Authors and readers: Beware the publisher who boasts about the number of books they put out per month or per year. I’ve got to be skeptical of the three-year-old “publisher” that has hundreds of titles in its catalog.
In 2014, Alliteration Ink is suddenly going to be putting out quite a few more books than we have at any time before now. And it terrifies me.
For example, right now I have these all going on simultaneously:
- Production for Steampunk World (including getting the backer rewards out as soon as possible)
- The Kickstarter for Streets of Shadows (which you should go back!)
- Production for one novel from K.W. Taylor (previously featured in Sidekicks!)
- Near final plans for continuing a series from a Bram Stoker Award winning author
- Production and planning to re-release and finish a series from a NYT bestselling author
- A single author steampunk collection currently in editing
- Early plans and invitations for an anthology headed by Nayad Monroe (who edited the excellent What Fates Impose)
In addition, there’s also pre-planning for a periodical (YES I SAID PERIODICAL) and for a gaming/writing/story hybrid work for late 2014.
Whew. But doesn’t that all sound cool?
No matter how cool it sounds, I have a very real concern about maintaining quality and integrity while trying to do more. Fast, cheap, or good – pick two.
But there’s another saying: Many hands make light work. I am deeply grateful for the positive, hard-working, and skilled people that are working alongside me in bringing these books to you over the course of the next year. Artists, editors, authors, and even fans have all chipped in with time, talent, and support to help bring some excellent books into the world.
So I’m terrified by the amount of work coming up this year. I’m terrified that I won’t be able to keep delivering the same high standards.
But then I think of the awesome people I’ve worked with over the last few years – many of whom I’ll be working with again this year – and while I’m sometimes still a little scared, I realize that I’m really looking forward to what we’re going to be creating.
And remember, go support the Streets of Shadows kickstarter. Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon (the editors who brought you the Dark Faith anthologies) are at the helm of this one, and it’s gonna be awesome.