Keeping in mind that things periodically change, currently we have a production schedule for my books.
Updated: January 4, 2012
Audio Works:
Avempartha (By Michael Sullivan) – Orbit contract. Not happening.
Cape Grace – 2012 (Still writing)
Ravenwood sequel – 2012 (NaNoWriMo 2011. Fingers crossed)
Text Formats Schedule (Print and Electronic):
Sometime in 2012 – Double Share
Sometime in 2012 – Captain’s Share
Sometime in 2012 – Owner’s Share
August 2012 Released as self-pub Oct, 2011 – Ravenwood
December 2012 Unknown – South Coast
April 2013 Unknown – Cape Grace
Things are in such flux that it’s difficult to predict schedule with any degree of accuracy. This list represents my best guess on the day it’s posted.
Mr. Lowell…I have enjoyed all three of the first round series immensely. What is very unusual for me is that I am considering giving them to my brother-in-law who was in the Navy and loves sea stories (Two Years Before the Mast, Caine Mutiny, Enemy Below, etc.) He does not read SciFi, but I think it really is immaterial. This is about shipping out and growing up aboard your ship. Should work for ANY sailor.
Thank you.
Thank you, Pat.
It’s great to hear from readers who are enjoying the stories enough to share them.
A lot of my readers are ex-Navy/ex-Merchant Marine. I was on a ship myself and grew up on the ocean so I’ve some familiarity with the realities and I think it comes across in the stories.
And thanks for spreading the word.
I just wanted to say thank you Mr. lowell, reading the dialogue here has been almost as enjoyable as all the times you have taken me to space in designer jeans. I appriciate you taking the time to chat with your fans and for sharing your friends and dreams with us.
My pleasure Brian
It’s been great fun for me, too
Thanks, Nathan, for the books that you’ve published so far. I look forward to the remaining books in the Star Trader series. Great work!
Your impatient fans await Double Share. Only eight more days left in August. Nudge Nudge.
Ridan has said “September” now.
They’ve had the edits for six weeks now and I’m still waiting for the feedback.
So it goes.
Thank you for the trader tales and shaman tales I have listen to both over the last four weeks excellent and very well narrated. I have listened to all six books of the trader tales back to back in-between making my deliveries as a hgv driver. They are gentle, funny and uncomplicated a really lovely read and quite refreshing. They do remind me in some ways of my early days of reading SF
(I’m 52 years old) eg Robert heinlen. I look forward to the continued story as and when they become available . Thank you Richard
What seems odd is that there isn’t a listing for Double Share (or any of the subsequent books) on Amazon’s site at all.
I was expecting to be able to go to the page and mark down a pre-order.
No, Ridan doesn’t do pre-orders. The books don’t get listed until you can actually *buy* them.
While I applaud their unwillingness to “sell vapor,” there’s also an issue of convenience.
At the moment, I’m now hearing that it might be October before they release it. Stay tuned and I’ll keep you informed as I learn more.
Here it is in November and still no print version of Double Share.
When now? Soon, I hope.
The best word I have out of Ridan is “before Christmas”
They’ve got (at least) two books in the queue ahead of me and I’m caught in line until they release it.
Sorry, Charles.
Thank you for all the fun I’ve had reading the Solar Clipper tales. I wish that all the story’s were out and readable now but I can wait, because I know good things are coming. I’m 68 so Ridan had better get a move on. I don’t know if my ghost will be as patient as I am, so there may be haunting in their future. You could let them know or let them take their chances. Either way your stories are wonderful.
Christmas is getting mighty close. Any word on a release date for double yet?
Sigh. No.
I’m another fan eagerly awaiting more. I can’t wait to continue my journey.
My father was a CPO radioman in the Coast Guard for 21 years (in the 70′s and 80′s) and I can feel that environment as I read your books. It brings me back quite a few years and takes me many years forward at the same time.
