I Want To Be a Part of It – NYCC!

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I’m leaving now for New York Comic-Con, and I’ll be there all weekend, discovering new comics creators, findingout about everything new and awesome in geekdom, chatting with my amazing publishing teams at Simon & Schuster and 47North, as well as catching up with writer-friends who have come in from all across the country for a weekend of awesomeness.

As a reminder, you can find me at the “Ode to Nerds” panel on Saturday at 1:30 PM, where I and other fabulous nerdy authors will be talking with one another in what I imagine will be an all-out geekfest. Bring your questions for us and/or your books to be signed, since we’ll proceed from the panel to the signing area.

Info about the panel: http://nycc13.mapyourshow.com/5_0/sessions/sessiondetails.cfm?ScheduledSessionID=10ADCC.

See you there!

New book deal – SHIELD AND CROCUS

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Dear all, I’m incredibly thrilled to finally be able to share the news that I’ve inked a new book deal for what will be my print debut(!).

 

From the Publishers Marketplace announcement:

FICTION: SCIENCE FICTION/ FANTASY
Author of GEEKOMANCY, Michael R. Underwood’s SHIELD AND CROCUS about an aging revolutionary and a haunted city, to David Pomerico at 47North, in a nice deal, for publication in 2014 in print and graphic novel by Sara Megibow at Nelson Literary Agency. (World)

 

My Hollywood-style pitch for SHIELD is “Mistborn meets China Mieville,” since it combines high action with a New Weird-style setting.

SHIELD AND CROCUS is a novel that began its life as a short story critiqued at the Clarion West Writers Workshop in 2007, with Graham Joyce as the instructor for the week. I was inspired by a story written by Jon Christian Allison, one of my classmates, and wrote a tale that combined a setting drawing upon the New Weird with the action of heroic fantasy that I’ve loved all my life.

Graham and my classmates encouraged me to take the story and expand it into a novel, and years later, after several revisions and a lot of growth on my part as a writer, I’m over the moon that David Pomerico has acquired it for 47North. David has a laser-focused plan for positioning and supporting the novel, including providing the truly exciting opportunity of having the story adapted as a graphic novel. More on that later.

I’ve had an impressive amount of feedback and support along the way, so the acknowledgements for this novel are going to be substantial. I cannot promise that I will not cry when I finally get around to writing them, since this novel has been a big part of my life for several years (from mid-2007 through 2010, most specifically), and represents the work that put me over the top from being an apprentice writer to a new professional. Without the skills at character voice and revision I developed working on SHIELD, I would not have been able to write GEEKOMANCY at the level that allowed it to be sold to Pocket Star.

I also want to take the time to give a huge shout-out to Sara Megibow, my agent, who has now helped me sign three book deals for a total of five novels and a novella, within the first two years of working together. Thanks to her support and cunning skills, I am going to have an amazingly busy 2014, and I couldn’t be more excited.

SHARKNADO – Mike’s Torture Cinema debut

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One of my absolute favorite memories of WorldCon 2013 is that during the convention, I joined the Skiffy & Fanty team to record a very special Torture Cinema podcast episode about SHARKNADO.

This is the episode in which I declared SHARKNADO to be “the apotheosis of the bad SyFy channel Sci-Fi movie.”

Notice: the recording is filled with total ridiculousness, profanity, and a drunkenly-acted skit.

Listen, if you dare…

ACA, Artists, and Me

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I think every blogger has a graveyard of half-finished drafts of posts that they can’t quite find the time or words to finish to their satisfaction. One of mine is about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or ACA, commonly known as Obamacare.

Thankfully, instead of having to finish that post, I can link you to several other posts made by working artists and critics to give a sense of what ACA can mean for our country, as well as what it has already done.

 

Critic Alyssa Rosenberg, on what the ACA could mean for artists: http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2013/10/02/2719011/affordable-care-act-artists/

Author Kameron Hurley, sharing a horror story from her own life about what can happen when you’re young and uninsured in America pre-ACA. http://www.kameronhurley.com/the-horror-novel-youll-never-have-to-live-surviving-without-health-insurance/

Author Jay Lake, who is living with terminal cancer, about what ACA has already done in extending his life: http://www.jlake.com/2013/10/03/politicscancer-the-government-shutdown-and-the-aca-and-me/

 

For myself, I’m very excited and optimistic about PPACA/ACA – I think Alyssa’s dead-on about the potential for artists and freelancers, and if I wasn’t really happy with and excited by my current job, I’d be taking a serious look at going full-time as a writer in 2014 with the healthcare exchanges. As-is, I’m going to be looking at the exchanges anyway, to see if I can save money by switching over to the exchanges and strengthen the pool by participating as a healthy young person.

