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bottom line is that Palladium Wars #5 (the “E” novel, for those of you following the alphabetical naming order) will not be published by 47North.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.
Just finished all four books in four days. I would sponsor a Kickstarter. Will Wight and many others are very successful there. You will be too.
47 North made a mistake. But we fans here have your back.
I’m in for a paperback. This saga deserves a fitting ending (and it had better not end with ‘E’)
I’d also be down for a kickstarter tier that includes my name on a “Thank you” page with a list of kickstarter contributors. Would be pretty neat to have your name in print for supporting the project.
Regardless of how the publisher search goes, you have supporters that believe in finishing The Palladium Wars, Marko.
I’d chuck $50 at a go fund me. Palladium Wars rocks.
I have enjoyed each and everyone of your different series and they are all very good which reflect the author’s ability to carry multiple storylines with expertise that make me excited to read the next book so I can know what is happening to every character I can’t hardly wait for Book 5 The Palladian Wars. Please write it
This is Valerie Shumate adding to her above post, I get all your books on my Kindle but I don’t just read them, I Buy them! And I will buy your books even if the cost goes up. I can’t afford any kick start money but promise you’ll have me buying everything you write!
I read all your books on my Kindle and I don’t just read them, I buy them! So I promise if you keep writing this series, I will buy every one. And that goes for all your books, if you ever fine yourself in a similar predicament as you are in with The Palladian Wars, Book 5
I’m sorry to hear this. If there’s any way volume 5 can come to be, I’ll be happy to buy it.
Im very invested in the “Palladium”-Universe you built, and I definitly would send you some Kickstarter-money. Only caveat is, that the last book was kinda not moving the plot along very much. Same thing happened with the last “Frontline” books, I cant even tell you what happened in the final two novels.
You are able to create great immersive universes….But then you seem to not know how to move the story along.
Happy to pre-order however many sequels to the Palladium Wars you have in mind (hope it’s many!) on Kickstarter or wherever! Keep it up, love your technical space warfare imagery and creativity. You’ve got gold with all your works!
I would back a kickstarter too. Very well written series.
Frontlines and Palladium Wars series are both excellent reads. Among my top favourite novels actually. You can bet I will grab the Kindle version of the fifth installment as soon as it gets out!
Sorry to hear this as I have been the series from the start.
I’m gutted no book 5 atm. Need to know what happens with solvieg on her way to her mothers, Aden keeping a low profile (but how will his handler contact him) and where the heck is zephyr?… I’ll definite pre pay for the next book Marko so keep going pleeeeese
FWIW, I’m in for a paperback as well as Kindle version.
I’m sorry to hear they dropped the series, but am very glad you’ll continue it. I’d be willing to do Kickstarter if that is the best route for you to go. Thanks for pressing on. How many books do you have planned for the series? (Also, what about a Kickstarter to redo the audiobooks for books 2-4 with Luke Daniels narrating? Would love to have a unified audio experience, and with the others out there wouldn’t be a rush)
Just finished the first 4 and was looking for 5. My wife received a kindle for her birthday and she gave it to me. so in 4 weeks i read all 4.
Great series let me know when 5 is out so I can know how they all do.
Thanks
Oh that’s disappointing. Especially not knowing reasons behind the decisions. I love these books, and will follow wherever they turn up.
I’d have no qualms donating to kickstarter if that meant helping bring Palladium Wars # 5 to print/screen/audio.
+1, count me in for a preorder on the Kindle.
Sorry to hear they dropped the series. That is a travesty as I’ve grown to really enjoy The Palladium Wars. Please count me in for Book 5!
Add me to the “will happily preorder” column, but I do feel like the books have been too short this far
Nothing that the publishing business does should really surprise people anymore.
In any case, while self-publishing is a pain in the whatever, I’m pretty sure you’ll do well with the 3-4(?) books it’ll take to tell the rest of the story.
Make no mistake, it’s a really good story.
I’m in for the rest of the ride.