Those of you who follow me on twitter have probably heard about this already, but just to keep everybody else in the loop…
Owner’s Share has just topped 180k words. I’ve written most of those words since August 5th, and it’s been a heck of a ride. I wish I could report that I’ve finished the first draft, but unfortunately, I’m still a few thousand short of a full story. I know there’s an end here somewhere, but I just need to get us to the final port.
My goal was to have Owner’s Share done by the time the Parsec Awards are announced (Saturday, September 4 at 4pm ET) but that’s not going to happen. I may have the first draft done, but it’s going to take a lot of clean up to make it presentable. Once I get the words lined up, I’ll start producing the audio and drop it at Podiobooks and iTunes. In the meantime, please bear with me. This is the biggest book I’ve ever written and I want it to be right so that the Share series ends where it needs to.
Somewhere in the next couple of weeks, I’m going to have to step away from this one and work on the final text edits for Half Share because that’s due out in text formats in October and I’m hoping it’s not going to be a Halloween Treat!
Safe voyage!
I have no doubt that Owner’s Share will be worth the wait, as much as I would have liked to listen to it on the drive to and from Dragon*Con. Also looking forward to picking up the next print edition in the series, so as far as I am concerned, good news all around regardless of particular dates.
A wonderful story is always worth waiting for :)
Nate, I hope you’re enjoying the ride. Keep up the great work and like Thomas, I can’t wait to have another print edition on my shelves!
I would much prefer to wait an extra month and get a 200,000 word story or so. I’ve got to admit, the prospect of a 40+ episode Nathan Lowell epic has me slightly giddy.
Waiting is exquisite torture.
Take your time, Nate. I think its safe to say we all want Ish’s final voyages in the Share series to be the absolute best they can be. There’s a lot of things to address from the previous entries in the series even beyond the surprises you have in store for us in this one and I know I wouldn’t want to rush those resolutions for the world. Better that Owner’s share be our Alicia Alvarez than “The Plumber”.
I agree with Zeus, take your time. I have re-listened to all of the books and am looking forward to see what Ish pulls out of his hat. :D
What cmdln and Satchia said. :-) Oh, and what Josh said too! … and Shannon! I’m not sure I’m with Charles though. :> … and Zeus summed it up beautifully and hilariously with his last sentence. :D
Just wanted to say I’m looking forward to this last book. Having just picked up Quarter Share on my Kindle last Monday I was very impressed by the book. In fact, so impressed that I listened to the entire rest of the series on Audio book all week and finished up Captain’s Share on Saturday. Now I’m just kind of drumming my fingers until you release Owner’s Share.
Great work, great characters, great concept. Thank you for making a book with a normal guy as the hero for once. No special powers, no special insight, and makes plenty of his own mistakes in the process without falling into some terrible guilt suffering pit of despair in order to create fake drama.
I look forward to the rest of the books being made available in print!
One thing that we’ve all come to understand is that you do everything to the best of your ability. You take care of Half Share and finish Owner’s Share as best befits your conscious. As always you will truly ‘do the needful’ and we are more than willing to wait.
Yowsa! 180K!?! Sounds like Nathan slips into a zone like what Ish does when taking tests. :)
I look forward to the next (and last, wiping a tear from my eye) of the Share novels whenever it hits port.
Well said, James!
I’m practically salivating at the idea of 180K words. :)
Maybe it’s time to take a brake from Ish and work on some Cape Grace ;)
You know for those of us strange readers such as myself who fell in love with the South Coast and have been waiting ever so long. Just a suggestion, lol
Well, I can’t say I am not disapointed that Owner’s Share hasn’t been released. However, I would rather you spend the time polishing the story and get it the way you like it before releasing it, than have you rush and leave your readers disappointed by quality issues.
Besides, my iPod, my bookshelf, and my DVD library are full of un-read, -watched, -listened to content, so I guess I can wait. I also need to do my own writing. However when Owner’s Share is out, I will let everything else accumulate (except maybe my own writing) to listen to your story. However, don’t do a Scott Sigler and release your book on the first day of NaNoWriMo. That puts a damper on my word count.
Thank you for entertaining me over the years. I have always enjoyed the tales of Ishmael Horatio Wong and the crews of the Lois McKendrick, the William Tinker, and the Agamemnon.
I live for “let downs”, cause when you go over 200,000 it will be so great. (kidding) Just promise another trilogy about Ish and we will call it even. Besides pleasing your original audience allows you to go off in the other directions. Just an opinion, take it for what you think it is worth.
Hey, paying the bills has to come first, your pestering national can wait for you to finish on your timeline as long as Ish doesn’t die in a flitter crash!!!!!
I will be waiting patiently. I found and finished up the series to this point too recently to go through again. In the mean time, I appreciate all your dedication to your craft and to your fans.
You take your time. We can’t wait for Owners Share to drop, but even if you produce this book at a slower pace to get it just right, it will still be lightning speed compared most other authors :). We all want it to be right, like I know it will be. Thanks for all your great novels, The Share Series has become a personal favorite. It will be a very bitter sweet experience to listen to the last episode. I’m glad that moment hasn’t come yet, but it will be epic!
I found Quarter Share while scanning Amazon Kindle for another book to read. Downloaded it and read it almost in one sitting. Almost went crazy trying to find the rest, until I fell upon them in ITUNES as podcasts.
I’ve since listened to the series twice. I also intend to collect the text versions, so take your time developing them.
Great series–THANKS
The quality of your work is worth the wait. Unfortunately, the quality of your work also makes the wait that much harder to bear. Hmmm – maybe the answer is to start going through all of the existing shares again and try to time it so they finish about the time you do. Either that or keep running in circles doing the pee pee dance until OS is out.
Congrats on the CS parsec win!!!
Hi Nate! I can’t wait to hear “Owner’s Share”! You’re worth waiting for. I was just wondering if you find the process different with this one, now that you’ve had the experience of translating your other books to print form? (BTW, when I read “Quarter Share” in print form – wonderful job! – I still hear your voice doing all the characters in my head!) Congrats on the Parsec, well deserved :) – Joan
I think I am, yes.
With all the other writing I’ve done, and the insight into the publishing process, I think I’m approaching this one slightly differently. it’s still being written to be read aloud, but I’m paying a lot more attention to the sentence structure so that when it comes time to put it on the page, I’ll be able to make that process go a bit more smoothly.
I can’t wait for Owner’s Share, I loved the other books in the series. In fact, I was up very late several nights listening to the podio versions.
If there’s just too much to say for one final book, I don’t think any of us would object if you decided you needed, say, 4 more books to really finish Ish’s story? ;) I dread listening to Owner’s Share as I know it’s the last book in the series. Take as long as you need and make it as long as you can. It’s probably not realistic (given the size of the deep dark) that Ish will meet up with lots of his former shipmates, but I hope at least 1 or 2 make a guest appearance.
I’d be surprised if Nate doesen’t eventually make a book about Port Newmar
5 more books wouldn’t hurt my feelings at all. There is a lot of space out there in the deep dark for more books and these have entertained me for weeks in my travels. I hope Pep makes an appearance but if not than another book or five would be very nice. Maybe something like “ A Traders Empire†LOL. They are a good team. I hope you do a box set when done. I will buy it for my library.
An amazing universe and job Nate. Thank you
These are amazing books! My self and my Mother which I introduced to your books are really looking forward to more of the adventures. I also agree another 5 books or so sounds great :) Well done Nate I’ve never been so hooked on an author, all of your books have incredible story lines and when I’m listening, I’m there with the crew. Keep it up & thank you