Milk Run – Smuggler 1 – due at editor: 11/1 – release Dec 2015 Sept 2016
To Fire Called – Seeker 2 – due at editor: 12/1 – release Feb 2016 Nov 2016
Suicide Run – Smuggler 2 – due at editor: 1/1 – release Apr 2016 Jan 2017
Assuming I make my deadlines. I’m behind on Milk Run because I’ve been so distracted by the launch.
Milk Run is REALLY late.
Will I publish it in paper?
Yes, but I’m behind on Milk Run and can’t afford the time right now. I want the paperback out by Christmas which means I need to convert and publish in November.
In Ashes Born is currently available in paper.
Will I publish it in audio?
Yes, but I’m behind on three titles in audio now and I can’t afford the three months it will take to get them done. I’m working to offload some of the post-production work but that’s still a lot of time. Unfortunately, I can’t outsource the reading. I’m apparently the only Nathan Lowell voice out there at the moment. This is going to have to wait until I get the next three books written and in the pipeline. Which will put me behind by SIX titles for audio. The first few months of 2016 will be playing catch-up. Again.
Audio will be both podiobook and audiobook, but the audiobooks will not be on Audible. I’ll need to find another mechanism to get those out to you. I’ll have to charge for the audiobook because I’ll need to offset the expense of hiring the post-production engineer on those.
Podium is publishing all the Ishmael books in Audible format. Quarter, and Half are out. Look for Full in August and then one a month until they get to Ashes.
That’s what I got for now. See current posts for up to date information going forward.
Awesome! Looking forward to all of it. You probably already know this but if you put your audiobooks out through ACX you can choose a non-exclusive distribution rights which lets you publish the book anywhere else (like Podiobooks) you want to. You do earn less per sale than exclusive but it allows you to get into Audible, Amazon & iTunes for sale which are the top places to be for selling audiobooks. Just some food for thought in case you didn’t already know.
Here’s to an amazing 2016 for us Lowell fans! Thanks for the update Sar.
if you put your audiobooks out through ACX you can choose a non-exclusive distribution rights which lets you publish the book anywhere else (like Podiobooks) you want to.
Actually, Denise den Op turned down my books through ACX on a non-exclusive contract because I wouldn’t take down the podcast. Their stance was “When a listener discovers that the book they just paid for is available for free it creates an unpleasant feeling.” This was after I talked with them several times and they assured me it wasn’t going to be a problem and after I’d spent nearly a month putting the book in the correct format for them.
That’s when they pulled the rug out.
Yes, I know other people have done it and continue to do it.
Granted it’s been a couple of years since that fiasco. The rules may have changed. But there are also other paths that don’t involve ACX or Audible and let me decide how much to charge for the works.
And yeah. I’m still pissed.
Oops, 2016 for Seeker 2 & Smuggler 2, right? Can’t wait to read Smuggler 1 and Seeker 2 (& 3!)
Safe voyage.
Yes. thanks. Fixed.
I think one reasons for the success of your audiobooks is your calm voice accompanying the quiet stories. So please take your time and record them the same way you did the previous books.
I enjoyed reading In Ashes Born. Like others, I bypassed the read-it-free option, because I knew it would be worth my I would be willing to pay to hear you read it, and I suspect many of your fans feel the same.
I enjoyed the book very much, but it felt… off… during the first two or three chapters. Looking back after I finished, I’m not sure if the odd start was not intentional. Ishmael was not sure what he was doing or how he was going to do it. As he discovered a possible path, the writing/story started feeling more like an Ishmael story.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to the next book.
Nathan,
With all the hard work you have put into your work, I think I’ll pay what I need to pay to get my copy of your works. I actually grabbed seeker 2 weeks after it showed up on Kindle just because I wasn’t pay attention.
As always. we, your fans, appreciate you and thanks for all you have done.
Hi Nathan,
I was first introduced to your material through podiobooks just before you released Books 6 of Trader Tales. Since these were free, I was not compelled to pay for it but it certainly help me get introduced to your series. I know there was a tip option on the site but honestly, unless I have an overwhelming amount of surplus income when I see that Tip button, I wouldn’t just put down money for it. I am probably not the only one of your readers that thinks this way. However, I have happily purchased the books that were not available yet on podiobooks and will do so in the future because it supports more work being produced by you and I really want to continue with the story. I have difficulty reading so I would consider reading a chore but I ate your series up along with the Tanyth series and South Coast.
