Publishing news
Someday this might pay the bills
Wally Waltner’s debut novel, Overture of Shadow, is now available!
Just to remind everyone about the way we do things here at Raconteur Press: the novel is initially offered in three serialized installments. The link above is to the first installment. We’ll release the second part (14 MAY) and the third part (21 MAY) each upcoming week, in digital format.
Once all three parts are released, we’ll wait a bit, then take the serialized novel down on 24 MAY and replace it with the whole, combined book, in both dead-tree edition and ebook, on 28 MAY with bonus content.
Why do we do things this way? Well, if you know Rita and me, we very seldom do anything with one goal in mind — so:
This way of releasing novels hearkens back to the Golden Age of Pulp, when the classic novels you cherish today were released in monthly chunks in those hallowed Science Fiction and Fantasy magazines. We’re suckers for nostalgia.
This lets you read a decent enough chunk of the book to see if you’ll like it, without committing to buying the whole goat-choker. If you read the first installment, and it doesn’t flip your skirt up, well you’re only out three bucks - less than a cup of foo-foo coffee.
Finally — and don’t tell anyone — we’re kind of human over here, and we sometimes miss stuff on editing passes1. Fortunately there is a sub-set of readers just dying to find and point out those errors — let’s use their powers for good, and fine-tune the dead-tree novel before release!
So, without further ado, here’s the hook for Overture of Shadow:
Everything they thought they knew about their gift was wrong. In Breheimen, where art is sacred and creation supernaturally empowered, the Muse-touched are exalted for their near-mythical gifts. But when famed bard Dorian Silversong is summoned to the capital, he finds his mentor dead, artists disappearing, and whispers of a force working to sever the bond between creator and Muse. Amid courtly masks and hidden agendas, Dorian must unravel a mystery buried beneath centuries of reverence and deception. What he uncovers could unmake the very soul of the kingdom—and the truth of his own power.
A lyrical, inspiring fantasy, Muses’ War: Overture of Shadow is a fantasy of mystery, meaning, and the creative spark that defines us all; and a love letter to Makers and Creators.
Ian and Rita
We finally fully understand the truth of the axiom, “If you want a foolproof way to find those glaring editorial errors, hit ‘Publish’.”