I check weekly for Double Share. Thank goodness for my patience. I know it’s as frustrating for you to tell us to wait as it is for us to be waiting. Fortunately, we enjoy your work enough to harp on you about it. Who knows, maybe it really will be a Merry Christmas. We can only hope.
Wilson
It’s not too late to get it out by Christmas, but it’s going to be close.
While I would rather see Double Share out earlier than later…… my wife is happy that I’m finishing up some work around here instead of reading
Hope it’s out soon!
Thanks, Dave. Me, too .. at least about the “earlier than later” part
You need a new publisher–or publish the e-books yourself on Smashwords. You are gaining a following, any chance of a Baen contract?
I can’t foresee any circumstance wherein I could afford to take a Baen contract. Going mainstream would mean I’d need to get a day job to pay the bills. It would make more sense to publish myself.
I will be publishing more of my own work, but the Share series will stay with Ridan. Robin is working toward getting me the edits this weekend and will be working to get the last three books ALL published by the end of April.
For us non-authors, what is so financially horrible about mainstream contracts versus self-publishing or small printers?
Oh, of course, Jean.
It boils down to anticipated earnings.
For me, a mainstream press would pay about $5,000 as an advance. They’d pay that in three installments over two years. It takes 18-24 months to get a book produced through a mainstream press. Some authors with clout do better, but I don’t have that kind of clout. Until that first book earns the advance back, I would be unlikely to get a contract to sell another book. Statistically, 90% of debut authors never earn out that advance. That means that I should not expect to earn $5,000 in royalties. In raw numbers, I wouldn’t expect to sell 5,000 copies.
What that means:
If I had signed with Tor/Baen in January 2010, Quarter Share would just be getting released now. I could not expect Half Share to be released for at least two more years. In the time since January, 2010, I’d have earned $1,300 – $2,600 (depends on whether I’d have gotten the first of the three payments, or the first TWO of them). The company would charge $9.99 for the ebook and publish through the normal number of book stores. Note that most mainstream authors are reporting 20% of their sales in ebook, meaning they’re selling about 1000 ebooks and 4000 paper/hardbacks (or less, since 90% of them don’t earn back their advances, most of them are selling fewer than 5,000 copies).
Now, it’s possible that the sky could open up and the blessings of St. Martin’s Press could rain down upon my head and they’d offer me a deal I could accept. It would take a LOT of zeroes for it to be something I’d be interested in taking because the reality is that the advance would be all the money I’d ever see from it.
Ridan’s terms are much better. I’m earning about 50% of the cover price on ebook sales and picking up a dollar or two from every paperback. The prices of the books are reasonable, resulting in substantial numbers of units sold (I’ve sold over 10,000 copies of EACH title so far. Considerably more than that on Quarter Share). It means that I’m earning a living as a full time author and I can focus on the work instead of trying to get a job. In theory, Ridan will publish two books a year for me and since there’s no advance to earn back, the release of the books is not being held up by a marketing department that’s waiting to see if I sell enough books.
The disappointment is in the timing of these releases. When I started with Ridan, it was before the e-book revolution and before Ridan’s business exploded. They’ve been struggling with growing pains since early last year. Things are improving, but it’s still not where it would be in an ideal world.
I *am* releasing Ravenwood and it’s two sequels on my own. I’ve contracted with an artist for three covers (one to replace the original and covers for the next two books). I’m leaving the Share series with Ridan because I like the way those books look and what the visibility of being in Ridan’s catalog does for me. I’ve still got South Coast to release in print. I’m not sure where/when that will happen.
In 2012, I’ll be releasing
1. Zypheria’s Call – (Tanyth Fairport Book 2)
2. The Hermit of Lammas Wood (Tanyth Fairport Book 3)
3. Cape Grace (Shaman Tales Book 2)
4. At least one new Ishmael Wang novel (first book in the next trilogy)
5. Two other novel lengths work to be named later.
PLUS
at least two Odin’s Outpost stories (novella length)
another steampunk story set in The Ministry of Peculiar Occurances universe
a contributed novella to Scott Sigler’s GFL universe.