If you do produce the audiobooks for your upcoming works, I would ask simply that you give your readers the opportunity to purchase these from you before making these available on podiobooks for free or even concurrently. Eventhough I have already purchased Ashes, I would also like to support your work by buying the audiobook at a reasonable price. I completely support having all of your works being available in both free and paid versions because it gives people options to support you while still the customer still receiving a tangible version of your work. This would provide you with more income as well as give you an important metric to which you can compare the number of people willing to pay for more work against the people who llisten for free.
Anyway, good luck with your current endeavor and I look forward to your continued works.
Dang it Nathan! It always stinks when I find such a great author and amazing stories! I now crave for more of your story telling and have to actually wait for it! I binge listened to the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper and absolutely fell in love! I hate to hear you have having technical issues and don’t want you to feel stressed about pushing content! As impatient I am I care more about the author enjoying the work they are doing and not killing themselves over it! I can’t wait to see what you have I’m store for us!
Thanks again,
Zach
Nathan,
I absolutely loved the solar clipper series! I was so hooked, I read the entire six books in 5 days (yes my sleep did suffer a bit :-)). You truly have a gift for telling a great story and for touching the hearts of your readers. I hope you are very proud of your accomplishment, because you deserve to be. When I finished “Owners Share”, I was crestfallen that the story had ended until I realized “In Ashes Born” continued Ishmael’s story so I immediately went out and purchased that book as well. I just finished it and I love where the story is taking me. I will be sitting on the edge of my chair until “Seeker 2” comes out early next year. I can’t wait :-). Thanks so much for taking me on a fascinating journey that gave me pause to think about humanity, the complex relationships and interactions among people in a universe that is trying to kill them, and a potential future that I can only hope may some day come true.
Thanks so much!
Ray
Mr. Lowell
Take a breath. You, or your publisher, set a VERY aggressive and crazy writing/release deadlines. It would do no good to burn out or destroy the work you have started. Your fans will moan about a delay, human nature, but better work and sanity are needed too.
Thanks
Robert
Hi, I’m an avid crime/mystery reader and my husband reads sci-fi. He suggested that I might enjoy Quarter Share. I have just finished a marathon read of all six books in the Trader series – over three days. Loved them!! Look forward to reading more in the future. (Plus, it was a pleasure to find so few spelling, homonym or ‘continuity’ errors in so many pages. Well done.
Thank you so much
Val
Any word on the release date for milk run. Was said to be a December released date. It being Dec 11 now and all quiet and no word. Just wondering on an update. There’s been no blog since the beginning of November. Hope all is okay.
John
I missed the Dec 1 update.
Sorry about that. I should know better than to put up a schedule.
Milk Run didn’t get done in November. It’s still not done. I can’t send it to the editor until that happens so it’ll be a while yet.
Hi Nathan, no pressure. I just get so excited with anything to do with solar clipper. I bought the other trilogy you wrote after solar clipper to support you , but have not read it as I was so longing for anything solar. When a new book came out and it was not that series I just couldn’t let go. At this time everything is star wars. But your series took me to the stars. You took me to an amazing adventure in life in space. Heroes and danger like nothing else out there. No aliens , lasers , dogfights in space , but I felt more apart of the deep dark on a cargo ship than seeing an x-wing fly threw space. There’s no hurry I’m just glad you writing both series solar and smugglers. Thank you for taking me on amazing trips during the last so any very painful years. I’ve read and reread the first three books many times. And listened to your pod casts many times. Each book is a snapshot of a time in my life , that helped me deal with sickness , loss , crippling changes. So thank you. And as I wait for you next book , I’ll try and give your other series a chance. I’ve had them years, I guess it’s time to let you take me on another journey. So Nathan hope you and your family have a special holiday. And see you in the deep dark sometime in 2016.
Thank John w
Nathan
Glad to see you are moving forward on all fronts.
Just a word on audiobooks: like a lot of people here, I was introduced to you through your content on podiobooks, and itunes. The fact that the content was free was less important to me than the fact that the content was GOOD….both the writing and the production values were first class. I would not have a problem paying for audio books that YOU recorded. I agree with others — the narrator DOES make a difference and you are a GREAT one!
Thanks, Tom.
Having me narrate wasn’t an option. In the first place, I need to offload something. The month it would take me to record a book is a month I could be working on another. In the second place, Podium was not open to having me narrate. Not at all. Last, I think that Jeffrey might bring fans of his voice work to my stories. I’m not expecting great things to come of this and I still retain the rights to Tanyth Fairport and the Smuggler’s Tales. The contract is also limited to just the nine Ishmael Wang stories currently on the board – the seven I’ve finished and the two I need to write.
There’s nothing in the contract about Ishmael Wang stories beyond them. 🙂
Any update on Seeker 2’s release date
I’ve updated this very old post with the current dates.
I try to keep the current work and what’s coming in the short term available on the current monthly updates.