Imagine turning up at a Marvel fancy dress party dressed in a batman costume. Knowing the conventions in the universe of all things Science Fiction and Fantasy are, at this moment in time, more than a little beyond me. Which normally wouldn’t be a problem. I have had a great relationship with Mike for 21 years despite my ineptitude in this field and his total immersion in it, but here’s my dilemma:
I find myself starting a publishing venture in an area which is (dare I say it out loud?) totally outside my realm of expertise and any good business person would tell you, that’s a fairly silly idea…well it is if you want to be successful in it at any rate.
No longer can I shrug off talk of light saber colours and duck out of the debate of why Episode 1 was the worst idea ever because now I actually need to know my stuff. So I need to learn and learn fast. Mike has tried over the years to induct me into this elite club but I am still only a Padawan at best.
How do I know what’s cool? How do I avoid the inevitable faux par’s at conventions? How do I discern a Rivendale elf from one from Lothlorien, and does it matter?
So I’m calling all geeks (respectfully), would you help a damsel in distress?
What are the top 3 things I absolutely need to know about Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic Fans and this alternate reality? All help gratefully received.
I’ve been into science fiction as long as I can remember and the most important thing I’ve learned is that no matter how much you know, there is ALWAYS someone who knows more than you. So really, I wouldn’t worry. And since I’ve just noticed this is not a recent post, I’m guessing you did just fine.
With the people I know the most important thing would be to never, ever,
get Star Wars and Star Trek mixed up.
Captain Picard is the best captain. No argument possible.
If you’re stuck for conversation point out that Superman is an illegal alien, Iron Man is an alchoholic and Batman is clearly a sociopath, so what exactly is a superhero? Oh, and Star Trek TNG occasionally manages to prove that you can write something interesting about a sci-fi universe where people are essentially good and the equipment, mostly, works.
Yes. I’m a trekkie and proud!
I noticed Michael’s books on goodreads. I’ll be honest and say I haven’t read one, yet, but i do really admire the covers and the fact that you seen to have a lot of stuff out there.
As one writing family to another, do you have any advice on the way into fiction? My husband and I are both authors as is our son, but on the non fiction side, we are only just now venturing into fiction. Any advice would be gratefully received.
Hi Lesley,
Thanks so much for your lovely comment and the reassurance 🙂 Mike and I watched ‘Into Darkness’ the other night and I’m pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed (and got most of the references to the old series so didn’t let the trekkie side down too badly!)
So pleased you like the covers too, we worked with Derek Murphy at Creative Indie who is great. The Game of War Series ones are my faves so far, although do look out for some new comic style art coming for The Planets Series this summer which we are very exited about. To be honest I can’t really keep up with the amount Mike writes to get his stuff to market quick enough…which is partly frustrating but mostly exciting 🙂
Wow a writing family, that’s great. With 4 non fictions titles under your belt I suspect you’ve got the process of writing nailed. There’s a lot of overlap between fiction and non-fiction I think. We’ve had a great deal of support from our lovely friend Jo Penn via her blog and Podcast. Mike is also a big fan of the guys at The Self Publishing Podcast (Sean Platt and Jonny B. Truant) who are prolific fiction writers. Their book ‘Write.Publish.Repeat’ is well worth a read for some hints on business models for non-fiction and an insight into how they are so successful. It pretty much comes down to; write good stuff and keep on writing, get as much out as you can and keep improving and remember its a long haul game.
From my background I would say that the relationships I’ve built over time are crucial for sustaining any business (and one’s sanity) and I think this is true in any industry. Authentic networking, building genuine rapport, mutual trust and adding genuine value will always win out in the long term.
Very best of luck with the Dragonfly Series! Do keep us posted when it’s launched and we’ll support in any way we can.
My warmest
Elizabeth