What the exchanges, the employer mandates, and the individual mandates will actually look like and how they will shake out in terms of costs, really remains to be seen. But ACA has already taken a big step forward in several areas, (the ones discussed above, among others) from our total cluster@$% of a healthcare system to something somewhat less callous and exploitative. Maybe one day, we’ll move forward from PPACA and institute a real, single-payer, universal healthcare system like the vast majority of the rest of the developed world.

Does This Make Me Urban Fanty?

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Today, Shaun Duke, co-overlord of Skiffy & Fanty revealed…

 

SKIFFY AND FANTY 3.0!

*Thunderclap*

*Maniacal laugh*

 

Yep, this means that I’m going to be a regular at Skiffy & Fanty, both the podcast and the blog – this includes author interviews, ongoing columns, the Shoot the WISB movie/TV discussions, Torture Cinema, and more. I really like the S&F folk, and it’s been a pleasure working with them already, plotting and scheming. You’ll see a lot of S&F content coming through here in the near future.

10 Rules for Getting the Most Out of Conventions As a Writer

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Attending a convention as a writer can be a ton of fun, but it’s also work. You’re putting on your public face, asserting yourself as a working professional, and forging connections that could become an incredible asset in the short, medium, and/or long-term.
Here are some general pieces of advice for professional development and self-care at conventions:
1) Be genuine. Being the best, most generous and excited version of yourself is probably the best support you can give your career in terms of activities at a convention. If you’re naturally shy, you don’t have to put on false airs and try to be a social butterfly, but try to be the friendliest version of yourself. If you excel in small groups, find and build small groups and have those great in-depth conversations. If you’re the life of the party, be the life of the party. But remember that you’re a professional. Each community and con is going to have its own tone, and try to match that tone – some conventions are more academic, others more fannish. Sometimes the enthusiasm will need to be more reserved to fit in, other times you can squee all over the place.
2) Be positive. You’re at the con because of a shared passion for narrative. The people you meet will very likely be your tribe – they’ll get more of your jokes, have read more of the books you love, and should, in general, be ‘Your People.’ That’s really exciting, and it’s great to be enthusiastic.
The back edge of this rule is that I don’t recommend spending much if any time throwing shade or trash-talking other authors or their work. Best-Selling Author’s writing may be drivel in your informed opinion, but that person is a peer, trying to make a living in the same career you’re building for yourself. Plus, it’s bad Karma to cast aspersions. And if you trash-talk in public or in small circles, people may associate you more with that negativity than anything positive, especially if they happen to love Best-Selling Author’s work. Thoughtful critique is fine, especially in small circles of colleagues/peers.
3) Take care of yourself. This ranges from making sure you eat enough (recommended two meals a day minimum, or whatever you need to function, whatever is greater), taking pride in your hygiene, dressing to impress (assume conventions are business casual until told otherwise, and ask whether there’s an awards ceremony or banquet. If you’re going to go to either, pack something a step up from your default wear). Taking care of yourself also means making sure you get alone time to de-compress when you need it. Conventions are very taxing, and if you need to skip a panel to take a nap, or just take a breather, then do it. If possible, figure out times that you can use for solo relaxation ahead of time, so you know when you have breaks available.
4) Eat socially. Meals are some of the best opportunities you will have at conventions to make real, lasting connections with people. If possible, invite a new friend you’ve made during the day to dinner, and assemble a dinner posse of a size that’s workable for your temperament (love small groups? Get a small group for dinner), and head off for some food and fun.
5) Enjoy the Bar-Con. Most genre fiction conventions have a designated Convention Bar. Writers and publishing professionals often congregate there in the evenings. You’ll see editors holding court, authors entertaining their colleagues and/or fans, and aspiring pros trading tips and making friends. You most certainly don’t have to drink, but BarCon can be a great part of a convention experience, and buying someone a drink is a solid invitation to a chat (especially if you make it clear that said drink is not the start of a pick-up attempt). As indicated above, if you’re at a convention, you already have something in common with your fellow attendees, and chances are, they will be excited to talk to you.
5a) But don’t over-indulge. Everyone has their limits, and you should know yours. If you’re effective socially when tipsy, that’s fine. If you go directly from drunk to sick, that’s bad. Or if you’re an angry drunk, that’s also bad. Know your limits, and remember that you’re being a professional.
6) Know how to open a conversation. I’ve developed a series of stock questions that serve as conversational openers at cons.
In the first day or two of the convention: “How was your trip in?” “Did you get in today?” “Are you on panels this weekend?”
Anytime: “How’s your con going?” “What are you working on these days?” (works for writers, editors, and some other publishing professionals) “What have you been excited about lately?” (this can be books, projects, movies, etc.) “Any panels you’re particularly excited about this week?”
If this is your first time at a given convention: “This is my first time at <Con>. Is there something I absolutely shouldn’t miss?”
Towards the end of the con: “How was your con?” “Were you on panels?” “What was your favorite panel?” “When are you headed home?”
7) Talk about your work when invited. Chances are, you’ll end up talking to other writers. In those cases, shop talk is expected. Ask people about their work, and they’ll probably ask about yours. When talking to readers, reviewers, booksellers, editors, etc., it’s fine to talk about your work, but do so briefly, and try to limit it to when you’re invited to talk about your work or when you’ve already talked about something else for a while. Hand-selling your book to people at conventions is not a way to make a living, and if you’re obnoxious about it, then it could have a net-negative effect of turning someone off. As with many things, there’s a balance to be found between wanting to get the word out there and not being too pushy.
8) Be generous. Praise the work you found inspirational and exceptional. Compliment people when they excel on a panel as a participant or a moderator, or ask an insightful question. Thank your servers. Tip well. Thank booksellers for supporting your work. Thank fans for reading your work. Thank reviewers for discussing your work and for supporting the genre. Thank everyone for their time when you talk with them. Wish people well and support their endeavors. The more robust sales in your genre are, the better a chance your work has of succeeding.
9) Take business cards. I still use business cards a lot at conventions. Whenever possible, I take notes of where I met someone, so that when I go back over my stack of cards the next week, I can put names & Faces to conversations. “John Steele – Talked about Indiana Jones at Sushi.” “Gina Chen – dinner on Sunday, writes Middle Grade Horror.” This way, you can follow up with all the cool people you met, sending them short emails and/or Facebook messages to say how much you enjoyed meeting them and talking about <X>. This helps cement short-term acquaintanceships into burgeoning friendships.
10) Think about making friends, not networking. If you want to be in the writing business long-term, you’re going to be around the same people for decades. So why not regard your community as a group of friends who are also business associates, rather than thinking about people first and foremost in terms of what they can do for you as connections.
#SFWApro

