2018 Releases

Didn't Michael Jan Friedman said that he was working on a non-Stargazer Trek novel? Is that still current?

 

Friedman's last Star Trek novel was published in 2005 -- 12 years ago. I'd be very surprised if he was writing Star Trek again.

 

I found his post: https://www.goodreads.com/questions/1047152-will-you-be-writing-anymore-star-trek

At least ist seems to be a possibility.

 

Star Trek writers are freelancers — they’d always like to have more work contracted. It’s steady income, and doesn’t force them to rely on a Kickstarter campaign for an “advance.”

I’d love to see Friedman write Trek again, but his comment seems to me to be more along the lines of “I’d love to!” than “I will be.”

 

But he also said "I do expect to write some more Trek books in the near future--I've had discussions with the publisher" That seems to me like there are somewhat definitive plans. Of course that doesn't mean that there is a 100% chance of a new MJF book but at least this means that the lack of announcments does not imply a cancelation of the Trek book line (minus Discovery).

 

Yeah, but "books" doesn't necessarily mean novels and "the publisher" doesn't necessarily mean Pocket.

 

Discussions don't always lead to books, though. Heck, even an outline to the editor after discussions doesn't always lead to a book. For that matter, even a manuscript to the editor doesn't lead to a book. Things don't always work out. It's a long process, and circumstances can change over that time.

 

Okay, that's a good point and one that I didn't come to my mind. Although him saying that he has "no plans to write 'gazer books in particular. Yet." can be read as there being at least being a faint possibility to write Stargazer books and I find it unlikely that MJF would write a non-novel book about Stargazer or that a Stargazer novel would be published by someone lese than Pocket.

But he also said he'd "expect" to write more Trek. You're right, none of this means that there will definitely be more Trek books written by Friedman but I take the fact that discussions are even happening as proof that the lack of early 2018 novels is not the harbinger of eventual Trek novel doom.

 

It's not, but the one doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the other.

 

If you want to know more about Micheal Jan Friedman has been up to he's part of Crazy 8 publishing with Bob Green berger. at http://www.crazy8press.com

 

^And Peter David, Glenn Hauman, Paul Kupperberg, Aaron Rosenberg, and a couple non-Trek writers.

That's a good point, KRAD and Dayton Ward have both written Trek books for publishers other than Pocket, and the "autobigrophies"and Prometheus books are coming from Titan.

 

More trek novels fans are now posting online that they're thinking no new Trek novels in 2018 besides Discovery (the VOY novel scheduled of course isn't new). Am starting also to wonder why something from Pocket Books hasn't been announced, besides what came out of the STLV convention. Or will there just be some little mention on StarTrek. com that will do little but raise more questions, really!

 

ok worried face is now on its late October and i see no new contract book listed. i mean it gives me time to catch up on some of my trek reading but if this current contract ends and no more what dose that mean for all my 24 century friends and the world i love reading in will i never know what happens next.
i hated the holes in this year list and now there a whole year of unknown.
if it changes hands whos in the mix for it and will they start new arcs or keep these one going in Titan TNG VOY and DS9 or just go back to stand alone books or start a new arc all together i hate not knowing. and i running out of things to per order in paperback and ebooks ( i always Get Both) I mean IDW comic can one keep a girl going for so long thro this gap. News any news Pocket book even it it just we are still in talks just tell us some thing pls

 

I doubt that Pocket will make any announcement until the contract has been signed.

No one usually comments on how negotiations are going.

 

It's just a feeling I have, not based on anything concrete, but I can see this ending in an announcement that, going forward, Star Trek fiction will be published via S&S's Gallery Books rather than Pocket Books, and that the "default" size will be Trade Paperback rather than MMPB. I also have this nagging feeling that in this scenario, the renewed contract will include a "rebooted" novel continuity

If anyone wants to jump in and provide some concrete information, preferably specifying that the Novel continuity will be intact, and going forward to 2387 and beyond, I welcome them with open arms.
..anyone?

 

No one has any concrete information at this time.

But I would like the current release schedule and continuity to continue as MMPBs.

 

The authors probably know something more, but they aren't talking it seems.

Or maybe they don't. Just a feeling I have...especially with 2018 looming.

We know books take longer than a month or two to put together, so if Pocket IS publishing more trek books in 2018, the majority of them would already be done or almost done, or past the outline stage at least. If none of the writers have done anything, then 2018 is going to be an awfully sparse treklit year...

Any comments from @Dayton Ward or @David Mack or @Greg Cox or @Christopher would be appreciated, but not expected if they aren't allowed to speak about it publicly.

 

Actually, for the past five years, Pocket Books has been a subdivision of Gallery Books, specifically Gallery's MMPB imprint. Editorially and organizationally, there's no difference between Pocket and Gallery except what format the books come out in. Ed Schlesinger is the editor in charge of Trek (and other) literature under both imprints as well as the Pocket Star e-book imprint.

https://simonandschusterpublishing.com/gallery-books/about-us.html

On my royalty statements from S&S, all my Trek books have their publisher listed as Gallery, regardless of when they came out or in what format. Although my contracts still say Pocket Books.

 

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.

 

The second Discovery book is a trade paperback as well.