Publishing Down Under

My publishing journey began in earnest in 2001 atop a lonely windswept hill on an island called Aotea (Great Barrier Island in English, but the Maori name is far more poetic, never mind its original name, and less confusable with the Great Barrier Reef which isn't even in this country). I carried a hardback notebook up the steep winding track from the settlement, past near-vertical cow pastures and acres of fragrant manuka trees clacking their skinny branches in the wind, and sat with my back to a bald rock that offered a little shelter from the punishing sun. And there I penned the first words of my first novel. Seven years later, having changed the setting to Ireland somewhere along the way, I finished it in Germany, and it was published in America.

Sounds international? My second novel's got it beat. I began it in Germany, finished it in Ireland, edited it in America, and it'll be published in New Zealand. And since it happens in space, it kind of transcends the definition of international, although I was careful to season the inhabited planets with plenty of culture.

Beyond the writing, I have discovered a passion for book design, which along with my penchant for science fiction and fantasy, paved the way one step at a time to open the doors at Splashdown Books - to publish authors in these oft-neglected genres, no matter where they come from.

So far it's certainly a fascinating experience to publish from down under. I have to make use of all the tools available in the online global village, since in-person marketing events are out of the question. The experiment's just begun with the recent release of The Muse by Fred Warren, who lives in Kansas but was happy to accept my offer of publication. After nearly a year of collaborative editing work, we're celebrating its first sales.

There's no question that the publishing world has changed enough that such a venture can be a success. I pray I can work hard enough to make it so.

Visit Splashdown Books here

View my first novel here: Faith Awakened
View The Muse by Fred Warren here