Hey everyone! Happy Summer!
At least they tell us it’s summuh up here in glorious Maine. Hard to tell with highs in the upper 60s and nights in the 40s. At least it’s keeping the black flies down. A little.
May 31 in Maine, Ladies and Gentlemen
So have I got some news for you!
The crowdfunding sequel to It’s All Fun and Games is now up and running!
As I mentioned in a past update, More Fun and Games has been written (for several years) and now needs the spit and polish (and in some cases massive reworking) to get it up and ready for publication. In the meanwhile, I need your help.
Many of you rallied to It’s All Fun and Games because I harassed you, begged you, and after all, it was only five bucks. Unfortunately (for us…financially appropriate for Inkshares), the price to support has increased - $10 for an ebook and $20 for the paperback. This is a bigger commitment, for sure, so I don’t feel comfortable doing the same level of begging. Having said that, I would really appreciate your tossing a few bucks my way.
Also unfortunately, this isn’t part of a contest, which means no getting the big win on a near miss (that is, the target of 750 copies is much more firm than it was last time). So even if you don’t feel like you can preorder a copy, if you know anyone who liked the first book and would be willing to pitch in on the sequel, please spread the word. Do you know someone who runs an indie bookstore? Rope ‘em on in. Are you a Reality TV family with 19 children (and counting)? All the rug rats need a copy, maybe two.
I will continue to post updates from both projects, so for those of you following both, I apologize for the spam. I’m hopeful that over the summer we’ll be able to get enough momentum to get the process up and running and the sequel out in a timely fashion.
As always, I am humbled by both the kind words and the financial support of my first novel.
Thank you!
Dave
Hey everyone! Happy Summer!
At least they tell us it’s summuh up here in glorious Maine. Hard to tell with highs in the upper 60s and nights in the 40s. At least it’s keeping the black flies down. A little.
May 31 in Maine, Ladies and Gentlemen
So have I got some news for you!
The crowdfunding sequel to It’s All Fun and Games is now up and running!
As I mentioned in a past update, More Fun and Games has been written (for several years) and now needs the spit and polish (and in some cases massive reworking) to get it up and ready for publication. In the meanwhile, I need your help.
Many of you rallied to It’s All Fun and Games because I harassed you, begged you, and after all, it was only five bucks. Unfortunately (for us…financially appropriate for Inkshares), the price to support has increased - $10 for an ebook and $20 for the paperback. This is a bigger commitment, for sure, so I don’t feel comfortable doing the same level of begging. Having said that, I would really appreciate your tossing a few bucks my way.
Also unfortunately, this isn’t part of a contest, which means no getting the big win on a near miss (that is, the target of 750 copies is much more firm than it was last time). So even if you don’t feel like you can preorder a copy, if you know anyone who liked the first book and would be willing to pitch in on the sequel, please spread the word. Do you know someone who runs an indie bookstore? Rope ‘em on in. Are you a Reality TV family with 19 children (and counting)? All the rug rats need a copy, maybe two.
I will continue to post updates from both projects, so for those of you following both, I apologize for the spam. I’m hopeful that over the summer we’ll be able to get enough momentum to get the process up and running and the sequel out in a timely fashion.
As always, I am humbled by both the kind words and the financial support of my first novel.
Thank you!
Dave
Oh you. I haven’t forgotten about you.
I wanted to let you know that CHAMPIONS OF THE THIRD PLANET is still coming your way. I got interrupted recently with some TV projects – mainly a pilot for Disney XD and this crazy thing for Fox Network: http://deadline.com/2016/11/neil-gaiman-angry-films-fox-network-the-building-series-development-1201854827/
But I’m back at work now finishing CHAMPIONS, which I still love with all my heart. I think it will be worth the wait and you will dig it.
Thanks for being patient.
I love you.
--Chris
Which do you want first: the Good News, or the Good-er News?
Fine. Good news is I’ve finally had the epiphany I should’ve reached months ago (which, by the way, is why you’re receiving another update so soon after the last). I’ve decided to SPLIT THE ANIMAL IN MAN IN TWO. Yes, you’ve read that correctly. Fellow authors, publishing industry gurus, inkshares itself, close friends and relatives - all these folks had been asking me for so long “why not just split the novel? Honestly, my dear animals, working on The Animal in Man had become a lot like sculpting pottery: the wheel spins and spins at a constant, but the larger the pot I was trying to make, the more likely it was to start coming apart and ultimately wind up an unrecognizable ruin. I’d rather make something beautiful - keep the pattern intact - and I figured you’d rather read it that way.
So what’s the Good-er News?
I re-submitted the manuscript last week! This means the ball is now in the publisher’s side of the court. I’ve done a little research that should make all parties involved (including you and me) much happier: An author with multiple books develops a better readership. Trilogies sit better on store shelves and are more likely to be stocked & re-stocked by booksellers. Imagine you’re just Joe-Schmoe Bookreader at the B&N down your street, just browsing the Sci-Fi Fantasy section like you always do, and you spot book one, book two, and book three of The Animal in Man all side-by-side. You are more likely to wonder what you’re missing out on when you discover a trilogy for the first time.
Yes, I said “trilogy.” That, in fact, was the straw that broke this camel’s back. The original, monstrously-oversized Animal in Man ended on a the mother of all cliffhangers, and I’d originally intended to leave it as-is (frankly I like unfinished endings, like Watchmen or Inception). But the ideas just kept gestating in the dark, warm, moist recesses of my brain, fed by the questions. What would happen to so-and-so? Did so-and-so make it out alive, and if he did, what would he do next?
Stay tuned to find out. Because of the decision to split the book, it won’t be as long of a wait.
