Evolutionary Plume

Thoughts about Publishing

Everyone has asked me, when am I going to get around to publishing? The answer isn't easy. One must first find a publisher. I know that I can self-publish, but that doesn't mean anything at all to me. I have already read my books seven or eight times and enjoyed them thoroughly even if the read generated changes. The books aren't changing any more. I suppose that means they are ready for publication.

The process of finding a publisher is not an easy one. They look at voice and say, wow, never heard this voice before, who are you, why should I care, why should anyone care, assuming they think it is fun and exciting and a trip never taken before which I have tried to provide. I have been working on who I am and why should others care from many directions based on suggestions of friends who let some of my answers stay around online, although it seems every time I am ready to send the material out, someone takes it down or other random erratic effect of the universe happens, like attempted murders and adopted children and moving across the country and such.

Who I am is about my credentials, the reliablility of my research, the scope of what I have written.  So I have tried different genres i.e. poetry, articles, short stories, flash fiction and looked at different markets. Pay makes a difference. And with science fiction, the issue of research and credentials is essential so I have followed advice and am working on a Masters degree, well, at least two Masters degrees--one for writing and the other at the moment with Political Science and Anthropology classes.

More often then not, attempts at helping me have all been directed toward saying go away, there are published authors writing. Ha Ha. I did know that.

But I was also told that the demand for materials exceeds what publishers receive that they think are publishable quality. Anyone want to tell me who, so I can save some time? The downturn in the economy has affected this to some degree.

Oh, and I am picky. Who I am is also about what I write. My voice. It is mine. It won't change. I can change it--just buy hormones or something so I grow a beard or lose three inches or gain 700 pounds, but then it is not me (read the preceding blog to know more). And it is about my content. So matching a publisher to my voice and my content is not as easy as it could be.

Then, there's the whole industry collapse and regeneration and ... well, in the US they are encouraging everyone to e-publish to save paper and production costs and everything, while in Europe, the latest craze is PocketBooks that has opened dozens of stores to sell cheap paperback books! Hmm. Not E?

And then there is what I want. Which is the best I can get--I am human, but also something that doesn't defeat my intent to continue to write by overpaying and publicizing my sale and then not getting the projected sales.  So after wanting to get the best--which is all the same thing when it comes to contract with a given percentage and a breakdown of sales and rights and obligations and an amount of money that seals the deal (this I don't care the amount since what I want is readership),

the next thing I want is an understandable working relationship that:

1) provides a knowledgeable, helpful, polite, honest guide

2) has a professional working web site as a publisher or agent of more than one book,  where my book will be found (no sites that have bad certificates, give visitors viruses, or have incoherent links or make derogatory remarks)

3) sells books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other web sites you can reach via their web site

4) provides a mockup of the book that I can use to get endorsements and reviews and for pre-publication proofs

5) will publish the book with an ISBN number

6) will publish in electronic as well as book form

7) is a SFWA publisher

8) is able to support a developing writer (i.e. multiple books at assumed increasing sales)

9) has helpful contacts

In looking at the publishing industry, I wonder why there are so many publication lines and so little connection to the slot on the bookshelf at Amazon or the book store directly and why the person that you interview with has so little connection to being the one that provides the above.

I still believe that my best starting publication would still be my dinosaur tales and I have a plan for that which hopefully will begin next year as part of a Master's degree program but until that comes about I will still work on the sale of my first novel for which I have a few publishers in mind to try, I've only sent it to three so far.

Thoughts About Writing Literature and Science Fiction

I seem to have been on a journey to discover what I think about many items. Lately, it seems that I have been questioned about what writing science fiction is all about. Again and again it returns to the idea that science fiction should be something almost handed from alien beings, so startling and all amazing that it will set politicians to changing their governments, scientists to changing science, workers to learning new skills, and everyone goes for a fantastic journey never seen before and then have a fabulous time.

So what do I think?

First and foremost, science fiction is literature. It is a reflection of an individual, a society, a world. It touches the senses, leads to new thoughts or understandings, and is aware enough of humananity at any level to be seen to contain truth.

So what is science fiction?

Well, it is literature. It uses science, and scientific concepts to help convey understanding about some idea to the reading audience. It often has one or more characters that is a scientist and/or uses the scientific method to solve problems. It many times proposes different solutions to human, animal, social or world problems.

Some say that that science should be about the latest, hottest new development on the scientific publication stream to help share to others of the most knowledgeable what is available but in an entertaining mode so that at a quick read, one gets the gist and therefore can skip plugging away through all the science books, science museums, science lectures, new science concepts and pow, have a grand fun time. As if it could. Sort of like the 400 words or less science articles that merely tease us all and never answer all our questions.

So why would a science fiction writer want to sell a book to the people who have worked for years in the field and expect to teach them something new? Well, for one, most scientists can barely keep up with all the developments of their own field and barely touch other fields. For two, in creating a science fiction world, if you just look at one aspect of science, your world looks dull or lopsided because scientific development goes in waves -- i.e. one development in one area kicks off similar developments in other waves. For three, science fiction can propose trends, invention lines, question practices and warn of problems, corruption, dangers and more. But still and all, it is a very small market compared to all the readers in the world.

So should science fiction writers try to teach those who don't have a science background something about science? Isn't that the role of teachers? And if not, what if they teach the wrong thing, does anyone dare to let that happen, with the result that youth will have their heads screwed up? That sort of implies that they aren't questioning, thinking, researching, scientific minded beings. Ooops. Surely the world isn't that bad. And do the teachers and books and museums have the power to take their audience on that ultimate ride that literature does?

