So, If you listen to my podcast (Self Pub'd available on Soundcloud) you've probably heard me mention a time or two that I've been trying to write a book forever and it's really frustrating. I think part of whats holding me back is fear of publication. When I write an article if someone doesn't like it, it's not such a big deal because I've got another one coming out in a few days. A book just feels so much more permanent and personal.
I have, however, had success in publishing a 30,000 word novella. What convinced me to look more seriously at a writing career was winning a novella writing contest from a very small publishing company. I wrote it in about two months, edited for a month, turned it in and won the contest and a publishing contract! Unfortunately shortly after I signed my contract the company closed forever.
It was a science fiction YA story called Cosmic Pizza about a small Alaskan town where an immortal scientist was experimenting on the population. It had some cool ideas that I might recycle someday into something else and a really cool ending but I don't want to return to it. I've grown A LOT as a writer in the three years since I wrote it and I would have to tear the whole thing apart and start mostly from scratch. I would like to write another novella though, and I want to self publish it to get over my fear of putting something out there.
A book takes years of patience, tons of rejections from agents, and then years of editing before it actually reaches an audience. I think the best thing I can do is take a deep breath and jump in with something quick and fun that I'm proud of.
I've started working on a horror/science fiction novella that I plan to finish writing in August, edit in September, and release in mid-October for maximum halloween spookyness. I'm not in love with a title yet, but this is the synopsis:
After leasing an unusual building to house their tech startup two female entrepreneurs feel strangely compelled to begin building a mysterious and possibly dangerous machine.
I'll keep posting updates and cover art, etc... as it gets closer to my release date. I'm mostly posting this now for accountability, so thanks for being my accountabilibuddy. I also have my first published short story Jane Quits Inhuman Resources coming out this November in the Eclectically Magical collection from Inklings Publishing. It's going to be a busy fall so look out for lots of big projects coming from the house of Bugg!