In the meantime, check out some of the AMAZING sci-fi novels burning up the leaderboards on Inkshares’ Nerdist Contest. The second I read the description of Jenny Graham-Jones “1000 Faces” I knew I had to have a copy. That kind of dystopian, bleak-future vision of our world - where everyone wears a mask and all is never as it seems - is my kind of jam. Take a look at the submissions, you’re sure to find something great.
Until next time, my dear animals.
Today is Publication Day for the Bones of the Past!
It has been a very, very long road to get to this point: I started writing what would eventually become the Books of Dust and Bone in January 2010. I made my way to Inkshares in late 2015 and launched my funding campaign on December 18. With support from you, my readers, I managed to place in the top 3 of the Sword and Laser contest (The Sequel) and on January 15, 2016 won a publication deal. Today, the book is available in hundreds of brick and mortar stores across North America, not to mention a number of online retailers worldwide.
I am eternally grateful to each and every one of you, and I sincerely hope you enjoy the final product!
Once you have had a chance to read The Bones of the Past, I would really appreciate a review! Reviews are the single most important factor in the continued success of a book. Just a short note (a sentence or 2 is all it takes!) to tell other people what you thought really can make all the difference. Those who would like to help even more – please copy and paste your review to all of the sites listed below!
Thank you all yet again!!!
The Punch Escrow is hitting bookstores on July 25 — less than 2 months from today. I wanted to give you guys an update on where things stand based on the increasing number of inbound questions:
- Book Tour: We have one. I hope one of our stops is in your town. You can check out the list of places and dates here: https://www.facebook.com/thepunchescrow/posts/1951228528444487:0 (if you haven’t already, please give The Punch Escrow a "Like" on FB when you’re there)
- Cover Design: It’s done and I will share the full cover as soon as we approve the proofs from the printer. It’s lovely and iconic. I couldn’t be happier! This book will be a lot of fun to hold. We’ve been very picky about materials and inks.
- Pre-sales: Some of you may have gotten an email stating that you’ve "backed a winner!" - yes, I’m super thrilled we’re moving a lot of pre-order units. I’m very happy the book is picking up steam. I don’t know what else to say about that other than: THANK YOU! and maybe also WOOHOO!
- The movie: I can’t really say anything about the movie other than tell you that Lionsgate didn’t only option the book, they optioned The Punch Escrow’s entire world or, as I like to call it, "The Future." What this means is that if things go well, there will be many other stories to come through various mediums, not just film. I continue to have very productive meetings with the creative team at Lionsgate, and I believe "The Future" is in very good hands.
- Blurbs: Here are all the amazing blurbs we’ve gotten for the book so far. The reviews are also starting to come in to the book’s Goodreads page from advance readers and reviewers:
“I read a lot of books but haven’t enjoyed one as much as The Punch Escrow in a long time. I picked it up for a cross-country flight and didn’t put it down until we landed in New York. Tal Klein creates a plausibly real future that sucks you in. He powers his story with action, twists, and a dash of humor. Young actors will be lining up to play the lead character, and any director worth his salt would kill (or at least teleport) for a chance to adapt The Punch Escrow.” —Andy Lewis, Book Editor, The Hollywood Reporter
“A compelling, approachable human narrative wrapped around a classic hard sci-fi nugget, The Punch Escrow dives into deep philosophical territory—the ethical limits of technology, and what it means to be human. Cinematically paced yet filled with smart asides, Klein pulls off the slick trick of giving readers plenty to think about in a suspenseful, entertaining package.” —Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica
“An alt-futuristic hard-science thriller with twists and turns you’ll never see coming. I couldn’t put it down.” —Felicia Day, author of You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)
“Klein transports us to a beautifully rendered near-future world. This is refreshingly original and immersive hard sci-fi. You’ll turn the last page and yearn for Joel Byram’s next chapter.” —Ben Brock Johnson, host of Codebreaker podcast and Marketplace Tech
“A headlong ride through a future where ‘huge international corporate conspiracy’ is a box you check on a form and teleportation takes you anywhere—it just blows you to bits first.” —Quentin Hardy, Head of Editorial, Google Cloud (formerly Deputy Tech Editor for The New York Times)
"The Punch Escrow has a cool high concept and an action-packed story that will leave your head spinning." —Daniel H. Wilson, The New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse and Clockwork Dynasty
“If I lived in the world of The Punch Escrow, I’d teleport around the world shoving copies of Tal M. Klein’s thrilling, hilarious, and whip-smart debut into everyone’s hands. Save me the trip—buy this novel now.” —Duane Swierczynski, author of Revolver and the bestselling Level 26 series
“A fast-paced near-future sci-fi adventure peppered with exotic technology and cultural references ranging from Karma Chameleon to the Ship of Theseus, The Punch Escrow will have you rooting for its plucky, sarcastic hero as he bounces between religious fanatics, secret agents, corporate hacks, and megalomaniacs in a quest to get his life back. If you’ve ever wanted to get Scotty drunk and ask him some tough questions about how those transporters work exactly, The Punch Escrow is the book for you.” —Robert Kroese, author of The Big Sheep and its sequel, The Last Iota
“This book angered me to my core, because it’s based on an idea that should have occurred to me. The fact that Tal executed it so well, and made such a page-turner out of it, just adds insult to injury.” —Scott Meyer, author of the Magic 2.0 series
“Some writers take us to the future so we can question the effects that technology can have on humanity on a global and personal scale, along with the impact upon the social fabric. Others do it to take us on a wild ride made all the more fantastic by pushing the boundaries of what we can expect from the world of tomorrow. Tal M. Klein masterfully balances both and sets it all to the beat of an 80s soundtrack. An excellent piece of contemporary science fiction.” —J-F. Dubeau, author of A God in the Shed and The Life Engineered
