Introducing the Herridge Lake Public Library

Image of Nick and Nora in
the logo (see note) courtesy
 of Chris Smith

Friday (4 January 2019) I wrote that I was tired of the process of selling fiction* and that I had decided to just give away my writing. This post explains what, precisely, this decision entails. Please feel free to pass on this information to anyone who might be interested.

There is form for this giveaway decision: Cory Doctorow has from the beginning of his career made it a policy to provide free downloads of his novels for all who want them. If it's good enough for Cory...

So with a new year just under way, I am introducing a new e-book imprint, managed by yours truly for the sole purpose of giving away free e-books of my writing, and free fiction posts for those as have browsers but no e-readers. This is the birth announcement of the Herridge Lake Public Library†.

How This Is Going To Work

I currently have a half-dozen novels (not counting the two published by or contracted to Five Rivers) edited and ready for publication, or very nearly so, and two more in the early stages of drafting. They fall into a range of sub-genres—alternate history, fantasy, mystery, science fiction, dark fantasy—and so I persuade myself there's enough material available that would interest a range of readers.

Beginning the second week of January 2019, I will begin serializing these novels, one book at a time, in this blog. The plan is to serialize a complete novel every six months or so. Once the serialization is complete, I will compile the novel into an e-book and make it available for free download. No hidden fees, no complicated documentation, just a basic Creative Commons license. At some point in the near future I will probably put together a collection of my short fiction as well.

I hope everyone in Quipu-land will enjoy reading this stuff as much as I enjoyed writing it.

*Beyond, of course, the basic transaction involved in arranging and signing a contract, with either an agent or an editor/publisher. I'm disillusioned (a little) but I'm not demented.

†Herridge Lake is a glacial (I assume) lake in the Temagami forest of Ontario. From time to time I do some writing up there; about half of my completed novels were in whole or in part written at Lake Herridge Lodge. The trees in the logo are Nick and Nora, a pair of pines visible from the lodge, and named by a group of us who are sometime visitors.