Category Archives: Publishing

February 26, 2014 · 10:30 am

Self-published vs. traditional vs. hybrid vs. mutant ink scribbler

Traditionally published and coming May 6.

Traditionally published and coming May 6.

Can’t we all just get along?

The whole “self-publishing vs. traditional publishing” brouhaha got a shot of (unneeded) adrenaline over the past few weeks when Hugh Howey — a stand-up guy and my agency-mate — published his latest round of reports over on Author Earnings. Hugh’s obviously a huge proponent of self-publishing, and rightly so. He’s done quite all right by it, and that’s an epic understatement.

The gist of his report was that independent self-published authors, on average, can take home more money than traditionally published authors. I’m sure I’m oversimplifying matters, so you can see some of his work here and here.

This led to a lot of…stuff. Commentary and ideas that transmuted into sharpened words and the occasional bit of uninformed blathering levied by genuine insights.

You know, as the Internet does.

I’m not going to get into the whole who’s right and who’s wrong of it, nor do I plan on linking to every bit of commentary on the matter. I thought the best bit came from beer-kin Chuck Wendig, and it’s telling that even Chuck’s offering of wisdom and reason prompted some spirited back and forth.

In my eyes, Chuck’s right. I don’t think there’s a black-and-white better or worse to this. The decision on how you get your work out the door depends on you, the individual. It depends on whether you want to put in the work — the very real, very time-consuming, very hard work — to be as good a publisher as you are a writer.

So instead of entering that particular fray of which is better, I’ll just share my own experience and why I walked the path(s) I’m on now.

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February 12, 2014 · 5:30 pm

First review of The Enceladus Crisis at SFSignal

The Enceladus Crisis is still more than two months away, but reviewers are already reading it — and the first review came out today from the Hugo Award-winning awesomeness that is SFSignal.

And, as you may have surmised, I’m quite happy to report it’s a good one. In his four-out-of-five-star review, Paul “PrinceJvstin” Weimer writes:

The followup to Martinez’s debut novel The Daedalus Incident builds on the strengths of the first novel and shores up its weaknesses…the sequel continues the first novel’s mix of alchemy, intrigue, mystery, science fiction and high adventure into an entertaining package. Mike Martinez’s The Enceladus Crisis avoids some of the pitfalls that many second novels face by trying some new things, and giving us some new facets of his interesting universe.

Since Paul has given both my books good reviews (his review of Daedalus is here), I may be a little biased, but I genuinely think he’s an excellent reviewer. His knowledge of the genre is impressive, and his criticism is thoughtful and on point. Many thanks, Paul, for all your hard work.

As a reminder, The Enceladus Crisis is out in print, e-book and audiobook on May 6. You can pre-order your print copies on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, or go to IndieBound and order from your local bookseller. Not sure if we’re getting e-book or audiobook pre-orders or not, but I’ll keep you posted here. You can also add the book on Goodreads, too.

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February 7, 2014 · 5:30 pm

New excerpt from The Daedalus Incident in the 2014 Campbellian Anthology

I’ve been remiss in mentioning this here, so it’s high time I correct it. I’m quite happy to report that a new excerpt from The Daedalus Incident is included in the 2014 Campbellian Anthology, assembled by M. David Blake and published by Rampant Loon Media. 

This massive anthology includes literally dozens of short stories and excerpts from longer works, all written by folks like me who are eligible for the 2014 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, to be presented alongside the Hugo Awards at this year’s WorldCon in London.

And the anthology is free. As in, zero cost, go and download and enjoy. You get the work of 111 new, up-and-coming authors to peruse, all for the price of belly-button lint. How can you not love that?

The idea, of course, is to help WorldCon voters make informed decisions with regard to the Campbell awards. It’s hard to check out every story, every novel that was written by the newbies in any given year, so this is a great chance for fans to get caught up on who’s done what.

To be eligible to nominate works and vote on the Campbell award, as well as the Hugos, you need to be an attendee or supporter of the 2013 WorldCon in San Antonio, the next WorldCon in London and/or the 2015 WorldCon in Spokane. You don’t have to actually go, of course — you can buy relatively inexpensive supporting memberships that allow you to vote on the awards. (And as a WorldCon member, I can tell you that you also get a nice bundle of the Hugo- and Campbell-nominated works to read as part of that membership. In other words, it pays for itself.)

