The Brittle Riders was voted the best sci-fi novel of 2022 in the Critters Readers Poll. It then went on to get a stunning review from Kirkus Reviews. Some raw numbers. Kirkus reviews about 10,000 books a year. About ten percent get complete reviews (they won’t publish a negative review upon request). About twenty percent of those remaining get good reviews. I’ve done it twice.
When I found out they wanted The Brittle Riders as part of their fall catalog this year, you know I wanted in. When I discovered the agent was not only a sales rep but a McSciFi fan, my knees turned to Jell-O.
With the Is now dotted and Ts successfully crossed, they will be promoting my book to thousands of librarians, buyers for major chains, film and television producers, all of whom rely on Kirkus to vet the material thoroughly, so they don’t have to.
As one author I know, kind of famous, said, “I use them, the Obamas use them, lots of famous people use them. Chill. You’re in good company.”
“Chill” is not the right word. But I am thrilled.
You can read the review by clicking that link.
Here’s the thing. Knowing that a Kirkus Review was important is not the same as being in their catalog. The number of sci-fi books that make the cut is small, so companies looking for a fresh sci-fi project often turn to Kirkus for suggestions. You see, for them, the work has already been vetted for quality. The full review gives them a better idea of what they’re in for and eliminates a lot of tedious promo materials. They can get right to the meat of the project. I know all this now because more than one company has reached out to me after seeing my post on LinkedIn.
I also have a variety of short stories in international anthologies, more novels than just The Brittle Riders, and I am still involved with several comic book titles.
Next week, I’ll have some exciting news about the wonderful people at Azoth Khem.
Until then, stay safe and sane. I like having you around.
