A Trader’s Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper
The Lois McKendrick runs headlong into trouble when a routine in-system transit goes bad. Ishmael and the rest of the crew must scramble to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it in order to keep the ship alive. Learn more about the officers and crew as they struggle to keep their ship and discover how Ishmael finds out how wrong he’s been about what it means to be a spacer in this latest Trader’s Tale.
Yes. I have considered it, Leo.
I looked at Lulu and several other “self-publish” and “print on demand” alternatives. As much as I’d love to do that, I’m guessing that once you saw the $56 cover price for a paperback volume, you might not want it as much as you think you do.
The problem is that these books are HUGE. Each one is around 125,000 to 130,000 words the way publishers count them. I think the shortest one is 260 pages of manuscript. By the time I get the ISBN number, the pages, the covers, the formatting, and something for me in there so I have a break-even cost somewhere near 100 copies, the price is monsterous and it’s just not worth it.
Now that I’ve gotten the re-write done for epi 16, I’m torn between continuing with Double Share and producing the next volume, or halting production altogether to get the manuscript in shape to submit to the Baen slush pile.
Add in the fact that Dragon Moon Press is listening to Podiobooks in search of new authors and I’m probably serving you all as well by continuing to create fresh content as I am by pursuing the death of a multitude of trees.
N
Well said Nate!
I can see the point that the cost would be a too high for the ordinary consumer, maybe that price would work for an author signed version…
With the two options you point out for the future, I would of course prefer that you write the next volume :-)
Lets hope that Dragon Moon press realizes the potential of these books and contacts you for publishing!
“Lets hope that Dragon Moon press realizes the potential of these books and contacts you for publishing!”
I fully agree with that Come on Dragon Moon Please Publish Nate I want to own these books in paper so I can loan them out to get others addicted, Just like I do with Scott Sigler and Tee Morris. Heck I’ve already got three other people hooked on the podcast! so come on you print we’ll pimp.
Especially if I can get a “Boy Toy” belt :)
Keep up the good work Nate, But don’t forget to sleep every week or two ;)
Hehe,”Boy ToY” belt – gimme :P
But seriously, i just wanted to point out some options here; have been customer at Baens webscriptions years now and love the service – i buy more e-books every year and last year started at fictionwise, again e-books. I have seriously started to belive that the dead tree business is going to “wither on the vine”, not now or even next decade but…I used to buy 1-2 conventional books every month – now i BUY about 10 e-books every month as long as the price is right(e.g. i refuse to pay 7-17$ for new e-book when i can read some good classics on gutenberg for free). IF i really like the e-book i sometimes buy the dead tree version too, but that happens wery rarely nowdays and one of the book series i’d like to own would be your Traders tales, for you see, i LIKE to READ my books :D
You have fans and exposure allready so now you just need to publish some printed text :P
Try to sneak into baens free library or short story(s) to their online magazine. Or publish e-book version…
Even if you put the next book on hold to work on cleaning up your books for publishers i’ll probably survive, for its for a good cause (as long as you throw a bone now and then; hint’n’nudge – SHORT STORIES-
Doh, realized that all i was saying was more of gimme, gimme, gimme – sry about that but, I do hope that you’ll get published someday/somehow…we, your fans deserve it xD
congras nat on the company’s interest in you
I think I’m going to burst waiting for episode 16.
I came in late for quarter share & half share and could listen to the whole thing right away. I didn’t have to wait for new episodes. This is nerve wracking.
I’m jonesing for the golden age of the solar clipper!
that ending rock keep up the
good work
I also love the statement from the captain when she goes to the galley on the bad penny
Thanks Nate
Wow, Nate! What an absolutely perfect (and classic!) ending to the story arc! Very satisfying. Thank you!
If you ask me, get the manuscript in order for publishing first. Good work like this should be published.
Have you heard anything back from DMP yet?
Thanks a lot – now I know what to do after work today :)
Thanks, Nate. This was exactly what – I think – we all wanted. A beautiful surprise ending. I appreciate the story tie-ins – specially Mr Roubaille. And here is my request for the future Share – that we all experience Ish becoming that man.
Thanks again for the great story.
Damn You’re Good!
Nate Please tell me there will be more!!! I just finished Full share and I want to hear about what trouble Pip and Ish get into atPort Numar
There will be more.
But the title “Port Newmar” may have to wait. :)
Nate,
Fantastic work. It was worth the wait.
Tell me, is is just coincidence that Ish pretty much goes to the academy with an enterage(sp?) that equals a whole command crew? I mean, he’s a systems guy, he’s taking an engineering officer, a cargo specialist, and a deck officer. What more do you need?
iTunes has never seemed to download so slowly! Episode 16! Thanks Nate. We’ve all been looking forward to it.
Hi,
Warning this is going to be long but should be read at least by Nate.
