much-less-skillful Harry Dresden. But he’s the only guy for the job, all the same. You may have met Harry in my short story, “Cloak.”

Hazy Days and Cloudy Nights: How It All Got Started

On the edge of adulthood, a group of young friends is challenged with tragedy, betrayal, and the biggest choices of their lives while they figure out who they are and who they’re going to be.

Set in the Sovereign Era storyworld a year before the historic Donner Declaration and featuring Lina Porter, Carson Meunetti, and other characters from Brave Men Run and Pilgrimage, “Hazy Days and Cloudy Nights” is a New Adult retro drama for fans of Love and Rockets, Say Anything, or Ghost World. This serial will be a from-scratch re-boot of the previously unfinished version from 2009.

Walk Like A Stranger: Passing Through Home

All new priests of the Shaper of the World embark on a Walk, wandering the continent of Kaebrith “like a stranger,” observing and recording all they encounter to add to the repository of knowledge at the Library of Vale while gradually strengthening their own relationship with their god… and the formidable powers gained through that holy connection.

When his own Walk takes him through the village of his birth, can Tae Keb ignore the injustice and brutality of a local warlord, or will he abandon his god to save his home?

Set in my original fantasy storyworld The Shaper’s World, “Walk Like A Stranger” is a little like Kung Fu if Caine had wandered in Nehwon, or Westros, rather than the Old West.

What Sounds Good To You?

If you’d like to get new serial fiction installments from me every week for a year for FREE, I need you to tell me which of these three to write.

Rather than filling out a boring old poll, please leave your choice in the comments section… and know this: particularly impassioned comments might carry more weight than others… so don’t be shy about voicing your opinion!

I’ll consider comments / votes through the end of the month. If the response is… lackluster… well, I’ll know my community isn’t interested in free serial fiction by subscription from me after all, and I’ll move on!

Let’s assume the best, though! Thinking positively, at the beginning of June, I’ll announce the winner and start outlining the fifty two installments!

That’s What’s Next!

Thanks for helping me, in part, decide what’s next for me in 2013. I’m counting on your opinion… and be sure to spread the word, too!

This is a post from Matthew Wayne Selznick. Thanks for reading What’s Next? -- please click through and comment, and share with everyone you know!