My goal is to have ten books in print (ebook and paper) by this time next year. That means seven titles get released in the next twelve months.
Does that help?
It helps a lot. I am glad I am not trying to make a living as a author. Keep up the great writing!
I’ve already listened to the Ishmael Wang series, and just bought the first Fairport book. I’m colecting the e-versions as soon as they are published since I am much more visual person than an aural. These books have joined my “comfort” books, to be re- read repeatedly and cherished.
I just wanted to pass on my appreciation for your work.
Now I am off to read Ms Tanyth’s adventures…
I’ve bought all three published Ishmael Wang/Solar Clipper novels as Kindle books (I too am more visual than audio oriented) and have been checking daily in December for Double Share to come out. In the mean time I’ve been rereading the first three, and I still find them very enjoyable.
I only have one complaint or annoyance with them: the heights that you specified for various characters. To wit, Ishmael Wang is stated to 1.5 meters tall — this is slightly less than 5 ft. His mother was described as about “fifty kilos and barely a meter and a quarter” — this is approximately 110 pounds and about 4 ft 2 inches; 110 pounds is actually rather heavy for someone only 4 ft tall. Brill is described as “over two meters” in Quarter Share and “two and a quarter” in Half Share; 2.25 meters is approximately 90 inches, or 7 ft 6 in. Francis is described in Quarter Share as “almost as tall as Brill”. Then Steve, Brill’s pickup in Half Share is also described as 1.25 meters tall. We have Ish lusting after Brill even though he’d have to look up to see her breasts since he’s only 2/3 her height, and it would be even worse for Steve. So practically everyone whose height is specifically mentioned is either really short or really tall. Was this intentional? I find it very distracting.
Yeah. It *is* intentional but not to the degree that people are interpreting it as literal. In hindsight I should have given exact figures even though it would have made the book read funny to say “4 foot 3 and 97 pounds” for example. (And how is Ishmael supposed to know that anyway? First person POV has some limits on what he knows and you get what he believes.)
The goal was to mimic the way people speak in approximations … somebody is “five feet tall” when really they’re something more like “five foot five.” I’ve noticed this a lot in common speech but for some reason when those same tropes are used in the story, they get translated more literally. Brill really is supposed to be something close to seven feet tall in a world where the average height is more like five and a half. Francis is another bean-pole anomaly. Almost everybody else is under 5′ 8″. Yes. That’s on purpose.
And yeah, some of them are off by a bit. I’m not a native metric speaker and I have trouble with weight conversion in particular. We cleaned up some of it, but there’s still a fair amount.
Sorry about that.
Thanks for clearing up the height thing. I’m not a native metric speaker either, but as a retired NASA computer programmer, I’ve learned how to do rule-of-thumb conversions, and it just made for really odd mental images for me. Brill as, say, 6 ft 6 in works okay for me because I know a woman about that height (but she’s the tallest woman I’ve ever met). The shortest person I ever met was a woman about 4 ft 9 in (and she was married to a guy who was 6 ft tall), but I’m 5 ft 1 in, and I’m considered short for a woman. I’ll just try to read them as approximations henceforward. By the way, when guys round their height, they always round upward, in my experience. Thanks again, and I’m still waiting for Double Share. Sure hope it’s out before Christmas.
Damn but you are one hell of a good writer. You have joined my 3 other beloved authors Mr.’s Drake, Weber, and Stout. Your books are re readable and as comfortable as a fireplace on a cold night. Thank you so very much for writing.
I know that it’s got to be irritating, and I apologize for doing this, but please, please, tell me that there is finally a concrete release date for double.
I have found myself checking amazon daily for the last few weeks, hoping that today was “before Christmas” but alas, no joy. I’m guessing now, with three days to go before the fat guy slings his bag into the sleigh and makes his rounds, that “before Christmas” isnt happening, but I am finding myself in need of reassurance that, A) there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and B) its not an oncoming train.
Seasons greetings to all, and may you all have a happy and safe holiday season.