The anthology is available for download in DRM-free .mobi or ePub formats at the Stupefying Stories site. Again, it’s free. And if you have a WorldCon membership, the Hugo and Campbell nomination instructions are online at LonCon3’s site. You have until March 31 to get nominations in.

Did I mention the anthology is free? Even if you’re not a WorldCon member, it’s still free. Seriously, it’s chock full of awesome. Go download! And a big thanks to David, Rampant Loon and Stupefying Stories for making it all possible.

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January 28, 2014 · 6:00 pm

The Enceladus Crisis heading out to reviewers

Given that The Enceladus Crisis is just my second novel, it might not be accurate to say that it’s always a little daunting to send out those first books to reviewers. But it sure feels like it.

Print previews of the new book in the Daedalus series have been mailed, and I’ve begun sending out electronic files to reviewers. I’m excited about the direction the new book takes in the evolution of the Known Worlds, and I think it’s a pretty good read. (I also had a pair of beta readers concur on this, so that’s comforting.)

But sure, it’s a little daunting to hold up your work and say, “OK, gang. JUDGE ME.” I suppose that’s normal and probably healthy. If I think I’ve actually written the Great American SF/F Novel, then chances are I probably haven’t.

By the way, I’m still sending those electronic files out, so if you haven’t gotten one yet and you want to review it — and, admittedly, you have something of an audience on your blog or site or publication — do let me know and I’ll get one out to you. Bear in mind that it’s a preview version; there are still copyedits to come!

The cover also looks very different from the placeholder you see on this page. We’re still finalizing the details, but the art is just fantastic. I’ll have more on the image and the artist as we get closer to the book’s May 6 launch.

While you wait for the new book to come out, it’s worth noting that the Audible audiobook version of my novella, The Gravity of the Affair, comes out this Friday. And it’s cheap, too — just $2.99! You can pre-order it here. And the ebook version is already available wherever fine ebooks are sold.

On another note, I’m excited to see that reviews for The Daedalus Incident are still trickling in. Caleb Flanagan of the site 20four12 listed Daedalus as one of his top-ten reads of the year, and now follows that up with a full review:

“Is The Daedalus Incident doing something new and different? Yes, I very much think it is. It’s a well-crafted blend of fantasy and science fiction that roars through the pages and keeps you gripped until the very end.”

Click here for the entire review. Thanks, Caleb!

Finally, if you want a shot at winning signed copies of both Daedalus and Enceladus, then it would be really awesome if you supported my 5k run fundraiser for African elephants. Everyone who donates $10 will be entered to win both books. It’s a good cause, and there’s good karma for you. Plus books. And I’ll be sweating it out for a half-hour, which has it’s own entertainment value. So go for it!

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January 3, 2014 · 7:21 pm

Book review roundup from the road

While the East Coast struggles under the weight of a foot of snow and shivers in below-zero temperatures, I ended up stranded…in Phoenix, Ariz.

I know. I really expect no pity, nor do I deserve any. I actually feel a touch guilty about the beautiful weather here. But with the flights dicey ahead of the storm, we decided on discretion over valor and parked here until Sunday. Thankfully, we have lovely friends here willing to put up with us for a few more days.

In the meantime, I came across a few book-related items over the past few days I thought I’d pass along. I remain very grateful for all the positive words and reviews The Daedalus Incident continues to receive, and I hope The Enceladus Crisis, coming May 6, is a worthy successor.

  • The gang over at the Skiffy and Fanty Show (an outstanding podcast and site) posted their favorite books of 2013, and The Daedalus Incident was among a superlative list of works. Paul Weimer wrote: “This is the novel someone might write after watching Treasure Planet and wanting to do it *right*.” Thanks, Paul!
  • Caleb Flanagan of the book review blog 20four12 took a look back at 2013: “The Daedalus Incident was an absolutely spectacular debut for Michael J. Martinez, so much so that I’ve added him to my “must read” list already. He took some amazing chances with his storytelling and put together a tale that is unlike anything I’ve seen.” Caleb also put Daedalus on his top-ten list for the year, and it’s among some amazing company. Caleb is now officially awesome.
  • Blogger and author David Agranoff wrote a nice review of Daedalus as well: “I love super weird science fiction. This is just that, but it is also very smart. It is clearly well researched and thought out, not just in plotting and characterization but also in its take on the fake history. I believe this is a debut novel, it is a strong debut. I can’t really think of another novel just like it.” Thank you, David!
  • Finally, the excellent cover art and design of The Daedalus Incident got some love from blogger Carl V. Anderson on Stainless Steel Droppings, who listed his favorite SF/F covers of 2013: “Sparth is another artist working in the digital medium whose illustration excites my interest. His cover work for The Daedalus Incident by Michael J. Martinez, coupled with the design elements over which the title and author designation are placed, make for a striking cover.” That they do.

