Where Have All the Prospects Gone?: The State of TrekLit in 2017

Oh, did Margaret get re-hired as editor?

 

She never went away. Almost immediately after her layoff in 2009 (a late casualty of the economic implosion), she was retained in a freelance capacity to continue editing the Star Trek novels.

 

So would that just be a money/contract thing? It seems kind of weird to me to fire someone from a position and then keep them around as a freelancer.

 

Yeah I remember her editing manuscripts (including IFM) as a freelancer after the 09 layoffs, but didn't know she was commissioning or the like as well.

 

Back when TNG started, I was a bit of a book fiend. I read the first batch (the numbered ones) until they were dog eared because that's all that was available - if you were tired of re-watching the VHS tapes, you still had more adventures to enjoy in the books.

What struck me from your post is the list of releases and not one set in the Kelvinverse? You mention Trek's return to the screen but it seems there aren't any books taking place in that film universe, celebrating the new characters and universe that's fresh and new. Are they discouraged from visiting that time/place from Paramount/CBS? Is there a sense/belief that people won't read them?

I recall there being time periods in Star Wars that writers in the 1990s weren't allowed to touch so that Lucasfilm could keep their canvas clear for future projects. That's why Zhan was given such freedom for this post-ROTJ novels, because 7, 8 and 9 would "never" be made. [wink]

I know I saw a Kelvinverse-era comic series or two... maybe it was a prequel to Into Darkness, but no novels coming out at all - why? Do writers not want to take on this incarnation of Trek?

 

From what I've read over the last few years, I assume these days she is basically the one doing the majority of the creativity-heavy parts of the work (commissioning, working on the manuscripts, etc.), with Schlesinger more in an overseer position, responsible for coordination and the actual publishing related parts within Pocket Books / S&S. Could be totally wrong, though.

 

Pocket's license doesn't cover the Abrams films.

 

IDW does and they've been releasing comics pretty regularly since the first movie came out. Right after Beyond came out they finished their first ongoing series at issue #60, and started a second one which is now on issue #5. They also did prequel miniseries for both of the first two Kelvinverse movie, the 4 issue Countdown, and one for into Darkness, the 5 issue Countdown to Darkness. It wasn't connected to Beyond, but in the lead up to it's release they did another 5er called Manifest Destiny. They also did a 5 issue Starfleet Academy miniseries that was split between the movie cast's time at the Academy, and a group of original characters. Khan got a 5 issue miniseries that explored his backstory, and Nero got a 4 issue one that covered the time jump in the first movie. They also did a 6 issue Green Lanter/Kelvinverse miniseries, and that has now gotten a sequel which is currently on it's third issue.

 

Plus, Pocket tried to get Kelvinverse novels going not long after the first movie, the books were solicited and got as far as the manuscript stage, but Bad Robot changed their minds and said no before the first one was actually published. It's thought that it's because Bad Robot prefers a tighter control on tie-in media than Star Trek novels normally go, but no official reason was ever given.

 

As Dave said, her firing (like Marco's) was a side effect of the 2008 economic crash and Simon & Schuster's desperate cost-cutting and staff reduction in every division in order to stave off bankruptcy. It wasn't specifically targeted at her, and it wasn't something her superiors would've done if given the choice. So they did the best they could to keep Margaret around, even just as a freelancer.

 

It would be great if there were more of a pool to dip into. There are few trek novels available at the stores I go to and usually the majority I find are written by the same Author.

 

It occurs to me that Margaret could obtain alot of good will and understanding by simply coming online and regularly updating fans with info. Marco was very good about this.

Simple confirmations like "Ebooks haven't been doing as well as we'd hoped so we've had to cut them down to two per year." Or "With the next Voyager book being delayed at such a late date, despite my best efforts there was really no time to get anything else ready so there will definitely not be a book in that month's slot." Or "I'd like to announce Decembers Trek book will be...". It's obvious fans would appreciate being more in the loop, even if it was just an occasional tweet.

As it is I've heard her on like four podcast episodes in about 7 or 8 years.

 

She used to post on the Psi Phi boards, though never as much as John Ordover or Marco Palmieri or Keith DeCandido. I assume she's just not as into it as they are. The three dozen fans on-line who avidly follow book news aren't necessarily the most important use of her time. And if she's freelance now, paid on a per-book basis, as opposed to salaried, there's even less incentive for her to do so.

 

It's also important to remember that as a freelancer, she doesn't and most likely isn't authorized to speak for Pocket Books or any decisions that come from in-house, including anything to do with scheduling, number or frequency of releases, and so on. She's paid to execute whatever plan or marching orders they give her.

 

Yeah, Margaret not being as public as past editors doesn't worry me that much. Probably a mixture of what Dayton said and her never being that active online anyway.

But I'm kind of amazed that the novel due out in two months (Hearts and Minds) doesn't even has its cover published even in their own catalog yet. I can understand that TrekLit isn't S&S' top priority but even the basic PR stuff (getting covers and blurbs out there in their online catalogs, etc) seems to be lacking more and more.

 

I can report that there is a cover for Hearts and Minds. I think it's just hung up in the approvals process.

 

Figured as much, even had "I'm sure there is one" in my first draft of the post.

Has there been a change in the approval process? IIRC Cross Cult had some problems with that in the last year or two as well.

 

Funnily enough,although the field of authors has narrowed the diversity of books has increased.Between DTI,Avetine and now some people clamouring for a Robinson book(groan) the amount of service any one series can get has decreased considerably.
Personally I never read Voyager or Enterprise,personal tastes I suppose.

 

I think it's just a matter of there being other fires that are burning hotter. Anything Discovery-related, for example, goes to the head of the line. At least, that's the impression I get from the CBS end.