Publishing My First Book

I promised that I would talk about publishing a book this week, and I can’t really wait any longer. It’s available for pre-order, so holding out just seems like a waste. (Especially since I should do everything in my power to market it.)

But before I talk about the details of the story itself, some backstory: A friend of mine approached me…oh, it was probably around Christmas, 2012. He had an idea for a collaborative universe—a place for artists, writers, and creatives to share their vision. He wrote a few stories for the site, hoping that others would get involved and add their work to his. The goal was to expand the lore and breadth of the universe together.

The idea wasn’t unique, admittedly. I think about things like Dungeons & Dragons or the Warhammer 40k series—each of those has so much content that it is basically a sub-genre all its own. Still, my friend’s idea was novel in the fact that the universe wasn’t “owned” or “licensed” by anyone. He worked to set the foundations, then leave the sandbox as an open platform for others.

Originally, I wrote a short story for that universe. To be fair, I’d never explored science fiction before. (And contrary to Barnes & Noble's sections, fantasy is a different genre). But the idea of writing in a future where I could use pop culture or historical references really appealed to me.

I mean, it's hard to pull that stuff off when you're writing in your own imagined world.

No Room in the Sky"

Entitled “No Room in the Sky,” the story followed a team of paramilitary operatives who investigate a facility and find a whole lot more than they expected. I received a lot of positive feedback, but when I approached my friend with an idea for a sequel, we hit an impasse. We had irreconcilable differences on where we wanted things to go, and it became clear that neither of us would budge.

Over the course of the next year, I rewrote the original story, shifting it from my friend's fictional “parallel” universe to our own. I crafted a near-future timeline and transitioned the story fully. Then I went on to write six other stories—seven if you count the prologue, which I’ve since removed.

I spent 2014 working on other projects, but when I wanted to start going after literary agents again, I thought I would present my science fiction too. Originally, I called the series of stories an “episodic narrative” in the hopes that the unique format and the quality content would help.

(It didn’t, but that’s beside the point.)

I moved from New York to Virginia in the summer of 2015, and I kind of put all thoughts about “No Room in the Sky” out of mind. But then, a few months ago, a friend of mine asked if I was interested in publishing through Kindle Direct Publishing. I’d always been very much against the digital publishing route because it felt like settling. It would be like me telling the world that I wasn't good enough to land a literary agent like the authors I've admired since I began reading.

In my mind, digital publishing was no different from self-publishing. It would make me one of the novice "Hey, I wrote a book!" people who established authors look down on. I would be selling out on my "vision" for a future career that might never even happen.

This may come as a surprise, but, ultimately, the decision wasn’t really mine.

My fiancé got behind the idea. I’d let her read the first chunk of the novel, and when she heard about this opportunity, she pushed for it. Hard.

So, thanks to Kim’s nudges and James’ help (and a bunch of other people along the way), here I am.

Planes of Solace

Planes of Solace tells the story of Graham Denyevech. He’s your typical down-on-his-luck ex-military man, but with a few big twists. He’s Australian and a Type B (which sure makes for an unusual hero/protagonist). Graham is also really, really screwed up after a failed mission left him a broken and psychologically fragile husk of who he used to be.

He takes a job in private security, despite spending most of his life reviling the manipulative and corrupt corporations that run Earth’s governments. He finds himself embroiled in an increasingly shady work environment alongside people he doesn’t know, and being outside his comfort zone stretches and prods him in very interesting ways.

…actually, it’s not that different from where I was when I wrote the story. In 2012, I had just graduated from college and moved from the place I grew up to somewhere new. I didn't know anyone there except my immediate family, and I felt like a down-on-my-luck college grad with no career options.

(Huh. I hadn’t realized that until now.)

Anyway, Graham’s story isn’t just an ex-military space soldier adventure. My focus was always to look under the rug at the gritty and broken world of humanity’s future, to recognize the state of affairs when corporations are willing to do anything in their battle for supremacy. Planes of Solace is about the “little people,” the individuals who lose their voice in a world when only the rich and prosperous have any say.

One small step

I’m not under any delusions that Planes of Solace revitalizes the science fiction genre. But I do think it does a lot of things well. (And, given that I’m my own hardest critic, it takes considerable effort to step back and see the book for its own merits.)

Graham and the group of people he works alongside develop an incredible sense of camaraderie, forged in the fire of a shared distrust of each other and their employer. It’s actually a pretty interesting premise on building friendships, and those relationships are really what fuel Graham’s desire to keep going.

Part mystery, part conspiracy theory, and part space opera, I set out to do a lot of things with Planes of Solace. And if feedback from early reviews is any indication, I think I actually did them all very well.

As I sit here, looking forward to the release of my first novel, it’s completely surreal. I won’t say I’d given up on that dream, but I had definitely put it on the top shelf. Especially as I prepare to start a new life with Kim and probably undergo a job change once she graduates in May.

There are a lot of transitions in my future, and the one thing I hadn’t anticipated was publishing a book, something I have dreamed of since middle school.

I am very, very blessed. (And also very excited.)

Support the artist(s)

You can pre-order a copy of Planes of Solace here and, as always, you can reach out to me with any questions or comments you have. I look forward to receiving your feedback (either through this site or on Amazon) and sharing more about Graham’s story.

Oh, and shout-outs to Chrissy for the cover art and Kim for the layout throughout the ebook!

P.S. In case you've forgotten, here's another shameless plug (I mean, it is my website, after all): you can pre-order Planes of Solace right now, or wait for it to release on September 13.