A lot of you have asked about how I
came to the decision to Indie publish. It’s been a long road to get here. The
idea for this manuscript started all the way back in 2012. You can read about
that journey and how it got to where it is today in this post. And if you
are subscribed to my newsletter you got a sneak peek into how the idea for
TRACKER220 came to be.
From the moment the idea for
TRACKER220 popped in my head, I knew it was special. The words poured out of
me. I couldn’t stop writing, and I saw edits and layers to add and change early
on. Things just clicked all around.
And although I hit many roadblocks
with edits and it was difficult to find a champion I finally did. A LOT of
champions. This manuscript more than any other I’ve written so far, gathered
hundreds of likes/retweets on pitch contests from agents, and more importantly
writers and readers. So many people expressed interest in this story. I had an
agent who believed in it enough to take me on as a client and even though she
left agenting, TRACKER220 is so much stronger because of the time spent
learning and working from her notes.
The market has seen some ups and
downs, and unfortunately TRACKER220 with its slight dystopian slant, hit the
market at the wrong time for YA Sci Fi. It’s why finding the right agent was a
struggle and why the few small presses I queried had wonderful things to say but
ultimately passed. YA Sci Fi has a hard time finding a place in the market.
Publishers struggle to market it and therefore are extremely picky about the YA
Sci Fi they do pick up.
But ultimately there are still
readers hungry for stories like TRACKER220. Stories with future technology,
abuse of power, nerdy techy boys, young artists, and teens fighting the good
fight. Because stories like TRACKER220 were not readily available to me as a
teen, I didn't read much. I struggled to find science fiction that was
accessible to my reading level. I hope that is not the case for today's
generation of teens.
And of course, there’s a desire for
more diverse YA fiction and specifically stories with Jewish main characters
written by Jewish authors. I’ve been hung up on the lack of Jewish main
characters in literature, specifically young adult fiction. There’s many
Holocaust stories out there, but not many stories with Jewish characters living
their everyday lives. In the YA and even MG spaces, we’re starting to see more
#ownvoices contemporary stories with Jewish main characters and some fantasy as
well, and it’s exciting. But there’s still very few YA Science Fiction stories
with Jewish characters. I think some of this is because YA sci fi is a
difficult sell right now, and sometimes in science fiction it can be difficult
to weave religion in without beating the reader over the head with it. I know I
struggled with this in my own story for a long time. And still struggle with
what having Jewish characters in projects I’m currently working on really
means.
For all of these reasons I knew
Tracker needed to be out in the world. Bottom line, I believe in this story. I
know it’s good. And I know people will enjoy it. And honestly, I don’t know if
I would have had the courage to step out and take on the publishing piece on my
own if it wasn’t for every single one of those supportive tweets, blog
comments, write on con feedback, DMs etc. It was the community that cemented
the decision for me. I wanted this story out in the world because I want people
to be able to read it. They deserve to read it.
Thank you to everyone for following
me on this journey. I can’t wait for you all to hold this book in your hands
and experience it.
