2018 Releases

[ATimson]

I really can't see that happening, TBPs are usually bigger prestige books, and I really don't think the regular Trek books are a big enough to deal to have earned that. They did it for the first DSC book because it was the first book for the new series.

I can. Most other tie-ins, both from Gallery (Halo) and from other publishers (Random House: Star Wars, Blizzard, Doctor Who; Tor: just about everything except Farscape, and that was a while ago) seem to be non-MMPB releases (whether that's all-hardcover, simultaneous hardcover and TPB releases, or just TPB). Heck, even some comic books are being released in hardcover first before getting a trade edition later (Titan's Doctor Who comics, for example).

Pocket and Titan are arguably behind the times here.

 

[RonG]

I can. Most other tie-ins, both from Gallery (Halo) and from other publishers (Random House: Star Wars, Blizzard, Doctor Who; Tor: just about everything except Farscape, and that was a while ago) seem to be non-MMPB releases (whether that's all-hardcover, simultaneous hardcover and TPB releases, or just TPB). Heck, even some comic books are being released in hardcover first before getting a trade edition later (Titan's Doctor Who comics, for example).

Pocket and Titan are arguably behind the times here.

I was also thinking of Star Wars in that regard, and IIRC the move towards TPB's was made when the new (post-Disney purchase) continuity was implemented, branding the previous EU as Legends.

Hopefully, this will not be the case here. Christopher provided some nice insights, but the lack of information for 2018 is still not a good sigh IMO.

I assume that when establishing a publishing plan, the matter of the contract negotiations would come up and vice versa - S&S (or the Pocket Books imprint?) would know that entering contract negotiations at a certain month, would affect publishing schedule, right?
Which basically amounts to - wouldn't the parties enter into negotiations months in advance, as to ensure a "smoother" publishing schedule, with as few gaps as possible?

 

[The Wormhole]

I'm not convinced the gaps are entirely because of license negotiations. Pocket has had the license to Trek novels since 1980, with it renegotiated every five years or so, and it's never before caused a gap. Unless the whole attempting to get rights from Bad Robot has caused an extra wrinkle that is causing the negotiations to take longer?

 

[David Weller]

I'm not convinced the gaps are entirely because of license negotiations. Pocket has had the license to Trek novels since 1980, with it renegotiated every five years or so, and it's never before caused a gap. Unless the whole attempting to get rights from Bad Robot has caused an extra wrinkle that is causing the negotiations to take longer?

I wouldn’t totally dismiss the notion that there is another publisher also involved.

I gather Titan pitched for the license at the last renewal.

That said, I would prefer Pocket to retain the license.

 

[The Wormhole]

Hmm, another possibility which could be an added complication to the negotiations.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

TPBs are usually bigger prestige books, and I really don't think the regular Trek books are a big enough to deal to have earned that.

That's not really true any more. Book sellers like the format because it's a higher price point with a higher margin, and publishers like the format because even though they're losing sales because trades are more expensive, they're making up the profit from lost sales with the higher price. I've thought for a long time that if mass markets ever become (borderline) untenable for Star Trek fiction, Pocket would move to trades.

 

[Omega Particle]

Something I'll throw out there...in Dayton Ward's blog he talks about what he's working on, and lists five untitled tie-in projects he can't talk about yet. I would be really shocked if at least one of these wasn't a Star Trek book (and his Discovery novel is already accounted for and called out separately.) Link: https://daytonward.wordpress.com/2017/10/06/the-sorta-late-september-writing-wrap-up/

I still believe there's some unnecessary worrying going on in this thread, and that not having heard anything doesn't mean nothing is happening or that something bad is happening. We have books scheduled for February and March, so we're as of now we're only on course to skip two more months before we could realistically pick up a regular release schedule in April.

 

[David Weller]

That's not really true any more. Book sellers like the format because it's a higher price point with a higher margin, and publishers like the format because even though they're losing sales because trades are more expensive, they're making up the profit from lost sales with the higher price. I've thought for a long time that if mass markets ever become (borderline) untenable for Star Trek fiction, Pocket would move to trades.

Apart from the Star Trek MMPBs almost all the books I get seem to be TPB.

 

[Jinn]

Something I'll throw out there...in Dayton Ward's blog he talks about what he's working on, and lists five untitled tie-in projects he can't talk about yet. I would be really shocked if at least one of these wasn't a Star Trek book (and his Discovery novel is already accounted for and called out separately.) Link: https://daytonward.wordpress.com/2017/10/06/the-sorta-late-september-writing-wrap-up/

I still believe there's some unnecessary worrying going on in this thread, and that not having heard anything doesn't mean nothing is happening or that something bad is happening. We have books scheduled for February and March, so we're as of now we're only on course to skip two more months before we could realistically pick up a regular release schedule in April.

