On writing the Great Traveller Novel
Jun. 20th, 2019 12:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridloreOn Facebook the other day I asked the rhetorical question about why shouldn't I write the Great Traveller Novel. This came as I was struggling with a piece I had been working on that needed more damn explanation of the universe to make sense, and I was getting sick of trying to shoehorn in more expository material in without it sounding like a guided tour of my world.
The advantages of writing for Traveller are many. I know the material backward and forward. I have a history as a contributor both as a fan writer and in my small way, as a pro. There is an existing market for Traveller, unlike what I'd face as a first-time author with a new setting.
Plus I think one thing Traveller has lacked over the years is strong fiction support. D&D brought in plenty of new players with their fiction line, and what the Black Library has done for WH40K cannot be understated. I'd like to see some good Traveller novels crack that market.
A few people mentioned the issue of owning intellectual property rights to the title and setting elements. Obviously, I would not go forward without a deal in place with Marc Miller and FFE. If I'm going to do this, I'm doing it right, which means spending money on professional editing and cover design.
Because if I ever only get my name on one science-fiction novel, it's going to be the best I can make it be.
The advantages of writing for Traveller are many. I know the material backward and forward. I have a history as a contributor both as a fan writer and in my small way, as a pro. There is an existing market for Traveller, unlike what I'd face as a first-time author with a new setting.
Plus I think one thing Traveller has lacked over the years is strong fiction support. D&D brought in plenty of new players with their fiction line, and what the Black Library has done for WH40K cannot be understated. I'd like to see some good Traveller novels crack that market.
A few people mentioned the issue of owning intellectual property rights to the title and setting elements. Obviously, I would not go forward without a deal in place with Marc Miller and FFE. If I'm going to do this, I'm doing it right, which means spending money on professional editing and cover design.
Because if I ever only get my name on one science-fiction novel, it's going to be the best I can make it be.