Baltimore Book Festival

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When I moved to Baltimore, one of the first cool things I heard about was the Baltimore Book Festival. So I was incredibly excited when I got an email via SFWA inviting me to attend and participate in programming for this year’s festival, which will be held September 27-29th.

The website for the Baltimore Book Festival is here, for those interested (don’t worry, I’ll wait).

 

Cool, right? The SFWA has a full track of programming, and I’ll be there all weekend, soaking in the literary awesome, plus participating in a few panels.

You’ll find me at the following:

 

Friday, September 27:

1:00PM A Look at the Fiction Industry From the Publishing Side

Hear what authors who have also been editors have to say about the publishing side of the business. The industry has undergone dramatic changes in recent years, with genre blending, new technologies, and multi-media projects. What are editors and publishers looking for? How does the industry look from their side of the table? Find out what’s new and what’s tried and true.

Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Michael Underwood

Moderator: Catherine Asaro

 

Saturday, September 28:

6:30-8:00 SFWA Reception

Come party with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America at our annual Baltimore Book Festival Reception. We have an exciting event planned, combining this year with Dark Quest Books in their launch of the YA novel, The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin, by L.Jagi Lamplighter. Meet the authors, enjoy quiet jazz by The Greg Adams Trio, and partake of our delectable (and free) snacks. The party is free and open tothe public, and all are welcome.

 

Sunday, September 29:

12:00 How to Come Across Like a Professional Writer When You’re Starting Out

Talk to our expert panelists on how to get a good start in the writing industry. What to do and what not to do.

Panelists: Michael R. Underwood, Laura Anne Gilman

Moderator: Catherine Asaro

 

I hope to see you there!

#SFWApro

Announcing ATTACK THE GEEK!

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A while back, I made some noise about a new 3-book deal with Pocket Star – 2 of the books being in a new series titled YOUNGER GODS, and the other being a novella in the Ree Reyes universe, set after CELEBROMANCY.

Now that I have edits back on the novella, we’ve settled on a title for the novella: ATTACK THE GEEK. This book will be about half the size of a Ree Reyes novel, and focuses on one Incredibly Bad Night (TM) at Grognard’s, featuring Geekomancers new and old, magic curses, whacky monsters, more romantic tension between Ree and Drake, and the on-screen return of everyone’s favorite Grizzled Geekomantic Mentor, Eastwood!

ATTACK THE GEEK will be available on April 7th, 2014. Set your calendars now!

You can see it even now on Goodreads, and pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes. Other links to come. (N.B. the final price will be lower than $5.99, since it’s a shorter work).

w00t!