Hello, dreamers. It was another busy week last week, and not without its frustrations. But I’m feeling better about my overall direction. And rather than viewing the recent frustrations as setbacks, I’m regarding them as simply a matter of learning as I go. The publishing world, both in traditional and self-publishing, is always changing. Sometimes it can be hard to keep up with the changes, and when not actively querying it can be hard to keep one’s ear to the ground. But I have a clear path forward in all of my pursuits. So here’s what I’ll be working on this week:

Pioneers

I’ve come to realize the process of writing my query will take longer than I’d expected. Much of this comes down to a single, critical point: comps.

For those unfamiliar with the modern publishing process, comparative titles, or “comps”, have become a major part of query letters. Effectively, it’s a way to sell your book by comparing it to existing published works. It’s a way to help a prospective agent understand the nature of your work in a way simply outlining the plot would not.

Now, comps can be difficult for many reasons. First and foremost, it’s easy for a writer to think “well, nothing is comparable to my book; it’s totally original”. And that might be true. By comparing your book to others, it can make your book feel derivative. And unfortunately that might be true as well. But more and more agents expect comps, and good comps, in queries.

In seeking comps, I’ve run into one major snag. Pioneers is, at its heart, a work of utopian science fiction. This is a story that takes place in what most would consider an optimistic future. And it turns out there is very little of that out in the published space. The good news is that the market is swiftly turning in my direction: many agents who rep speculative fiction are looking for hard sci-fi with a utopian bent. But it’s hard to find comps when virtually all existing sci-fi literature is decidedly dystopian and fanciful.

Luckily, comps take many forms. I need to find comps that not only resemble the plot and themes of my book, but also the voice, character development, etc. And while it appears nigh impossible to find a book that very closely resembles mine (and that’s a good thing, obviously), it looks like it will be easier to find existing works that share themes and voice with mine.

So, rather than starting my query letter, I plan to spend the coming week reading. I have Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey on my DBR list, as it has been for a while. I’ve also reserved six or seven additional titles at my local library. And I plant to speak with local librarians, to give them the “dust jacket pitch” of Pioneers and see if it rings any bells.

While I may in fact begin working on my query letter before the end of the week, current convention tends to place the comps in the very first paragraph. So until I make some headway and do a great deal of reading, there are hard limits to what I can do. Thus, in addition to actual writing this week, I’m going to spend some time consuming. At least I’ll get to read some awesome sci-fi.

Turn of the Century

I managed to do a lot with my upcoming series of novellas last week. Ganymede is now fully expanded. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, though I’m reserving any self-praise until after beta-reading. I may yet make changes. But as it stands, Ganymede won’t be released until autumn, and won’t need to be anywhere near finalized until the middle of summer. So I’ve finally managed to get out ahead of things.

This week, I’ll be dividing my time between two stories: Fantoms and MERIT 19. Lately I’ve been considering some major changes to MERIT 19. I’m a little nervous, but I’m trying to remind myself that A) this isn’t going to involve a total rewrite like last time, and B) this story won’t be published until the first Friday of August, and won’t need to be finalized to any degree until the end of May.

That leaves Fantoms, and I’ve been looking forward to this. Of the stories in Turn of the Century I’ve written (so far), Fantoms is by far my favorite. I love the progression of the story, and the characters really came to life. It also gave me the chance to delve deep into my worldbuilding. There’s a lot more story to tell in this one, and I’m looking forward to stretching it out.

My goal this week is simple: make the planned changes to MERIT 19, and wrap up Fantoms by the end of the week. Wish me luck.

Upcoming Content

The look and feel of this site is continuing to change. I try to refresh my site, at least to an extent, once every two years. This keeps me in line with the latest trends in web design, while also allowing me to fine-tune my site to better suit the type and level of traffic I’m attracting.

Lately, as my blog has been attracting more attention, I’ve added a “latest posts” feature to the homepage. Now, any time you visit the homepage, you can easily access my three latest blog posts. I plan further modifications for the near future, including modifying post pages to allow readers to seamlessly navigate to other recent posts. Prepare to get lost in a wonderful world of science fiction.

In the meantime, here’s what to watch for here on Writing Tomorrow this week:

Tuesday 4/9: “Teaser Tuesday”

Prepare for another sneak peek at my upcoming novella, The Envoy! In this week’s teaser, diplomat David Ferguson makes a fateful decision that will change his life.

Wednesday 4/10: “WIP Wednesday”

With Ganymede in my rearview, I can finally return to Fantoms. Learn more about this incredible story: how an excellent plot evolved, and how one character took on a life of his own.

Thursday 4/11: “On Writing”

Whenever I’m not actively working on a novel project, I keep myself sharp with my “daily sketches”. In this month’s “On Writing”, learn more about this unique feature of my writing regimen, and maybe try it for yourself.

Friday 4/12: “Flash Fiction Friday: ORB“

When a routine repair on a space station goes wrong, an astronaut is saved from certain doom by an unlikely friend.

Saturday 4/13: “Into the Dotiverse: Part Two”

In my next installment of “Into the Dotiverse”, learn about the discreet eras of my fictional future, and where my current, coming, and planned works fit on the timeline.

Sunday 4/14: “Self-Pub Sunday”

This week, I look forward by looking back. There will be an important reminder about Wide Horizon, and a special announcement about my currently-available works of science fiction!

It’s going to be a big week here on Writing Tomorrow, so keep reading, and dare to dream. – MK