Vol.1, #1: Welcome to the Adventure!

Welcome to the first issue of my newsletter. I'm delighted you're joining me in this adventure. Let me take a few seconds to be more specific about what you're getting into ;)

My plan is to send these delightful missives twice per month. Maybe that will be perfect, and if so, yay! But maybe you're going to only want to hear from me once per month. Or maybe you'll want special editions on particular topics every quarter, or weekly "headlines" or any other thing. The point is, I'm open. So consider twice-monthly our starting point. I'll be checking in on your experience as we go along to make sure you're still enjoying things.

Also, feel free to simply hit "reply" to any issue of the newsletter, and let me know your thoughts. Your feedback will go directly to my inbox, and I'll be happy to receive it.

Who am I, anyway?

Valid question, Grasshopper. If we've been in each other's orbits for awhile, you probably know I'm a writer. To be fair, I'm a lot of things: a teacher, a visual artist, a graphic and web designer, an extreme cat lady, a narwhal enthusiast. But mostly these days I'm a writer. I completed a novel pre-pandemic, and have been getting "feedback" on it from agents and editors ever since. The basic consensus appears to be 1) it's well-written, 2) it's a fun story, but 3) traditional publishing is looking for unicorns right now. My book is not a unicorn. Most people's books are not unicorns.

An agent friend pointed out that doesn't mean there aren't readers for these books, including mine. So who do I want to impress the most? Am I writing for acquiring editors at publishing houses, or am I writing for readers?

This is a rather more difficult question to answer than one might think. If you're as old as I am (don't ask), you grew up in an era where the only "independent publishing" was some sketchy dude your Aunt Agatha paid $800 for 100 hardback copies of her typo-laden memoir that proceeded to grow mold in the basement until she finally threw them out. I admit I'd feel a sense of validation if I were to be courted by the likes of Tor or Penguin Random House, each waving large sums of money over my head and begging for my work. But in the real world, traditional publishing doesn't operate like that, and in fact it sometimes feels as sketchy as the guy who bilked Aunt Agatha.

After considering it, I decided I would probably feel the same or perhaps even more validation if I were to indepedently publish my book--thoughtfully, not just slinging it up onto the 'Zon and crossing my fingers--and people actually bought it and read it and liked it.

That's a really long-winded way to say I'm moving closer and closer to independent publishing. Indy is not an easy path; it's real work and requires a strategy and some business smarts, along with focus. To get everything done well and on time, I'm going to need a system of accountability.

Guess what, gentle subscribers? You're my accountability. If I tell you I'm going to do something, I better do it, because I'll look pretty dumb otherwise.

What's the Book? Glad You Asked!

So what is this non-unicorn-like book? It's a science fiction suspense about a woman who runs from a traumatic past, leaving the Company planet of her birth only to encounter old enemies on her new independent home planet--and once she realizes what's special about the place, she knows they might be the least of her problems. Even her "allies" have their own agendas, and she's going to have to be very clever and solve a mystery that involves a former lover, an invisible assassin, a chemical weapon that causes stasis and turns victims turquoise, and a boatload of intergalactic corporate intrigue if she and the other residents of planet Iona are going to have half a chance of staying alive, never mind independent.

When will you see it? Well, it's going to be a little while. I have one more shot to put it in front of an editor from Tor in November, but I'm moving ahead and setting up all the systems I need to be able to publish independently. If I get a "no thanks" from Tor, I plan to literally be able to pull the trigger and indepently publish the novel the next day. So you'll either get a publication announcement or a "Tor has asked for the full manuscript and we're all on pins and needles" announcement in your November 15th newsletter.

Exciting, no? As exciting as riding a bicycle on fire (apologies to Northern California subscribers).

Of Note This Weekend

Sci-fi fans across the globe are mourning the passing of the smart and sassy Lt. Uhura, actress Nichelle Nichols, this past weekend at the age of 89. When Star Trek began in 1966, Nichols was one only a few black women appearing in key roles on prime time television. After Star Trek, she went on to work with NASA, helping them recruit women and people of color to apply to be astronauts. Heartfelt testimonials sent out after her passing included not only costar George Takei, but also the National Air and Space Museum and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

Coming Up Next ...

Issue #2 is not thoroughly planned just yet; it will certainly have less introductory and housekeeping stuff and more interesting writery stuff and some book reviews and recommendations. Plus, you're going to get a cookie! Some of you will know what I mean by that. Others of you will be disappointed when no chocolate chip shows up in your weekly mail. But I hope you'll enjoy it either way.

Up for a Vote?

You may have noticed that the name of this newsletter is ... well, nothing. I have a number of ideas, but I can't quite choose between them, so that's where you come in. If you've got a minute, head on over to https://www.emarierobertson.com/newsletter-name/ and cast your vote for your favorite! Voting will be open until August 13, and the winning name will be revealed on the next newsletter!

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