This week’s science fiction bestseller charts
October 5, 2015The Human Empire of tomorrow
October 8, 2015When I published Marine Cadet last Christmas, I decided to do so under an imprint name of Human Legion Publications. I liked the name, but didn’t expect to use it to publish anything other than my own books. I still run Greyhart Press, which is a bona fide publishing business, just largely on hold right now. At least with regard to publishing new books, though I’m still working on selling the existing books. But Human Legion Publications was just a name. I never pretended the Human Legion was anything other than self-published.
Join the Legion, says the poster. Well, they did!
My best sales day came late January when I sold just shy of 1,500 copies of Marine Cadet and Indigo Squad.
Some people urged me then to turn Human Legion Publications into a ‘real’ publishing business. I wasn’t interested. I’d had #1 bestsellers with Greyhart Press (though in alternate history and time travel romance). I’d had a title sell 1,000 a day before. And yet Greyhart Press had not consistently paid my bills, and publishing only makes sense for me if I can earn enough to provide for my family. So the answer was no.
By my birthday in mid February I’d sold 30,000 copies of the Human Legion, but I wasn’t convinced I could replicate that. Still no.
In early June, I published Renegade Legion. Sales shot passed 50,000. Now I thought I had a brand. Human Legion Publications made sense now, but I still couldn’t afford to be distracted from writing the next book.
But I was offered a submission. It worked. The author ‘got’ the Human Legion. The pitch was fantastic. It wasn’t merely military SF but set right at the heart of the Human Legion story. This could sell. I wanted to read this story for myself.
Promotional materials aren’t ready yet. But expect news soon of the first acquisition for Human Legion Publications, a spin-off series set in the worlds of the Human Legion.
7 Comments
Dang it Mr. Taylor, spill it!! What is this mysterious series? Is it during your current books? Before? After? From the Hardit perspective? Oh, maybe the Jotun or White Knights? Not the Trog, too communal a species for anything more than a short story. Hmm, now I wont sleep wonder the answer.
To answer your questions: I’m going to wait for artwork before announcing its name, yes, yes, and yes, not primarily, no, agreed. Hope you slept well, Tim 🙂
Can’t wait Tim, can’t wait!
I’m sure you’ll approve.
Tim, this is great news! One thing I always appreciated about George Lucas was that he was willing to share the wonderful universe he’d created. He let other kids get in the sandbox, play with his toys, and make up new stories.
So I think it’s very cool that you’re sharing the Human Legion universe. You’re going to make a lot of readers very happy.
Now if we could just get Tim out there to as many readers as good ole Georgie did….. Hmm, which actor would play Arun? This ought to be an independent blog post, “If we made this into a movie, who would play the various characters?”
Mark, I have to say that no one has ever compared me with George Lucas before!