I guess I ought to share the news I mentioned regarding the Palladium Wars. Unfortunately, it’s not all sunshine and roses.
47North has decided not to continue the series. I don’t know the reasoning behind the decision because they did not share it with me, and it doesn’t matter in the end whether it was sales numbers, budget issues, new editorial direction, or none of the above. The bottom line is that Palladium Wars #5 (the “E” novel, for those of you following the alphabetical naming order) will not be published by 47North.
That doesn’t mean it won’t be published at all, of course. I don’t intend to chop the series off at four installments without a satisfying conclusion. What it does mean is that I’ll most likely have to self-publish future installments. There’s always the possibility that my agent will find a new home for Palladium Wars, but the odds of that happening are very slim. It’s highly unlikely that any house will want to take on Book Five in a series they don’t own completely.
I’m not new to the self-publishing game, so I don’t have a problem with the prospect. I’ll have to hire my own editor and cover artist, of course, and the book will be available on Kindle and in paperback, but the audio version will depend on either my agent selling the audio rights to Audible (an easier proposition than selling the series rights to another house altogether), or me hiring an audiobook narrator for the job. All of this means expenses out of pocket for me, and good narrators and cover artists do not come cheap. I’ve thought about doing a Kickstarter for the fifth installment, but I’m not fully sold on the idea yet, and I may just decide to eat the expenses instead of asking readers to commit to a pre-buy like that.
(Self-publishing would mean there’d be no pre-orders because there’s no way to do those on KDP, so I’d be flying blind as to potential reader interest, and I may end up holding the bag fronting the production costs.)
Sorry I can’t give you better news on that particular front. I am very fond of the series (I think it’s superior to Frontlines in many ways), but I also recognize that the stars haven’t always been aligned for it. I had the distinct misfortune to get four different audiobook narrators for the four books in the series, and that’s been a cause for a lot of negative reviews even though there’s precisely nothing I could have done about the situation. (To recap: Luke Daniels didn’t have time in his schedule for the second book, Angelo DiLoreto untimely passed away before the third book came out, and Korey Jackson…well, maybe I’ll get to that in a later post. The fourth artist, Seth Podowitz, may or may not be available as an independent hire, so we’ll see whether we end up keeping our streak of a different narrator for every book. Hey, at least we’d be consistent on that front.)
That’s the current state of The Palladium Wars for you. I fully intend to write Book 5, and unless it finds another home in the meantime, I’ll be making it available on the Kindle and in paperback formats once it’s done, but right now that’s all I can tell you with any certainty.
As if you needed more challenges! I really hope you find a way to keep Palladium Wars going. I’d be all in on a preorder or Kickstarter campaign – whatever it takes. I prefer audio, but I’ll take new volumes however I can get them. This is a terrific series.
Your characters are more rounded than any other SF author I read. The Palladium wars more so as you have a larger cast. If you keep writing them, I’ll keep buying them. Set your dogs of war on 47 North.
Send the evil Dachshunds .
Add my name to the list of people bummed to hear about this turn of events and would be happy to buy into either a kickstarter or selfpublished book on Amazon.
That news sucks all the joy.
I’m there for Kickstarter or maybe Patreon. However you deliver I’ll be buying
Sorry to hear this. The business-side of creative endeavours is rarely as exciting and inspiring as the end-product that fans love so much. With regard to having different narrators for the individual books, I don’t think it was unfortunate at all. Luke Daniels was definitely my favourite, and continuity is always a good thing, but the others were also very good and either way, becoming immersed in the stories completely outweighed any fleeting comparisons between narrators. Both the Palladium and Frontlines series are so richly imagined and well-written. I love them both so much – and judging from all the other comments – I am certainly not alone. I too will pre-order/order/buy the next book in whatever format through whatever channels you are able to make it available!!!
This is the best series I have ever read (and that means something). The story, the complexity of the characters and how events interact – it must go in. If crowdfunding helps, I will be part of it. A German hard sci fi author (Philipp P Peterson) started with self publishing and has quite an audience now. Whatever the reason for them to decide not to continue, I am sure at some point they will regret the lost revenue.
Please continue until Z .
Hendrik
I am sad to hear about book 5…I love reading the series and can’t be left not knowing the ending. Self publish Mario and don’t worry too much about audio or cover. The story to me is the most important thing.
I’ll chime in and say I’ll definitely back a Kickstarter, preorder and pay more as well.
Just please don’t give us a rushed ending, that would be a huge anti-climax. Better take your time and write the book(s) you want them to be. I’d love to see a lot more of this fascinating universe.
I would be on board for a kickstarter/pre-order/what ever it takes to get it done. I fell in love with your writing on Frontlines and really enjoy the Palladium Wars. I just finished book 4 and would hate for it to end there. I still wish Frontlines had more but understand it was at a good place to stop. Let us, you fans and readers, support you in anyway we can to get this completed without you having to foot the bill. I understand how the industry is today and how expensive self-publishing is and if things to not go in the right direction it can cause an author to stop. I have seen it many times.
I’m in for any pre-order, kickstarter, or other antescribe (just made that word up) action if you go that way. You are one of the few “auto-preorder” authors on my list!
When no reasons are given in situations akin to this it done is with purpose – reasons open doors to counterpoints and in many cases become the basis of legal actions. So, saying nothing specific is their best form of protection. It’s got to hurt on some level though I’m sure, but it looks like you’re focused on carrying on and making it happen. They may have done you a favor…
Please keep us updated. I will preorder it (just like I have preordered every one of your books since I discovered the first Frontline book) so you have a guaranteed purchase in myself. And really, I’m happy to back a kickstarter if you go that route. Maybe look to Brandon Sanderson as a guide… I own all digital copies of your books but a kickstarter where I get it all in hardcover (especially a high-quality one) will have me plump down money for it all over again. Just a thought.
I’m in for a Kickstarter if you decide to go that route. I hope 47North comes to rue the day they dropped the P-W series.
While KDP makes sense to continue a series the rest of which was published by Amazon, have you considered IngramSpark? Apparently, this is not necessarily an exclusive choice — some self-published authors have used KDP for paperback and Kindle ebook, and, under a different ISBN (!), published the hardback version and another ebook via the wider distribution but harder to work with alternative.
The spendy ISBNs are annoying, with a bulk-price curve that favors the well-heeled.
I am also deeply disappointed, as I have love the Palladium Wars from the first. I love the four story strands and how they interact and influence each other. I will buy “E” in whatever form it see the light of day.
No way… I finished the volume of Descent just yesterday night, so don’t mess with me please.
I, for one, would back a Kickstarter without a second thought. And will definitely buy a self published book or more. The Palladium Wars series has become one of my favorites and I need to know what happens 😉 I am starting to like it even more than the Frontlines series. I don’t care much about audiobooks and read mostly on my kindle anyway.
I’m in too. Kickstarter, direct buy on Kindle, whatever. Looking forward to it and glad you aren’t giving up!
Sorry to hear this publisher isn’t commited to continuing with your amazing series. I’m fully supportive like many others of what you finally decide to do with book five. Appreciate you letting us know.