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.

Mobipocket: Randolph Lalonde Takes Top 4 In Science Fiction

This doesn't happen often to self published authors. I've actually never seen it happen anywhere before, or even heard of it to be honest. I was more than happy to see that The First Light Chronicles Omnibus has been holding at number five site wide on Mobipocket.

To see all of my science fiction novels take over the top four spots in the Science Fiction section of Mobipocket is a huge deal to me. This is despite the recent release of two Star Trek Novels, another very heavily advertised Space Opera series (advertised by Mobipocket, actually), and numerous other works backed by huge publishing companies with big advertising budgets.

I honestly think that this is an important victory, and not because it means more money (I live on about $600.00 a month including donations, which is sustainable for me and I don't think placing high on Mobipocket will change that, but it will probably help maintain it), but because these sales are a direct result of the readers spreading the word about the books. This achievement is a reward for you as much as it is for me, possibly more so.

So while we're all looking at that screen shot, I'd like to take the opportunity to once again thank Mobipocket for allowing self published authors to use their site as a home for their works, and I'd especially like to thank everyone who enjoys my work and who spreads the word to readers who are like minded enough to come aboard.

My dream of telling a good story, of writing full time and entertaining people is coming true in little important steps. With a big, silly grin and a tear or two all I can say is;

Thank you!

RL

Back to work!

The Virtual Book Tour: What the hell is it?

If you look as confused and irritated as the guy to the left, I understand. Until just a few months ago I didn't know what a virtual book tour was either and when I heard about it I didn't really catch on at first.

It's pretty simple really. A virtual book tour is where an author who has a blog is invited to post on someone else's blog, do interviews on other podcasts and even appear on camera in some way or another.

The benefits of such appearances is a moderate to large boost in visits to the host's sites and a bit of publicity for the author. All in all, since the blog community thrives on cross linking to other blogs it really benefits everyone.

The difference between the way I'm doing it and the way publishing companies do it is that I'm willing to appear on anyone's blog this time around. I don't care if you get 10 hits a month or 100,000 hits a day, I'll be happy to answer any non-spoiler questions you have (Please keep it to around a dozen unless you want to do an audio interview), and all I ask is that if you have a text blog you allow me to schedule it.

So, when will this virtual book tour begin? That depends on how many destinations I get and how long it takes to gather and coordinate them. I won't start the book tour until I have 7 destinations, and the schedule along with links to the sites and podcasts I'll be appearing on/in will appear here so you can follow me from place to place.

No destination is too small and as long as your site is suitable for teens and older I'll be willing to answer some questions or write on a topic that you request (hopefully you request a topic I know something about). If you're at all interested in me doing something for your site or podcast, drop me an email with your weblink and idea.

RL

Spinward Fringe Frontline: The End Is Nigh!

Before I get into the main topic of this post, thank you to everyone who voted for the cover of the upcoming Spinward Fringe book: Frontline. You can still vote above (as of the time of this posting), and look at the different choices here. You don't have that much time left, however, since I'm almost finished writing this book.

For the first time since I started writing religously at the beginning of 2008 I've spent a massive chunk of time on just one book. This novel has been months in the making and it's size, complexity, setting and characterization are made to show it. As of this morning Frontline grew to a size larger than the entire First Light Chronicles Omnibus, and that's after I pulled about 20 pages that I didn't think had a place in this book. (Some of that stuff will appear in the next book).

The crazy thing is I'm about to start work on the ending today, so it's going to grow. The story in this volume is advancing further in this one book than in any of the others. I won't lie to you, I love writing in this setting, I enjoy the characters, and this story is as addictive to me as it is to anyone out there, probably more so.

Once I finish writing this draft I'll start polishing the work, and thankfully that won't take nearly as long as it has to write it (over four months). If all turns out well with the ending and I get the thumbs up from my editor and test readers (you know who you are!), this book could be out within a month in EBook format. I would like to say that I'm sorry this book took so long, but to be honest I'm not. This kind of book, with it's interwoven plotlines, sensitive timelines, high adventure and characterization that demands attention and detail takes time, and when you read it I hope you feel that it was worth the wait.

What's the plan after I finish this book?

I'm going to take a few weeks off to write a few short stories, develop another book and then it's straight back into the next Spinward Fringe Broadcast. Plans are quickly coming together for the next few parts of this series, and as long as there's a demand for them I'll keep turning them out to the absolute best of my ability. Oh, and expect at least one of those short stories to be available here for free.

Thank you very much for reading, waiting and passing the word. Without you this book would have never happened the same way. It's time to get back to work.

RL

Calling All Readers! Choose The Next Spinward Fringe Cover!

With the impending completion of Spinward Fringe Frontline I've come to a point where I can't decide which cover I want to go with; the red lettering or the blue lettering. There's a third option that I'm really not sure of, but I find it striking. That is a cover featuring Ayan.

So, I put the question to you, dear readers and friends: which cover do you like best? It's important to know that this is a professional decision, and the final tally of the vote on the day of release will determine what cover I go with! It's simply not up to me anymore, it's all you. Keep in mind that whatever you choose will be seen by literally thousands of people across the globe, no pressure.

So vote once, then get your friends to vote once even if they don't know anything about the series, this is a purely aesthetic decision at this point. Thank you for your help on this and for your support thus far.

I'm enjoying writing the third act of Spinward Fringe Frontline and I can't wait until everyone gets a chance to sink their teeth into this book!

The voting booth is at the top of this page and the choices are:
Planet Cover With Blue Lettering
Planet Cover With Red Lettering
Ayan Cover With Blue Lettering
Ayan Cover With Red Lettering























I look forward to seeing the results!

RL

One more thing: Don't worry about Ayan's hair colour.

