In another example of the new economy that is direct author-reader sales, author Dave Freer is serializing a new novel on the web to raise funds for a specific project. In this case, it’s to help his animals emigrate with him.
South African Freer and his family have decided to move to Australia, and while they appear to have budgeted properly for the move, gotten all the necessary visas and permissions and such, changing exchange rates have put a little crimp in the move. Specifically, the budgeted funds for the immigration quarantine of their pets are no longer available. Three of their four dogs and all four cats are adopted rescue animals (that is, they were rescued from bad situations). So, to fund the move of their animals along with them, Freer is writing Save the Dragons.
The 25-chapter novel is being posted one chapter per week, and Freer is hoping to raise US$400 per chapter. Freer promises contributors of more than $25 (total) “a personalized signed copy in hardback… or if it doesn’t ever come out in hardback… in the next most expensive format. And no matter what all the money raised goes to keeping the Freer furry animals together with their servants—that would be us—as we head off in search of a new life.”
Freer offers this description of Save the Dragons: “The book is one that both myself and my friend and co-author Eric Flint love. It was to be serialized in Jim Baen’s Universe, but sadly the magazine is closing down. Therefore, I have a book to sell. Um. It does break lots of rules. It’s not very PC and as I was told by a leading agent that I couldn’t sell books that have a black hero—if that’s an opinion you share, don’t read it. On the other hand it’s a pretty equal opportunity barbeque of everyone’s sacred cows rather like Rats Bats and Vats or Pyramid Scheme. Yes, it is satire, but it’s a galumphing adventure story too—about an unfortunate alchemy student, a wicked plot for domination of the spheres of existence, and of course the extermination of dragons. It has a cast of low IQ heroes and a few that are too bright for their own good, a broad selection of villains, a villainous selections of broads (in every sense of the word) and a transplanted hand with a mind of its own, haunted by a prognosticating foul-mouthed fowl. There’s a claustrophobic dwarf and a cast of millions… well at least tens, of vampires, werewolves and bartenders—off to save the dragons, the universe and of course, their true loves.”
The first chapter is already available, and at press time, it appears that Freer has already received $1,690 of the needed $10,000 (which is good for the next four chapters). To see what he’s talking about, see savethedragons.nu.
Freer’s first novel, The Forlorn, was published by Baen in 1999. Since then, he was co-written four novels with Eric Flint, four with Mercedes Lackey and Eric Flint, and at least two more solo novels.
Related articles previously published on SFScope:
Catherynne M. Valente offering her first YA novel for donations (15 June 2009)
Lee and Miller’s web serialization the stuff of print news (25 September 2008)
Lee and Miller update Saltation and Fledgling projects (10 April 2008)