On Professional Publishing
As you know, I'm writing a story. Or maybe I should say a story series. Quality issues aside, I probably could get mine published as "cyberfiction" or "cyberpunk" or some such rot--that is once I figure out who I'm writing for (YA (young adult), adult, or whatever) and what format to put it in (a series of novellas, or a few novels). So it doesn't really fit in any categories yet, and having anthros as the main characters (even if they are just avatars) kind of confuses people like editors. Add to the mix that my story has elements of romance and fantasy all with a sci-fi background (the "cyberpunk" junk) and I mentioned the furry bits... right? So what is it?
Maybe "anthrofiction" should be a category down at the bookstore. There is plenty of anthrofiction in bookstores today, it's just that it is hidden away in other categories: Mostly as sci-fi (Wookies and Ewoks) and fantasy (Centaurs and Were-whatnots). Unfortunately, if you want to write "pure" anthrofiction you either have to be named Richard Bach, or you have to write for kids (the YA market).
There is a rumor that a mainline publisher is interested in Zig Zag, the Story, but I'm wondering how they will market it. In short, does anthrofiction have a place in commercial publishing?
Have you seen Cirrel's stuff? He's completed two novel-length stories and is halfway through a third. What I've read looks good enough to publish now--as sci-fi. Psionics and genetically engineered anthros with humans on a planet other than Earth. Sci-fi. But it's a heck of a piece of anthrofiction. I don't know if he's trying to sell it.
Then I see something like Wild Rose Country (oopsie, I'm in the wrong forum thread, but I'll forge ahead) and I'm excited by the possibility the story holds. Of course I don't know if it will be finished, or if the overall story will be compelling enough, but from what I do know--I'd like to see it professionally published.
Anthrofiction, it should be a category down at the bookstore.
So I'm wondering... Do I have the guts to do that? Create a category? Not only am I writing, but I'm learning about the book industry.
Part of my motivation is to get my own Bot Story series published as I've envisioned it. But I suspect I'll either have to have a handful of other books published first (to give me leverage) or I'll have to do it myself. Which typically means self-publishing (forget vanity press and POD, they can be toxic to any writer's career).
Self publishing. {rolls eyes} Yea. But if I want to create a category, I can't do it alone. Plus if it's worth doing, it's worth doing big. The problem is money, and experience--or really just money because experience can be bought (consultants). How much money? And what would I do with it?
The second question is easy, create an anthrofiction focused small press, then sell the heck out of the concept of anthrofiction. To make it real, I'd prefer to start with someone else's work.
Keep in mind that I currently have no money and no connections.
I've read that at Baen, they calculate they need to sell a minimum of 15,000 copies of a work as a mass-market paperback just to break even. I ask myself, "Could I sell at least 15,000 copies of something like Wild Rose Country?" I'd probably want to sell at least double that, but could I?
I wish I had the money to find out.
Damn, now I've gone and said it publicly...
Scotty