About ogresan

Richard Parks' stories have have appeared in Asimov's SF, Realms of Fantasy, Fantasy Magazine, Weird Tales, and numerous anthologies, including several Year's Bests. His first story collection, THE OGRE'S WIFE, was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award. He is the author of the Yamada Monogatari series from Prime Books.

Tis the Season…Again

Posted on December 17, 2013 by ogresan

Now that the contracts are signed I can go ahead and mention that Jonathan Strahan is picking up “Cherry Blossoms on the River of Souls” from the October 2013 BCS for The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume 8. This is the first time I’ve made it into one of Jonathan’s year’s bests, so I’m pretty chuffed. It almost makes up for the fact that we just had to spend three grand to repair and upgrade our hall bath. Nothing like a forced remodel at Christmas to put things in perspective.

Speaking of which, I’m still not done with my Christmas shopping, but that’s pretty typical. One present is definitely going to be late and another might be. I just don’t handle the holidays as well as I should and the stress doesn’t really end until after Easter. A character flaw in me, I know, but there it is.

The next step in the publication of To Break the Demon Gate is the final selection of the artist (which is the publisher’s remit) and reviewing the preliminary designs of the cover. I have to say that I like this part of the process, since other than rendering an opinion—something I usually have no problems with—I don’t have to actually do anything. It’s all on the artist and the publisher at that point. When the book is out, of course, that’s another story. And I like that part too.

Come January I have two novel manuscripts to send off to Prime Books. One’s publication is already settled (the reprint), the other’s isn’t. That’s stress, too. But it still doesn’t compare to the holidays. I hope ya’ll are handling it better than I am.

Odd Ends and One More Update

Posted on December 9, 2013 by ogresan

This morning I sent off the copyedited manuscript of To Break the Demon Gate, along with a list of preferred artists to do the cover, to the publisher. One advantage of working with a specialty publisher for things like limited editions is that you often have some input into matters like cover art, which is less likely to happen for the more traditional editions. It can and does happen, but not routinely. Regardless, there was one artist I’ve been a fan of since my early days, and he’s one that PS Publishing does work with, so it could happen. Right now the schedule is still looking good for a spring release, probably around March. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

The copyeditor pronounced the manuscript “clean,” which is good, though in a couple of places he/she did get confused by word choices that aren’t as common in British usage, so I had to clear that up, but overall there wasn’t a lot to do. One thing I am going to need to do is convert the manuscript from British spelling and usage back to American spelling and usage for the trade reprint edition, still scheduled for next December. The limited edition will be the hardcover edition, so it just depends on your preference. And patience.

I want to keep up the weekly blog schedule during December, but there’s a chance that’s not going to happen. To be perfectly blunt, I’m not altogether sane this time of year… I mean less than usual. It’s a character flaw of mine that I find the holidays extremely stressful and crazy-making, and this year isn’t going to be any different, except for a possible ramp-up of intensity. Most of it is of my own making, but that doesn’t change the fact. If I can get through to January without major drama, I’ll score that a win. If you don’t hear from me before then, have a safe and happy rest of the month, and I’ll see you on the other side.

Another Quick Update

Posted on December 2, 2013 by ogresan

According to Locus, the hard cover limited edition of To Break the Demon Gate from PS Publishing is now scheduled for March of next year. The trade paper reprint should follow next December from Prime Books. That is, of course, if PS keeps that schedule. Otherwise Prime may wind up doing the original and the ltd edition becomes the reprint. Publishing is funny like that.

A story of mine, “Cherry Blossoms on the River of Souls,” (Beneath Ceaseless Skies #131, Fifth Anniversary Issue) has scored a “Recommended” rating from both Lois Tilton and Rich Horton. First time that’s ever happened. Wonder if I can do it again…

The rewrite on The War God’s Son has been delayed slightly by domestic issues, but I still expect it to be finished before the end of the year. I was shooting for the end of November, but obviously didn’t make it. As it stands, it’s pretty much eaten all my writing time for the entire year of 2013. Novels are a huge commitment, and a huge gamble. The potential of course is that one which is well-received can advance your readership by leaps and bounds because there is a large category of readers who never touch short stories. The potential for losing ground is there also, simply because it takes just as long to write an unsuccessful book as it does to write a successful one, and in the meantime you’re not writing anything else. You’re both out of sight and possibly out of mind with your readers during that period.

I think I’ve written a good book, a worthy follow-up for To Break the Demon Gate that continues Yamada’s journey and shows the inevitable changes in the character. It was worth doing. How well it does or doesn’t do is almost beside the point. Yes, I know, but I did say “almost.” Yamada Monogatari: Demon Hunter sold better than anyone expected (me not least of all), and that was nice, but I need To Break the Demon Gate to do well also so that the publisher will want The War God’s Son. I need it to do well so that…well, you get the idea.

But I promise to get back to Power’s Shadow (sequel to Black Kath’s Daughter) next, whatever happens. I’ve been telling Marta’s story for a long time. I think she’s a little tired of waiting, too.

PS: An update to the update–First Reader finished the final section of the book last night and pronounced it Good. Which for First Reader is like fireworks and party hats. I took care of the last revisions this morning so, short of any editorial revision requests, I’m calling The War God’s Son done. So I wrote a page of Power’s Shadow to celebrate.

A Word About Conventions

Posted on November 25, 2013 by ogresan

If you’re a writer in the sf/f tradition, the subject of conventions is going to come up sooner or later. If you’re coming to writing through fandom, chances are that you’ve been attending conventions for a considerable length of time and what is there to talk about? And then there are those new authors who get told by their editors or other close associates that “You really need to attend conventions” and they go “Conventions? What’s that?”

What it is often called, or was before sub-genre fragmentation took over, is “A Gathering of the Tribes.” (Though some reserve that term for WorldCons) Fans and writers and artists and such folk gathering together on a weekend to meet each other, talk shop, drink in the bar, hang out with friends, sometimes attend panel discussions and readings, maybe meet your favorite author. That kind of thing. There’s usually one going on somewhere, most weekends.

I still remember my very first, long before I was selling. I was never a real fan, mind you. Probably for the same reasons that I’ll apply to the subject of conventions in a minute, but I was a reader and aspiring writer, and I knew about them. Usually they were taking place a long way from where I had just started work after college, and I had no travel budget to speak of. However, I learned of one within driving distance, and it was JUST IMAGICON, being held that year in Memphis, TN. It was back in 1978, and as for the convention itself, you can probably imagine what it was like for someone like me: Theodore Sturgeon. Kelly Freas. The de Camps. It was, and I say this without either irony or hyperbole, like walking among gods. Continue reading →