Reviews really do matter — they’re signposts on the road, left for other readers to decide on their next steps. As an author, I’m very grateful when someone takes the time to write about my work. And it doesn’t have to be on an established blog or site, either. A few (hopefully) kind words on Amazon, B&N or Goodreads can really make a difference. So for everyone who has spared some time and words for my work, thank you!

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January 2, 2014 · 1:31 pm

Final release date for The Enceladus Crisis! Coming May 6!

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope 2014 is treating you well. As for me, we’ve nailed down a final, no-kidding, get-ready-for-the-awesome release date for The Enceladus Crisis, the sequel to The Daedalus Incident. 

May 6. 

We were thinking we might go a bit earlier on it, but frankly, after the fun and games Daedalus went through with its release dates, we wanted to be absolutely sure that print, e-book and audio were all ready to roll at the very same time, and that the new Night Shade publicity machine is purring along smoothly.

So instead of the preliminary date of April 1 (which I wasn’t too enamored of, given the whole punk’d holiday thing), we went for May 6. And it will be glorious.

Of course, in the meantime, you can pre-order The Enceladus Crisis from your favorite local bookstore, as well as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can also get caught up by reading The Daedalus Incident and my e-novella, The Gravity of the Affair (vendor info at the book links). I mean, I’d hate to leave you without the sailing-ships-in-space goodness you’re craving. I’m nice like that.

Meantime, I’m still here in Arizona. We were going to fly back home today, but there’s something of a bad-ass winter storm reading to pummel the warmth and joy out of the East Coast, and flying into said storm seemed rather dicey. So instead of suffering through a foot of snow and sub-zero temperatures, I’ll be suffering through bright sunshine and mid-70s temperatures until Sunday morning.

Life’s rough, I tell ya.

Oh, and for those of you who don’t follow my Twitter feed, I did indeed run my very first 5k on New Year’s Day here in Phoenix. And by run, I mean…actual running. The whole way. (Except for when I stopped to tie my shoe.) Managed a respectable 36:04 time, which left me giddy and punch-drunk. Of course, this morning my legs are full of cactus spines and pain-demons, but it’s totally worth it. I may even do another one in the future, should my legs start working normally again. There are worse ways to ring in a new year.

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December 28, 2013 · 10:52 pm

A few noteworthy book-related bits from the road

New Mexico was really lovely. Taos is a world away from the hustle and bustle of New York City, and it was a lovely place to spend Christmas. And yes, Santa found us just fine. Dude probably invented GPS. Tonight I’m in Flagstaff, Arizona, preparing to venture to this canyon thing they got up in these parts. They say it’s a “grand” canyon, but it’d have to be one impressive ditch to earn that name. We’ll see.

I did see a meteor crater though, and that was pretty grand in and of itself:

Meantime, while the family and I have been exploring the Southwest, I’ve seen a few cool book-related tidbits I wanted to share. So here we go:

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December 23, 2013 · 11:05 am

Greetings from the Land of Enchantment

photoIf you’ve followed my Twitter feed over the past few days, you’ve seen that I’ve been out and about in the world. One of the many, many benefits of being married to my wife, Kate, is that she is a travel writer and blogger, and we tend to get out of the house more often than most folks. This year, we’re spending the holidays in the Southwest, where we really haven’t been before. Already, I’m happy we’re rectifying that.

Christmas will be spent in Taos, New Mexico, and we’ll be with friends in Phoenix, Arizona, over New Year’s. And on New Year’s Day, I’ll be participating in a 5k run/walk. I’m curious to see how the breakdown between walking and running pans out, as this will be my first. That said, if I can be a debut author at 40, I see no reason I can’t be a debut 5k-er at 41.