After all, reading and writing are always about representing reality, the testing always occurs in the mind of the reader. So I am back at the point that science fiction is literature, the literature of now, this world, this future, the future that many of us are trailing behind the leaders that have dedicated all their lives to defining. Including moms, including, high school students, college students, professors ... everyone and anyone that wants to take the ride. It may take the reader to other worlds, but they all have the science of our universe.

So should science fiction be only for those looking for the ultimate high of learning the latest about the latest? Many college students graduate after taking their one required science class. Many college students with a bachelor of science, have only had 25 credits at most of any other science and varying levels of math--some college students graduate with a high school equivalency of math. Many do not have the money or time to take more classes in math or science. Do they not deserve a science fiction novel about evolutionary theory?  Or macroeconomics (not a requirement at all but a college undergraduate option) ? Or bioengineering? Or psychology? or statistics?

Should science fiction be scary?

Yes, and no. The use of science shouldn't be scary, the potential for danger in any profession should always be examined. Many science fiction stories bridge/d the gaps between science and those who wish to know more. Many science fiction stories bridge/d the gaps between others who think from many different modes of thought.

Should science fiction have an authoritative, professorial voice? Why? Those sorts have already taken the journey, why not take someone who isn't on the professional scientist journey by letting them step in the footsteps of people, ordinary people, like girls, mothers, artist, factory workers, plumbers, stock market analysts by letting them feel safe with their identification with one or more characters and letting them learn in a safe manner something new. Same goes for other ethnic groups and locations for placing the novel. It is not uncommon for students to study in other countries, for a pipe to break in China, France or Africa, or for the poor to want to learn more about the world. Why should they be denied college and then denied the right to read something understandable about science that they don't know, just because the latest hot discovery about black holes requires a 15 system of equation model (greatly simplified) that even the physicists (i.e. Einstein) have to ask the  mathematicians for help defining?

Now that sounds likes so much fun. Oh yeah, and the ride should take you someplace new and exciting and unimagined.

Well, that is all of my thoughts on this topic for the moment.

 

Thoughts About Writing Literature and Science Fiction

I seem to have been on a journey to discover what I think about many items. Lately, it seems that I have been questioned about what writing science fiction is all about. Again and again it returns to the idea that science fiction should be something almost handed from alien beings, so startling and all amazing that it will set politicians to changing their governments, scientists to changing science, workers to learning new skills, and everyone goes for a fantastic journey never seen before and has a fabulous time.

So what do I think?

First and foremost, science fiction is literature. It is a reflection of an individual, a society, a world. It touches the senses, leads to new thoughts or understandings, and is aware enough of humananity at any level to be seen to contain truth.

So what is science fiction?

Well, it is literature. It uses science, and scientific concepts to help convey understanding about some idea to the reading audience. It often has one or more character that is a scientist and/or uses the scientific method to solve problems. It many times proposes different solutions to human, animal, social or world problems.

Some say that that science should be about the latest, hottest new development on the scientific publication stream to help share to others of the most knowledgeable what is available but in an entertaining mode so that at a quick read, one gets the gist and therefore can skip plugging away through all the science books, science museums, science lectures, new science concepts and pow, have a grand fun time. As if it could. Sort of like the 400 words or less science articles that merely tease us all and never answer all our questions.

So why would a science fiction writer want to sell a book to the people who have worked for years in the field and expect to teach them something new? Well, for one, most scientists can barely keep up with all the developments of their own field and barely touch other fields. For two, in creating a science fiction world, if you just look at one aspect of science, your world looks dull or lopsided because scientific development goes in waves -- i.e. one development in one area kicks off similar developments in other waves. For three, science fiction can propose trends, invention lines, question practices and warn of problems, corruption, dangers and more. But still and all, it is a very small market compared to all the readers in the world.

So should science fiction writers try to teach those that don't have a science background something about science? Isn't that the role of teachers? And if not, what if they teach the wrong thing, does anyone dare to let that happen, with the result that youth will have their heads screwed up? That sort of implies that they aren't questioning, thinking, researching, scientific minded beings. Ooops. Surely the world isn't that bad. And do the teachers and books and museums have the power to take their audience on that ultimate ride that literature does?

After all, reading and writing are always about representing reality, the testing always occurs in the mind of the reader. So I am back at the point that science fiction is literature, the literature of now, this world, this future, the future that many of us are trailing behind the leaders that have dedicated all their lives to defining. Including moms, including, high school students, college students, professors ... everyone and anyone that wants to take the ride.

So should science fiction be only for those looking for the ultimate high of learning the latest about the latest? Many college students graduate after taking their one required science class. Many college students with a bachelor of science, have only had 25 credits at most of any other science and varying levels of math--some college students graduate with a high school equivalency of math. Many do not have the money or time to take more classes in math or science. Do they not deserve a science fiction novel about evolutionary theory?  Or macroeconomics (not a requirement at all but a college undergraduate option) ?

Should science fiction be scary?

Yes, and no. The use of science shouldn't be scary, the potential for danger in any profession should always be examined. Many science fiction stories bridge/d the gaps between science and those who wish to know more.

Should science fiction have an authoritative, professorial voice? Why? Those sorts have already taken the journey, why not take someone who isn't on a journey by letting them step in the footsteps of people, ordinary people, like girls, mothers, artist, factory workers, plumbers, stock market analysts by letting them feel safe by their identification with one or more characters. Same goes for other ethnic groups and locations for placing the novel. It is not uncommon for students to study in other countries, for a pipe to break in China, France or Africa, or for the poor to want to learn more about the world.

Well, that is all of my thoughts on this topic for the moment.