I’ll be making a post today or tomorrow but, no, it’s not happening. I still don’t have the edits back from Ridan and I don’t believe they’ll put it live without my looking it over again. Even if I got them today, I can’t imagine getting through it again fast enough to make a Christmas release.
Believe me when I say that my disappointment in having to make that post is possibly as great as yours is in reading it.
Capt I hate to just add another fawning note but owning all the e-titles you’ve published from Nook and Kindle. Reads like the old Sci-Fi of Asimov Heinlein and the like and I’ve read most of it. Incredible easy to read prose. Thanks for what you have done.
As a former Navy officer, I am addicted! Reminds me of being back at sea….
Finished your first books in 2 weeks – can you not self publish the remainder on Amazon?
Getting ready to finish full share on kindle. Where are the next books in this series? Let me know when I can read them. You have a goldmine going here and I hope i can get the next one this stanyer….
Book 4 is with the publisher, Steve.
I’m hoping that we’ll finish up the series completely before spring.
I *could* self publish the rest, Ryan.
But I’m not quite at that point yet.
The best new series I have read in forever. I read Quarter Share, Half Share and Full Share today one after the other and am now dying for the rest of them! Called my parents and told them they had to start reading them now and my husband is next on my kindle for mine. I can’t WAIT til the next ones come out for Kindle or hard copy just so I can get back to the Lois’ family! Hopefully they will be here soon and you are planning more! Thank you so much for the wonder and the laughter! Best wishes!!
Another vote for self publishing from me. 100% of the revenue and control of the editorial process, what’s not to love? Great work with the Trader series. Go tell Ridan you readers demand a faster time to market!
Once upon a time, I had a wonderful time at a Bed & Breakfast and even went back the next year. That time, one of the hosts had the flu …and then they both did, and I swore off B&B’s.
Makes me think of Ridan Publishing and Robin’s family problems.
Whichever way you go, I’ll be buying the last 3 _Shares_
i have read the quarter share and am halfway through half share i came to this web site looking for the last three books of the series only to find that they are not out yet but i did finally get an answer to where they are. and now i can’t wait i was in the royal Canadian navy and i can see the similarities. great books i am reading them on my iPod touch while i am at work. it would be great if the last three were out for me to take to the cottage in the summer. keep up the great writing absolutely love the story line in the solar trader series. i will be getting the next three on either my kobo or my iPod touch. good luck on writing!!
please when are the rest of the solar clipper books going to be realest?
i have read the first three and have downloaded all the pod casts but i do not want to listen to them before i have read them as i always like to read a story myself before either watching the movie or listening to them.
please give your publisher a kick from me to help them speed up.
your books are the best i have read in many years and i read a lot of books at around 5 to 7 per week.
many thanks for all your hard work
regards paul
I’ve read the share books in print and check periodically for the rest. I’m an old jarhead and couldn’t put the damn things down. Great job. They remind me of the older Heinlein stuff. Keep writing.
Hi, just wanted to say how much I enjoyed “A Traders Tale..” and look forward to the others in the series. After finishing Jack McDevitt’s Academy Series with Priscilla Hutchins (which is excellent!), I wanted a series about the other 99.9% of shipping and freighter personnel that aren’t in high adventure. As a concept, that could seem quite boring for many readers, the lives of the ordinary person. I was sure it didn’t exist but came across your books and you have managed to make that very concept interesting! All that to say this is exactly what I was looking for.
Nathan you keep on writing I will keep on reading. I really enjoy every book and short story.
Thank you so much.
Hi Nathan,
I’ve been enjoying the Solar Clipper series very much. I wondered if you had any update about what’s happening with Ridan and your 4th book…. I eagerly look forward to buying it.
I’d offer to pay you directly for the last three if I could! Honestly, the only thing worse than waiting for the next book of a great series, is not having a great series to wait for at all.
(At least you, Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, and Pat Rothfuss are all in good company.)
Hope you keep writing – I’m going to check out some of your other works while I wait!
DM