FAQ

My old website had a long list of FAQ gathered from 20 years of interacting with readers through emails, letters, conventions and message boards.  I’m thinking a fresh start is in order.

Feel free to post questions as comments to the FAQ page, or send me an email at  elainecunningham@cox.net.

I’ll start things out with a few questions of my own.

Q: Why did you decide to e-pub Tales of Sevrin?

A: I’m long overdue for a world of my own.  I’ve been thinking about doing something of this nature for a very long time. As ebooks gained in popularity, the notion of publishing an “e-riginal” series began to look more and more feasible. I liked the idea of writing shorter stories–lengths not usually supported by traditional print publishing.  I also liked the idea of a website that developed the setting.

One of the most attractive aspects of e-pubbing is control.  As much as I enjoy writing in licensed worlds, I wanted a project that was mine.  I’m still working with a professional editor and artist, and I’m getting some very valuable feedback from Trusted Readers, but I really like the idea of being able to publish stories when they’re ready, and for as long as readers want to spend time with the characters.

Q:  Why is Honor Among Thieves so short?

A: The story started out as a proposal for a novella.  It’s a tale designed for 40,000 words, so that’s what I wrote.  I like this length.  There’s room for a lot of story and character development, yet the tale offers a fast, one-sitting reading experience.  And as a reader, I don’t like waiting a year or more for the next installment in a tale.  I would like to read short novels that come out every two or three months, so I figured other people might, too.

Q:  Any chance of seeing the Tales of Sevrin stories in dead-tree book format?

A: Not at this point.  In the near future, I’ll be  looking into options for a print version of the Thorn trilogy that will include all three of the Honor stories.

Q:  What comes after the Thorn trilogy?

A: The Stoneshifter trilogy, with the same central cast of characters.

Q:  I’m an aspiring writer.  Can you read my work-in-progress?

A: Sorry, but like most working writers, I can’t read, critique, or edit unpublished work. The good news? There are many fine resources online, including writing groups where you can get and give feedback on a work-in-progress. If you’re looking for “professional feedback,” I’d be happy to recommend a couple of freelance editors who do excellent work at reasonable prices.

Q:  The ending of Shadows in the Starlight, the second Changeling Detective book, points to a sequel.  When is the third book coming out?

A: This series has an unusual and complicated history.  The characters, basic concept, and the details of the first scene were created by a literary agency that also does book packaging.  They pitched the idea to Tor Books and sold it in a two-book deal. The acquiring editor on the project was the late Brian Thomsen, a former managing editor of Wizards of the Coast. Since the central character was an elf, Brian thought of me and brought me onboard to write the novels.  I had a lot of creative control, but the copyright–the ownership–of the project was split between me and the agency.  Tor decided not to continue the series.  Taking the project to another publisher would be difficult, given the contract tangles. The agency isn’t interested in pursuing the project, so traditional print publishing is off the table.

But! I have received permission from the agency to write the third book. Now that direct-to-ebook publication is a viable option, I may explore this possibility.  At present, my writing schedule is full, but I’ll take another look at the situation in mid 2012.  If you’re interested in seeing Gwen’s story continue, drop me a note at elainecunningham@cox.net.