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.

The developmental edit for Human Resources continues. During the last month I completed Act One of the rewrite, handing it over to Inkshares and my editor to review and "course correct" before pushing on. 



I’m lucky to be working with such an engaged team who are working tirelessly to help me transform my rough-cut stone into a sparkling gem (of dark adventure). After reviewing the updated Act One, we have more changes to implement as we focus in on the core themes of the novel. That means a slight pause on the rewrite itself while the outline is tweaked further, then back into it with gusto.

I think it’s been a few updates since I thanked you all. I have this opportunity because of your generosity, and I won’t forget it. Thank you — for your belief, support, and patience. This process is a marathon, but I’m continuing to drive through it and each day brings us closer to physical books rolling off the production line.

BTW: If you haven’t seen it, Inkshares have a sci-fi themed competition running right now in partnership with Nerdist (https://www.inkshares.com/contests/nerdist-sci-fi-contest). There’s some great novels being pitched, so it’s worth checking out.

I hope you all had an amazing Month — I’ll be back with another update at the end of June.

Robert