Playing Publisher

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As most of you know, I have my own publishing house – Purple Toga Publications. While it isn’t quite ready open its doors for general submissions, there are opportunities that one just cannot pass by.

These past few weeks I have had the pleasure of playing publisher for another author. As with everything to do with Purple Toga, I have taken this very seriously and put forward my best professional talents. The new author deserves no less – irrespective of the fact that he’s also a dear friend who happens to be married to my sister…

He is, of course, Eric Klein. Some of you may already know him from his Feature Friday Futures series of interviews, or from his activities around the Sci-Fi Round-table and others.

So last year I have first helped Eric with story development, in several rounds of extended beta reading. We then arranged for the PT team to take his work up to professional standards, with meticulous editing and an impressively slick new cover. I am now working on his final book layout – a complex task befitting the story, but it keeps my designer’s OCD happy. (If any of you are looking for professional book layout design, contact me for a quote ;-).

I should probably talk a bit about the story at this point. Eric is a life long reader of Sci Fi and Fantasy (told you I liked him for a reason), and his debut novel is done is the style of golden-age science fiction, mixed in with the very latest in scientific research. The result is a near-future, hard sci-fi tale of solar-system intrigue. This adventure takes place 150 years from now, and looks at how the human race could realistically spread to nearby planets and moons. While our intrepid protagonist gallivants (or, rather, comfortably cruises) along and tries to make sense of seemingly unconnected “accidents”, we are treated to something very rare this days – an optimistic look at how humanity can rise to its best potential.

You can find more details – and maybe even snag an advance copy – at the cover reveal party this Friday: https://www.facebook.com/events/158932918089569/. If you grew up on science fiction, I can’t recommend this enough.

Eric Klein - The One - Cover Reveal

5 Comments

  2. I just checked out Purple Toga’s website and it sounds like my dream publisher if I were ever to go traditional: “We will not dictate to you any plot changes (though we’ll point out where things should be improved). We will not dictate what cover to use (though you’ll have to use our artists). We will not abandon you as soon as the next project is due.”
    If you weren’t closed to submissions, I’d pitch my genre-mashup book ASAP! I do plan on self-publishing it later this year, because it seems like my most viable option right now, but when Purple Toga Publications is accepting submissions again, would you ever consider working with something that’s already been self-published? (Also, less important question, would you make an exception to your cover artist rule for someone who is an experienced book cover graphic designer herself? 🙂 )

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