Disambiguation Notice: Necessity’s Child

[rolanni]

Since this has come up in discussion several times:  No (that’s NO), Necessity’s Child, a Liaden Universe® novel scheduled for publication in May 2013 is not (that’s NOT) the sequel to Dragon Ship. 

Necessity’s Child is the book that bore the working title George, snippets of which were posted in this journal through late 2011 and early 2012.

Further to the sequel of Dragon Ship — It has not (NOT) been written yet; we are not (NOT) in the process of writing it; it hasn’t even been pitched yet.

Writing projects currently on the Lee-and-Miller plate are:

1. Short story for Baen website, due July 1 — Steve
2. Trade Secrets, sequel to Balance of Trade — Steve
3. Two sequels to Carousel Tides, tentatively titled Carousel Sun and Carousel Seas — Sharon
4. Write and submit proposals, one of which will be for the sequel to Dragon Ship.  We have discovered that we need to let our brains rest before we start in proposin’ agin, so that’s what’s happening.  *Looks at list above.  Falls over laughing*

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[pgranzeau.livejournal.com]

You have an immensely popular series going on, you have a story being published this year that is CRYING for a follow on, and you haven't even pitched it to a publisher who obviously loves your stories and is publishing everything you can give them?

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we're idiots.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

But we still like you anyway.
:-)

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

No, you're master storytellers who have learned that teasing your audience with properly crafted cliffhangers is an effective stragtegy to ensure that we cling to your every word and eagerly snap up everything you offer us.

And we're grateful you do so. Please continue as long as you can : )

[bercilakslady.livejournal.com]

Pretty much this. :)

[kalilama.livejournal.com]

Excellent comment.

[estara.livejournal.com]

Thirded.

[ebartley.livejournal.com]

But why should the authors rush to pitch the book? Somehow I doubt Baen will refuse a proposal for Dragon Ship 2 just because it comes in a month or six rather than now.

It sounds like Sharon and Steve have enough work already under contract to keep them busy, so having negotiations later won't cause them to lose work time. Limiting factor here is the authors' time, after all.

Can you disambiguate further?

[bitjuggler.livejournal.com]

So far you've told us where Necessity's Child does _not_ fit... but where *does* it fit?

Re: Can you disambiguate further?

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Necessity's Child fits into a pocket of Ghost Ship, featuring three viewpoints never before introduced, and some old friends, too.

Edited to add: The story takes place on Surebleak.

[estara.livejournal.com]

More Surebleak = very much to my taste. But I know that already because I liked the snippets.

Ha.

[daughterofhonor.livejournal.com]

Your last comment made me laugh, and I know what you mean (although I am not the author of a popular book series whose fans want to know when, EXACTLY, another book will come forth, and so they are able to plan a reading vacation appropriate to the event). :)

[katmoonshaker.livejournal.com]

Let's see, you have graciously let us, your devoted slaves... ummm I mean fans... ummmm readers, know what your writing schedule looks like. No worries, no hurries from this reader. I'm just grateful you've let us know. In the meantime I'll finish up Dragon Ship (I picked it up yesterday night) and then go through everything I have again (as usual) and sob into my pillow... uh, I mean wait patiently until the next work comes out. ::looks innocently at the ceiling::

[jim hicinbothom (from livejournal.com)]

Amen!

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

*hurriedly sticks pillows under fallen author* Wouldn't want physical damage/discomfort to interfere with the stated writing schedule, after all ...

Ok

[catherine ives (from livejournal.com)]

Disambiguate. Had to look it up on the dictionary.com. So...where the author makes one thing perfectly clear. She says, I want to make one thing perfectly clear: Necessities Child is not a sequel to Dragon Ship. That's ok I can remember the author saying she wanted to write the book called "George" with some new characters set on Surebleak. Since she's the author we had to let her do that. Glad to find out that it's set in the same time period as Ghost Ship set on Surebleak. Disambiguated again.

It's nice to be busy. Looks like Steve has taken on a lot too.
Good luck on the pitching of the idea for a sequel to Dragon Ship. I'd imagine that the publisher will probably say yes since the series has been very popular.

And I just want to point out a photo I saw posted on Facebook today. A cat sits triumphantly in the middle of a large dog bed looking up at the camera. The rather large dog has curled him/herself up in the corner away from the bed. Thought you'd appreciate that. Cat 1, Dog 0. It all depends on the strength of the will.

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Can I say "YEAH!"? That looks like at least four good, interesting novels coming down the pike -- 'tween Necessity's Child, Trade Secrets, and a couple in the Carousel environs (magic! And selkies! And Maine small towns! And... WOW!). Plus the odd short story, splinter, or whatever tucked in around the edges?

Can we fan your fevered brow, there? Or at least get you a cookie or something?

Fun times ahead! Thanks!

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

*waits impatiently for Trade Secrets*

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Well, I think the next one out is probably that short story. Although there's a chance that Necessity's Child could sneak out -- it's been turned in, which means we can start badge... asking Toni nicely for an eArc. Trade Secrets has to be written, first, I think (although it would be nice if we could read them before they were written... pre-emptive reading! Of course, before long we'd be asking to read them before they even thought of them, which would be confusing, to say the least :-)

[pgranzeau.livejournal.com]

I don't think E-Arcs should come out until the editor has a chance to edit, the copy editor has a chance to foul things up, and the author has a chance to "STET" everything they did, and finally, production has a chance to typeset the book. That's probably about 6 nonths after submission, so I will look for an E-arc in late Fall.

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Wow! So you want to postpone the eArcs significantly from when they are released now? Almost to the first quarter release as part of the bundle? In which case they really aren't eArcs (electronic Advanced Reading Copies), but just a marginally early final version?

Right now, the eArcs at Baen are understood to be early releases, with the chance of errors. I'm pretty sure Toni actually usually waits for the first round of edits from the authors, but it is deliberately not before the final typesetting and so forth. And most of us are quite happy with that.

I think the point they've settled on for eArcs works pretty well, overall. But, of course, YMMV. Feel free to wait for a later release. I'll continue to purchase the early eArcs for at least some authors.

[drammar.livejournal.com]

*Looks at list above. Falls over laughing*

Gee I wonder why? Not exactly conducive to lettings one's brain rest, is it?

Dragon Ship

[draconis1234.livejournal.com]

I have just finished the E-Arc, and I will say that it is the first one I have ever read that did not have one typo or missed step that I have ever had the good fortune to read. I did not put it down until I finished the first read through. Theo continues to amaze and I will wait not so patiently til the next time. Looking forward to getting re-acquainted with Jethri. :)