Spinward Fringe: Over 1400 Books Sold

Pictured Above: Ayan, by Marc Froment

I know, in the publishing world selling fourteen hundred books doesn't count for much at all, but as an independent author with no advertising budget it's a real big milestone. Here's the interesting part; over twelve hundred of those books were sold on MobiPocket. I owe a lot to that site. They didn't give me preferential treatment, I didn't get onto their front page unless I was out selling other books honestly, and they didn't give me a banner or other special real estate on their pages unless one of my books earned its way there.

Mobipocket did, however, give me the opportunity to post my work on their site. Then some of my fans (as few as they were back then), posted reviews and thanks to that some of the science fiction fans on MobiPocket noticed my work. From there things started to grow, and since August the First Light Chronicles Omnibus has held the number one spot in the Science Fiction section. For that I only have the readers to thank, and boy am I thankful! Only one book has sold through Amazon.com, but I'm hoping that will pick up in time.

It's important to mention people who go the extra mile before I go on; the donators, of which there have been three very minor ones and one very major. These people's donations go towards computer repair, sending promotional copies of books out to reviewers (SomaCow being a great example), and this month's donation will be going to next month's groceries.

I also have to thank the few fans I have the pleasure of seeing aboard. What do I consider a fan? Well, that's simple. A fan is someone who posts a review on Amazon.com, Mobipocket.com or on their blog with a link leading back to my site. I also consider people who donate (even a little), and people who take the time to send in an email with their opinion on something in the books. Geoff, J and Ross of SomaCow are fans (especially considering the great efforts they put in to pull more aboard!), Dee is a fan, Neil is a fan (Dee and Neil's reviews can be seen on the First Light Chronicles listing on MobiPocket along with a few others) and anyone whose bought the First Light Chronicles and all the Spinward Fringe books are fans. Also, anyone who tells someone else they're a fan is a fan. It's not a very exclusive club, and membership is as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be and I am truly greatful to each and every one of you for buying the books, enjoying yourselves, supporting me and spreading the word!

For anyone who is curious, 194 people have purchased all the science fiction books released in 2008. That's the First Light Chronicles Series (either seperately or in the Omnibus), and the Spinward Fringe Series. Looking at that number, even though it's small by modern publishing standards, reminds me daily of how many people who have followed me and my characters through this turmultuous journey thus far. I have very good news for all of you: This is where it gets interesting. Just look at the next book; Spinward Fringe Frontline.

Spinward Fringe Frontline is taking a long time to write and I can tell you why. There is room for the characters to develop, villains finally tell a major part of the story and the plot moves with the overwhelming violence and speed of an avalanche. Until now I've kept a few notes on the technology and characters, but with the increase of scope and activity in this book it's been nessisary to begin work on an actual encyclopedia (currently named OMGENCYCLOPEDIA), just to keep track of the developments in this book and how they're attached to previous work. My goal is to provide a new example of what a true, complete Space Opera is in one book. Thank God I thrive on ambition. So far I'm very happy with how this book is turning out and I can't wait to see it finished even though I still have a lot of work to do yet.

A word about Spinward Fringe Triton: A week after the book was released the emails started coming in about this book. Fully a quarter of the people who purchased this volume sent emails in, and none of them had a single negative thing to say. That book brought many people to tears, got them funny looks on the tube as they laughed aloud, and left them feeling as though there was great promise for more at the end. To be honest, that's exactly the kind of journey I had while writing it, so I couldn't have been happier at its reception. On the other hand, I believe that every book has to equal or surpass the last, so I when I think of Triton I immediately think of the challenge I face in Spinward Fringe Frontline and how well I'll have to develop that book for it to be a worthy volume.

Moving on...

As if you couldn't already tell, my Muse is my only mistress. Writing is what I love to do above all else, and even though 1400 books sold over a five month period barely provides a living, I'll take living on the absolute minimum and being able to write full time over working a job I hate and having more money than one person generally needs. At one time I got a hell of a rush from playing drums in front of hundreds (thousands once), of people but these days I feel really high when I know I've had an emotional affect on someone. I wouldn't trade this for anything, and you people make it possible. If you keep spreading the word there's no telling what could happen.

Now, back to work on Spinward Fringe Frontline.

RL

Feel free to leave a comment here about the portrait of Ayan above, I'm sure Marcus would love the feedback. Just don't mention the hair colour...

Wondering What I'm Up To? Follow Me On Twitter

A lot of people are eagerly awaiting the release of Spinward Fringe Frontline and what I can tell you right now is that I'm working to write a fantastic story. I can't release the book yet, it's still in the works, but one thing you can do it satisfy your curiosity by following me through your Twitter account or by looking at the upper right hand corner of my Night By Night Blog.

At first I wasn't sure how much I'd like this social networking tool, but I decided to give it a fair shake and before long I was interacting with two of the guys from SomaCow, keeping a few fans current on what was going on, updating my status on Facebook and keeping a mini-journal of my writing habits all at the same time. Now, I'm generally no big fan of social networking tools, but this one does help me keep everyone aware that Spinward Fringe Frontline is in the works and I'm enjoying the writing. It's an uncommon reassurance, and sometimes I wish that George RR Martin or any of my other favourite authors used such things. It might also be interesting to see what someone like George Lucas, Joss Whedon or Eric Kripke (creator of Supernatural), was up to from day to day.

So, my life may not be nearly as interesting as the entertainment icons listed above but if you want to know more about what I'm up to and how Spinward Fringe Triton is coming along from one day to the next, Twitter is the most direct way!

For those of you who don't have Twitter and don't want to sign up, I'll have an update on how things are going with the latest Spinward Fringe book right here tomorrow, so stay tuned...

RL