Turns out Dayton Ward is going to write every Trek books in 2018. 2019 is David Mack's turn, 2020 we get to see a lot of CLB and in 2021 PAD makes his triumphant return to New Frontier. That's totally what's going to happen. I'm sure. Like, 100% sure. Even more. 142%!

 

[JD]

I can. Most other tie-ins, both from Gallery (Halo) and from other publishers (Random House: Star Wars, Blizzard, Doctor Who; Tor: just about everything except Farscape, and that was a while ago) seem to be non-MMPB releases (whether that's all-hardcover, simultaneous hardcover and TPB releases, or just TPB). Heck, even some comic books are being released in hardcover first before getting a trade edition later (Titan's Doctor Who comics, for example).

Pocket and Titan are arguably behind the times here.

That's not really true any more. Book sellers like the format because it's a higher price point with a higher margin, and publishers like the format because even though they're losing sales because trades are more expensive, they're making up the profit from lost sales with the higher price. I've thought for a long time that if mass markets ever become (borderline) untenable for Star Trek fiction, Pocket would move to trades.

Ok, I wasn't aware of any of this. I mostly get e-books these days, so I haven't paid that much attention to the formats of the paper books. Although now that I think about it more, a lot of them have been $10 - $12, which would indicate a TBP, rather than $7 - $9, which would indicate a MMPB.

 

[Omega Particle]

Turns out Dayton Ward is going to write every Trek books in 2018. 2019 is David Mack's turn, 2020 we get to see a lot of CLB and in 2021 PAD makes his triumphant return to New Frontier. That's totally what's going to happen. I'm sure. Like, 100% sure. Even more. 142%!

That's not remotely what I implied, but thanks for being a dick about it.

All I meant was that there's potential evidence that Star Trek novels for 2018 are being written right now, in which case we can look forward to announcements forthcoming, and that the wailing and gnashing of teeth about no more Star Trek books is misplaced.

 

[Jinn]

That's not remotely what I implied, but thanks for being a dick about it.

All I meant was that there's potential evidence that Star Trek novels for 2018 are being written right now, in which case we can look forward to announcements forthcoming, and that the wailing and gnashing of teeth about no more Star Trek books is misplaced.

Sorry man, I didn't mean to make fun of you or anything you said. I was just trying to be witty (granted not successfully) but not insult you. In hindsight I should have seen how that post could have been understood as dickish. I probably should have added a smileyface thing or something. Again, I'm sorry.

Edit: FWIW I also agree with you on the unnecessary worrying stuff.

 

[Omega Particle]

Sorry man, I didn't mean to make fun of you or anything you said. I was just trying to be witty (granted not successfully) but not insult you. In hindsight I should have seen how that post could have been understood as dickish. I probably should have added a smileyface thing or something. Again, I'm sorry.

Edit: FWIW I also agree with you on the unnecessary worrying stuff.

Haha no worries! The internet is a real bitch when it comes to conveying humor.

I actually wouldn't mind a whole year of noels written by Dayton Ward come to think about it...

 

[Jinn]

Haha no worries! The internet is a real bitch when it comes to conveying humor.

Okay, good, I was worried there for a second

I actually wouldn't mind a whole year of noels written by Dayton Ward come to think about it...

Yeah that would be cool. ALthough preferably only 20th and 23rd century stuff. Those are by far my favorite Ward novels.

 

[Jedi Ben]

Mack's got a new series of his own, the first one is The Midnight Front, sounds like it'll be fun, but he'll be occupied with that rather than Trek I suspect.

 

[David Weller]

Mack's got a new series of his own, the first one is The Midnight Front, sounds like it'll be fun, but he'll be occupied with that rather than Trek I suspect.

I’ve already price-ordered this.

But he’s a prolific author so I think he could probably fit in a Star Trek novel or two as well.

 

[Jarvisimo]

I hope - i hope dearly - we will have another Una McCormack novel, given the beautiful work she has done over the past decade & a half. And one day, something by Krad, Heather Jarman, William Leisner, or Jeffrey Lang - heck even SD Perry since I'm looking back at that golden era. And of course somehow some more Kirsten Beyer.

 

[Jedi Ben]

I’ve already price-ordered this.

But he’s a prolific author so I think he could probably fit in a Star Trek novel or two as well.

Probably, but I'd prefer, personally, that he gets this series done and avoids the curse of fantasy/SF where the next book takes forever to come out. A well done first book and sequel would be great. Trek'll still be here when he's done that.

 

[David Weller]

Probably, but I'd prefer, personally, that he gets this series done and avoids the curse of fantasy/SF where the next book takes forever to come out. A well done first book and sequel would be great. Trek'll still be here when he's done that.

AIUI from reading his website the new series is a trilogy to be published in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

IMO with that sort of schedule, and someone as prolific as Mack, there will be room for other things.

 

[JD]

Mack already said here a while back that he was focusing on Dark Arts, and didn't have any Trek books contracted or planned at the moment. From that it sounded like Fortune of War will be his last Trek book for quite a while.