In The Works: The Parts Coming Together

The manuscript for Book One is in the hands of my editor. The cover piece is now going from Black & White to Color. While I'm figuring out Book Two, I'm also figuring out something for Cirsova to consider when their submissions window opens in a few days. This week was also the week of my sister's birthday, so that did disrupt things a bit; I do like my routine.

Assuming that both parts come out as expected, I remain on target to deliver the e-book to backers by December.

The next part will be fulfilling the editing/rewrite process on schedule, so that the target remains firm. Once artwork and manuscript is finished, the file formatting will be next and after that I can double-check before delivering to the backers and I can put the Amazon launch together. Once I get closer to that, I'll be sending out emails to the newsletter subscribers to help make that launch successful. At this time, I'm looking to stagger the ebook and paperback versions to make the most of that 30-60 day window that Amazon's algorithm- a double-dip, if you will.

Once I've finished the start-to-finish process of making a book done, I can get a better feel for how I can improve this process and where to put proceeds to do just that; it's mapping out the upgrade path that Mech Pilots do when creating character builds. Much like learning how to outline, learning how to map your path (and how to deal with forced changes do it) is necessary to controlling your destiny.

In The Works: Book Two's Aesthetics

Reavers of the Void is a pirate story in frontier territory. Book Two is not; it's a tale of intrigue in the heart of Civilization, albeit no less fast-paced and action-packed. While giant robots and space battleships, singularly and in great numbers, are present the action's scaling down closer to the man-to-man level for much of Book Two; we scale back up for the climax.

Besides, you don't do this sort of thing without taking the time to show off the scenery, and Book Two has some truly fantastic locations:

• The Court of Stars, based out of Rome. While many affairs regarding the Court can be--and are--done via remote conferencing, the most sensitive matters are only done in person and this time we see that happen. You don't make use of a location with Rome's history and majesty without making time to make the most of those very qualities. As George Lucas showed with his location choices for Naboo, you can expect some furious fights to occur in this ancient capital of Civilization.
• The Barsoom War College, base on Mars. Located in geostationary orbit over Olympus Mons, tethered by beanstalk to the ground and serving also as a transit hub for the planet, this is the school for Solar Guard officer candidates as well as the graduate school for those career officers looking to make it into the upper ranks and join the Admiralty. As such, experts lecturing on a vast array of applicable subjects (such as military history) can be found here either as faculty or visiting fellows. The orbital museum is the key tourist attraction.
• Lord Roland's Estate, based on the shores of Lake Mille Lacs in North America (present day Minnesota). This is my backyard (so to speak), and how it went from resort to feudal manor is a long story, and if you've never been to the Minnesota lake country then you don't know the glory of being able to see the horizon on a fresh water lake (and then be surrounded by literally hundreds of other lakes). I spent many weekends and summer vacations here, so you're going to see what this is like when violent men with mecha stomp around it.
• St. Mayo's Hospital, which is today's Mayo Clinic. In the feudal future, this is a Church holding- specifically held by the Hospitallers. A Very Important Person is kept here in secret, guarded 24/7/365 by the Knights, and the key of the plot revolves around discovering that this location has the VIP and then what happens when the villains move to deal with the VIP.

You can see why you're not going to see giant robots right away, or a lot. But you will see mecha, just smaller mecha. We're looking this time to see more stuff that you'd see out of Armored Trooper VOTOMS, Bubblegum Crisis, Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, Megazone 23, and so on. Maybe as big as Orguss, and the ships we see will likely be the smaller ones until we get to the final act.

The Business: On To Book Two of #StarKnight

I'm working on the plot outline for Book Two. As Book One was out on the frontier, Book Two is at the heart of Galactic Christendom: Holy Terra (and the solar system).

This is less of a story about fleets and naval action, and more of an intrigue-focused adventure, because we're out to thwart an assassination this time out. The mastermind villain has a loose end to tie up, lest everything get undone, so the loose end needs to die so the plot can go on. Sir Ramsey figured that out, so that loose end is in a safe location; the trick now is to figure out who's trying to kill the secured individual.

Sir Ramsey shows his pro-active practice here, starting the plot with initiating a fake leak. He sends out a rumor, varies the substance several times as he tells several people, and then waits to see which version shows up in the gossip circles. Once he determines who's prone to leaking, he sets up a trap by announcing that the secured individual will appear to testify before the Court of Stars on the recent pirate matter.

The mastermind senses that this is a trap, but cannot afford to ignore the possibility, so a duel of wits begins. Less with the fleets and the giant mecha, more with the smaller mecha, single ships, and running beam sword fights across Rome, Mars, the Moon, and other notable locations.

The Business: Not By Bread Alone

George Lucas figured out that merchandise is where the real money is made when it comes to properties like Star Wars, a fact that made him his fortune. Close to him temporally, but across the Pacific, many of the mecha show/manga people figured this out also and out came wave after wave of model kits, action figures, and other affiliated merchandise so the target audience could spend yet more money on the stuff they liked.

If there is something I find stupid about how mainstream Western SF operates, it is that they somehow don't want to admit that this is true. They routinely leave money on the table that could get them out of debt, secure their households for life, and allow them to do on the regular what Larry Correia has done instead of thinking that it's a Black Swan event.

No, dammit, that's not how it has to be. One of the things I want to do with #StarKnight is show others that you can do this.

Right now, what is within my control is the ability to write and publish novels. The business is not what it was, and that includes things that most mainstream Western SF authors have long forgotten is within their control, such as keeping an ear to the ground for what ancillary merchandise people would want. These days it's not hard to do things like shirts and mugs since you don't have to have them printed before selling them. Posters and wall scrolls are about there, as I recall, but I need to confirm that before I can say so definitively.

Which means that I need to start thinking about branding and branding means logos. This is where you folks come in. Below is a logo that ArtAnon--the individual making the art for #StarKnight and #Xseed--did for me. In-universe, this is the logo of the Solar Guard; if you think this works as a brand logo or no, comment below (and for the love of God, explain why; I'm no mind-reader).

View post on imgur.com

In addition, here's what I'm currently thinking for merch I can do in the short term:

• Shirts: A shirt replicating what you see in Roland's duty outfit (crest on the breast) with the logo on the back, and maybe a variant going with the battle armor version (may do that on a hooded sweatshirt instead).
  
• Posters: Finished cover on a poster for starters. I will gladly add others upon request.
  
• Loresite: My own blend of Wookipedia and MAHQ? It's happening as soon as I know there's an audience and I can afford the domain name.
  

I'll come back to this again in future posts because I think this mindset shift is something else that would greatly change the game; I see that Nick Cole & Jason Anspach as well as Vox Day are already making this shift and I expect the results will be quite something to behold, and I'm not shy in saying that if they blaze a successful trail then we'd be fools not to follow hot on their heels.