Author Topic: The Gift of a Stranger  (Read 12442 times)

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Offline ScottyDM

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The Gift of a Stranger
« Reply #25 on: June 09, 2005, 10:40:06 pm »
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
"I'm obnoxious and disliked, you know that, sir." John Adams, 1776 the Musical

Offline JonaWolf

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The Gift of a Stranger
« Reply #26 on: June 21, 2005, 09:49:14 pm »
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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?


It would probably be lumped in under general sci-fi, which as you know, can cover just about anything.

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...In short, does anthrofiction have a place in commercial publishing?...


That is a difficult question to answer. Most anthrofiction is, as you mentioned, directed towards kids and the YA market. Few commercially published examples that I have come across are directed solely at an adult audience. If they are, they usually have a fairly heavy sci-fi or fantasy theme to them.

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Have you seen Cirrel's stuff? Sci-fi. But it's a heck of a piece of anthrofiction.


Yes I have. Great stuff and one of a handful of stories that I keep an eye on.

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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...


It will be finished, believe me on that point. I've made a promise to myself and my readers to follow WRC through to its eventual conclusion.

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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...

...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...


Interesting concept and kudos for you for thinking of ways to approach it. Money and experience are considerable problems but I also wonder how one would go about trying to market a purely anthrofiction category? It seems to me that there would be a fairly limited number of readers for something like that (unless one can find a way to entice some of the sci-fi and fantasy readers to try out the new category). Mind you I do find it a tantalizing concept...

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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...


I'm flattered that you think it's good enough for that and believe me Scotty, I wish I had the money to find out as well. If someone managed to sell 15,000 copies of a book I wrote I'd be absolutely amazed.

As far as publishing goes, WRC is not the story that I hold the most hope for in that respect. I think that both Wolf River and The Gift of a Stranger far surpasses it in quality. However, once WRC is finally finished (and re-written another twenty or so times), who knows?

Anyways got to get back to work. I look forward to any further thoughts and comments Scotty...
I let my mind wander once, but it never came back...

Offline JonaWolf

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The Gift of a Stranger
« Reply #27 on: October 10, 2005, 09:27:29 pm »
Finally, a new chapter of The Gift of a Stranger! I know there's afew people out there that have been waiting eagerly for this one. '<img'>

Darker and more sinsiter than anything I think I've written to date you can find the new chapter here... Chapter 5

I look forward to any questions/comments/feedback that anyone has...
I let my mind wander once, but it never came back...

Offline cougar2k2

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The Gift of a Stranger
« Reply #28 on: August 20, 2006, 10:32:29 pm »
Great chapter Jona I have my own ideas of what might be happening in coming chapter which we have already chatted about but I will be eagerly awaiting the coming chapters to see how close or far off my predictions will be.  Also you seem to have the suspense part of writing pretty much mastered, which is a bad thing for us readers  '<img'>  Once again great chapter and keep them coming.
One by one the yard gnomes are stealing my sanity...

Offline JonaWolf

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The Gift of a Stranger
« Reply #29 on: December 12, 2007, 11:11:48 pm »
It's been one hell of a long time but chapter 7 of The Gift of a Stranger is finally ready for reading.

Check it out here.

I'm really starting to like where this story is going.  '<img'>
I let my mind wander once, but it never came back...

Offline cougar2k2

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The Gift of a Stranger
« Reply #30 on: December 16, 2007, 12:32:30 am »
Wow, before I read the new chapter I had to go back and reread the previous two to get a sense of what was going on first.

I would agree with you there Jona on I like how the story is progressing so far and can't wait to see how it developes in the coming chapters.  I'm still anticipating a breakout or the hopeful/eventual(?) meeting between Annayah and the human. Also at least we now know why Hagarth hate human so much.  I can't blame him to much either.  Anyway great job and keep it up.  I'll talk to you later.
One by one the yard gnomes are stealing my sanity...

Offline Crash

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The Gift of a Stranger
« Reply #31 on: January 07, 2008, 12:31:31 pm »
Wow, that's definitely a tense chapter. I can't wait to read what the stranger says to the Captain and also how Annayah plans to crawl her way out of this one. :O
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Offline JonaWolf

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The Gift of a Stranger
« Reply #32 on: January 19, 2008, 12:01:41 pm »
Crash!

Yes, a tense chapter, but just wait till you see what's coming in the pages ahead.  '<img'>

Annayah and the human are going to have to uncertain times indeed. The Captain will make sure of that...

This story is  a lot of fun to write. There's more characters and more things I can do to them. '<img'>

Thnaks for the comments Crash and cougar2k2.
I let my mind wander once, but it never came back...