jonathanmoeller (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} jonathanmoeller) wrote,@ 2008-05-13 08:40:00 |
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my bad idea - a serial fiction FAQ
Specifically, my bad idea is this. In 2005, I published a novel called “Demonsouled” that sold rather poorly and is now out of print. For what seemed like sound reasons at the time, later that year I wrote a sequel called “Soul of Tyrants”, a sequel that, due to various circumstances, I will never be able to sell.
So I'm going to post it on my website as an online serial. Details are below, in handy Q&A format.
Q: Why can't you sell “Soul of Tyrants?”
A: Because “Demonsouled” did so poorly. The publisher made it clear that they're not interested in any other books from me, which means that “Soul of Tyrants” is out of the question. Naturally, that means no other publisher would take a look at it. In short, the book is radioactive. I would have a better chance of selling a 1500 page Hitler/Goring slashfic epic with furries than this book. Ron Paul has a better chance of becoming President of the United States than I do of selling “Soul of Tyrants”.
Q: So why bother posting “Soul of Tyrants” online at all?
A: Hubris, mostly, or sheer stubbornness. I may or may not be a competent writer, but I do think “Soul of Tyrants” is perhaps the closest I have ever come to writing a good book. I have millions of words that will languish forever unread and unseen in the Stygian dungeons of my hard drives, and that troubles me not in the least. But “Soul of Tyrants”...I like that book just enough that I don't want to abandon it entirely, even though there's no viable way of getting it published.
Q: Won't posting “Soul of Tyrants” online render it forever unpublishable?
A: Well, probably. But as I explained above, in the case of this book that's a bit like refusing to go jogging because you're afraid the Martians will finally attack. It might happen, but you really shouldn't worry about it. Putting something on the Internet technically gives up what's called first electronic rights, and some publishers insist that the first electronic rights remain unsullied, and refuse to buy stuff that's already been on the Internet. Since there's not exactly a huge demand for sequels to low-selling, out of print fantasy novels, my sleep will remain untroubled by this prospect.
Q: Why don't you release “Soul of Tyrants” under the GNU General Public License?
A: Because while the GPL is great for software, a book is not software. I haven't quite reached that level of nihilistic fatalism required for me to give up all rights to the book. It's the same reason I keep four or five cases of bottled water on hand at all times. You know. Just in case I need them.
Q: You do realize this is probably futile, right? Who on Earth is going to read “Soul of Tyrants”?
A: Nobody, in all likelihood. So far only two people have actually read it, and I expect that number will stay about the same. But think of it as bonus material for the elite few who actually read Demonsouled.
Besides. Mitte panem tuum super transeuntes aquas quia post multa tempora invenies illum. And all that.
Q: So how's this online serial thing going to work?
A: I think I'm going to post sections either twice a week (Tues and Thurs), or three times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri). I wrote the book with twelve chapters, each chapter divided into parts, so there's enough material to post short sections regularly for several weeks. The actual posts will be static pages on my WordPress site, with only links here on the LiveJournal. (I suspect spamming the LiveJournal f-list with one's unpublished novel is probably the height of poor etiquette.) I'll have permalinks and an index page as well to make navigation easier once the chapters start accumulating.
Watch this space for updates.
-JM
Specifically, my bad idea is this. In 2005, I published a novel called “Demonsouled” that sold rather poorly and is now out of print. For what seemed like sound reasons at the time, later that year I wrote a sequel called “Soul of Tyrants”, a sequel that, due to various circumstances, I will never be able to sell.
So I'm going to post it on my website as an online serial. Details are below, in handy Q&A format.
Q: Why can't you sell “Soul of Tyrants?”
A: Because “Demonsouled” did so poorly. The publisher made it clear that they're not interested in any other books from me, which means that “Soul of Tyrants” is out of the question. Naturally, that means no other publisher would take a look at it. In short, the book is radioactive. I would have a better chance of selling a 1500 page Hitler/Goring slashfic epic with furries than this book. Ron Paul has a better chance of becoming President of the United States than I do of selling “Soul of Tyrants”.
Q: So why bother posting “Soul of Tyrants” online at all?
A: Hubris, mostly, or sheer stubbornness. I may or may not be a competent writer, but I do think “Soul of Tyrants” is perhaps the closest I have ever come to writing a good book. I have millions of words that will languish forever unread and unseen in the Stygian dungeons of my hard drives, and that troubles me not in the least. But “Soul of Tyrants”...I like that book just enough that I don't want to abandon it entirely, even though there's no viable way of getting it published.
Q: Won't posting “Soul of Tyrants” online render it forever unpublishable?
A: Well, probably. But as I explained above, in the case of this book that's a bit like refusing to go jogging because you're afraid the Martians will finally attack. It might happen, but you really shouldn't worry about it. Putting something on the Internet technically gives up what's called first electronic rights, and some publishers insist that the first electronic rights remain unsullied, and refuse to buy stuff that's already been on the Internet. Since there's not exactly a huge demand for sequels to low-selling, out of print fantasy novels, my sleep will remain untroubled by this prospect.
Q: Why don't you release “Soul of Tyrants” under the GNU General Public License?
A: Because while the GPL is great for software, a book is not software. I haven't quite reached that level of nihilistic fatalism required for me to give up all rights to the book. It's the same reason I keep four or five cases of bottled water on hand at all times. You know. Just in case I need them.
Q: You do realize this is probably futile, right? Who on Earth is going to read “Soul of Tyrants”?
A: Nobody, in all likelihood. So far only two people have actually read it, and I expect that number will stay about the same. But think of it as bonus material for the elite few who actually read Demonsouled.
Besides. Mitte panem tuum super transeuntes aquas quia post multa tempora invenies illum. And all that.
Q: So how's this online serial thing going to work?
A: I think I'm going to post sections either twice a week (Tues and Thurs), or three times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri). I wrote the book with twelve chapters, each chapter divided into parts, so there's enough material to post short sections regularly for several weeks. The actual posts will be static pages on my WordPress site, with only links here on the LiveJournal. (I suspect spamming the LiveJournal f-list with one's unpublished novel is probably the height of poor etiquette.) I'll have permalinks and an index page as well to make navigation easier once the chapters start accumulating.
Watch this space for updates.
-JM