Speaking of authoring, it turns out that I do my best work on airplanes. I’ve been outlining the third book of the Daedalus series, now tentatively titled The Venusian Gambit, and I went on a very nifty writing jaunt while in the air between New York and here. If I could afford to spend eight hours a day, five days a week on a plane, I’d write as many books as Chuck Wendig and still keep down my full-time job. Long story short, The Venusian Gambit is taking shape faster and better than I had hoped.

I’m able to focus on the third book now because The Enceladus Crisis, the second book in the series, has been sent to the typesetters, which means that, for all intents and purposes, it’s Officially Done. Yes, there will be copyediting, but the major editorial work is finished. My editor, Cory Allyn of Night Shade/Skyhorse, did a great job making a good book great, and my beta readers Drew Montgomery and Dan Hanks were generous with both time and excellent input. We’re on schedule for an April release, which makes me quite happy, given all the fun and games we had with The Daedalus Incident and its multiple release dates!

Finally, I want to give a huge shout-out to the bidders on my Worldbuilders auction items. The naming rights to a substantial supporting character in The Venusian Gambit went for $200, and my critique of up to 25,000 words of writing went for $395. That is some serious, serious money, and there are poor families that will directly benefit from that. The generosity of the bidders is nothing short of mind-blowing. Thank you.

I’m off to explore New Mexico: Land of Enchantment. I’m told, however, that wizards are scarce, so I’m not sure how exactly the state earned this sobriquet. I’ll keep you posted.

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December 12, 2013 · 9:15 am

Live from WorldCon, it’s the SFSignal Podcast (with me)

Apparently, you don’t need a TARDIS to go back in time and space — just the Hugo award-winning SFSignal Podcast.

I sat down with Patrick Hester on the first full day of WorldCon back in late August in San Antonio, Texas, and we had a great chat about books, conventions and all sorts of other stuff. I admit, I kind of forgot this podcast was in the hopper until I saw it posted this morning, so now you get to take a trip back to Texas with us. We talked about The Daedalus Incident, the upcoming The Enceladus Crisis and my experiences thus far at my very first SF/F convention.

To bring you up to date on a few things since:

  • The Enceladus Crisis has been scheduled for release on April 1, 2014. Get stoked.
  • The Gravity of the Affair wasn’t mentioned in the interview because it wasn’t really a thing yet, but it’s out now in ebook at all your favorite vendors, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBookstore, and Google Play .
  • The third book doesn’t have a final title yet, but I’m leaning toward The Venusian Gambit. Who doesn’t like gambits?
  • For 2014, I’m on the fence about attending the WorldCon in London, mostly because of the cost and time. I’m weighing a visit to DragonCon, however.

Anyway, the podcast is up and running, available wherever fine podcasts are…downloaded, I suppose. Thanks to Patrick for a great conversation. Give it a listen!

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December 9, 2013 · 9:51 am

The Daedalus Incident one of BuzzFeed’s best of 2013

It’s nearing the end of the year, and the best-of lists are coming out in full force. It’s really amazing and humbling to find The Daedalus Incident listed on some of them.

BuzzFeed’s Sean McCarrick named Daedalus one of the greatest science fiction novels of the year. He writes:

Why it made the list: 18th century airships that can fly through space, Mars mining stations and a book that can write itself. Martinez take the kitchen sink of both science fiction and fantasy and throws it ALL into his novel with great success. Genre bending often come at great peril, but Martinez pulls it off with an assurance that makes all the pieces slot together perfectly.

Read if you like: flying the Final Fantasy airship, Horatio Hornblower or Patrick O’Brian, mining Mars for all its sweet, sweet minerals.

The list includes some truly talented authors, including Ann Leckie, James S.A. Corey, Ian Tregillis, Margaret Atwood and Lois McMaster Bujold. Fun fact: I helped Lois renew her SFWA membership while I was manning the SFWA booth at WorldCon. Lovely person. Fantastic author.

Thanks, Sean, for adding me to such a fine list! Makes those final edits on The Enceladus Crisis go down a lot easier. And while you’re waiting for the Daedalus sequel this spring, don’t forget to check out The Gravity of the Affair, now out in ebook!

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