About me!
My name is Wes, and I am one of those late comers to reading. I read my first book when I was 29, and continued to read any SciFi, Fantasy book till I was 36 (I am 41 now) when my first kid was born. I have had one book I picked up to read when I knew I would need some thing to keep my mind going during the hospital say for the birth, well I have never finished that book.
During the time of the birth of my first I changed carers and ended up with an hour and a half drive each way to and from work. Last Spring I found Podcast books from Librivox. This was great but the quality was very poor. This led me to Podiobooks.com, and let me tell you I have been crashing through the SciFi, Fantasy stuff. My Favorites were 7son series, Scott S’s books, and some others.
Here is my problem with your books Nate.
Of all the books I have read(most were series)none has ever left me feeling as sad as your books that the series is over. If I had known just how great your books were, and how I was going to feel when I finished I might not have even listened to them.
Ok I am almost done with book 3 and I am going to say this series has been the best so far, of all the books I have read or listen to.
Outstanding!!!!!!!
Wes C.
There WILL be more.
Just — I’m pooped! :)
iTunes — that reminds me.
I get good stats from the Podiobooks site, but I have NO idea how many of you are listening thru iTunes, or picking up the Pickle. I’m grateful to everyone of you and if you’d take a moment and go to Podiobooks, find the three titles, and rate them there — even if you don’t give them 5s, we get better exposure just by having more people rate the books!
Thanks!
Great series so far – hope for more – Makes my commute to work enjoyable – Thanks
I don’t usually leave comment on sites like this but I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the share series. I have read a fair amount of Science Fiction in the past and I must say that I enjoyed your series more that any think else I have read in a long time and that includes a little series about a wizard in England :-) which I am currently reading as well.
Thanks again and I can’t wait for the next in the series.
nat I loved your pod-cast so much
that I used itunes to make in to a
audio book format so that it shows up as and
audio book in my player
I thank you for this great book and the other’s
Nate,
Thanks again for all your wonderful work. My wife is rabidly anti-science fiction, but I somehow got her to listen to the first installment of Quarter Share, and now she’s as hooked as anybody on this board. (As am I.)
We’re eagerly awaiting Double Share. Is it still on track to come out sometime in the spring?
Would you consider putting together a mailing list for those of us who want to hear the instant it’s ready, but don’t necessarily check podiobooks every day (or week)?
Bruce
Subscribe to “email notices” (see the link on the right side bar) to get the “inside scoop” on the Golden Age.
South Coast Shaman – a novel on Sarah Krugg’s backstory — is on track for release in December. My goal is to have the whole work up on podiobooks by jan 12th.
If I do it, that’ll be 4 novels written, recorded, and published in a year.
Just finished full share. The last few chapters made me feel almost the same way I do when a real friend gets good news. :-)
Hi. I’m very late to the Solar Clipper series but loving it very much and ploughing through Full Share via Podiobooks subscription using Google Reader. Though now there seems to be a problem with episode 11, it sounds like 2 episodes intercut and playing at the same time. Where can I please listen to a clean broadcast?
The file itself is good.
Try downloading it fresh directly from the link on Podiobooks
Thanks for the quickk reply Nate. I tried your link and get the same thing. I’m listening on a Asus EeePC running Linux – not that should make a difference, it hasn’t with any of the other files, nor the next. I really do not want to skip episode 11 as I want to hear how Lois deals with CC. But what I’m hearing is nonsensical. I just can’t work out the cause?
Ok this is odd.
It’s the file alright. Lemme see if I can find a good one.
How’s the hunt going? I’m itching to get my next fix! I’ve got so used to listening to Ish’s adventures at night that It’s like missing a friend I have not seen for a while.
Ah you replaced the file on Podiobooks.com, thank you Nate. I just listened to it and it was worth the wait. I’m singing your praises here in the UK.
Thanks for letting me know, Shane!
And keep spreading the word :)
FYI There is something wrong with Episode 1 of Full Share. I tried listening to it on the Podiobooks.com website, as a QuickTime file, as downloads from Podiobooks feed (http://www.podiobooks.com/title/full-share/feed/), downloaded from iTunes and on the iTunes website. On all of them I can hear the opening tune clearly but then your lovely voice is very very quiet. Far too quiet to understand.
I tried complaining on Podiobooks.com and noticed that there are a number of the same complaint dating back over a year. Thought you might want to know.
The voice on Episode 2 sounds like it’s coming from underwater but it is several thousand times clearer than Ep.1.
When you correct this would you be so kind as too inform me so I can reinsert my IV drip of Ish Wong?
And Episode 3 is impossible to hear too… Sigh.
The problem is in the mixing. If your player is not letting you hear it in stereo, then the two voice tracks are canceling out.
I’m aware of the problem and just haven’t had a chance to remix the audio.
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