Pyr, a science fiction and fantasy imprint of Prometheus Books, will publish Crossover: A Cassandra Kresnov Novel in the premium mass market paperback format, with dimensions of 4-1/8 inches x 7-3/8 inches and priced at $9.98, according to the publisher’s newsletter. Premium mass market paperbacks are taller than the traditional mass market size, allowing for improved readability and cover image area. Crossover, by Australian author Joel Shepherd, was previously published in trade paperback in August 2006.

The Cassandra Kresnov novels Breakaway and Killswitch will follow at the same price and format, to be published in June and July 2009 respectively.

“We’ve had significant interest from the major booksellers in seeing Pyr enter the mass market format, and a great deal of interest in this trilogy in particular,” says Pyr Editorial Director Lou Anders. “Joel’s series is smart, sexy, action-packed, and features a very well-rounded and admirable female lead. We’ve been very happy with their performance thus far in trade paperback, and feel they are especially suited to lead our charge into mass market, a perfect example of the type of smart, action-packed and engaging read that Pyr is becoming known for. I’m thrilled that Cassandra Kresnov is poised to entertain even more readers with her mass market debut.”

From the newsletter:

Cassandra Kresnov is a highly advanced hunter-killer android who defected from her League Dark Star special ops assignment, seeking the quiet life of a civilian, but then becomes unwillingly embroiled in dangerous interplanetary intrigue. Shepherd is known for his strong female protagonists, his gripping action sequences, and his rich depiction of Byzantine political machinations. Tobias S. Buckell, author of Halo: The Cole Protocol, called the series, “A blast to read,” while Publishers Weekly described it as “Robert Ludlum meets Elizabeth Moon.”

TODD MCCAFFREY will be appearing at the locations below to sign copies of Dragonheart, the new novel of Pern.

Huntington Beach, CA
Wednesday, November 12 @ 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
7881 Edinger Avenue

Northridge, CA
Thursday, November 13 @ 7:00 PM
Borders
9301 Tampa Avenue

San Diego, CA
Saturday, November 22 @ 4:00 PM
Mysterious Galaxy
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
Suite #302

Source: The Del Rey Internet Newsletter

The World Fantasy Awards were announced at the 2008 World Fantasy Convention, held in Calgary, Alberta Oct. 30-Nov. 2.

• Life Achievement: Leo & Diane Dillon
• Life Achievement: Patricia McKillip
• Novel: Ysabel, by Guy Gavriel Kay (Viking Canada/Penguin Roc)
• Novella: Illyria, by Elizabeth Hand (PS Publishing)
• Short Story: “Singing of Mount Abora” by Theodora Goss (Logorrhea, Bantam Spectra)
• Anthology: Inferno: New Tales of Terror and the Supernatural, Ellen Datlow, editor (Tor)
• Collection: Tiny Deaths, Robert Shearman, editor (Comma Press)
• Artist: Edward Miller
• Special Award—Professional: Peter Crowther for PS Publishing
• Special Award—Non-professional: Midori Snyder and Terri Windling for Endicott Studio Website

AliensAndElves.com congratulates this year’s winners.

It’s National Novel Writing Month. According to the NaNoWriMo website, “National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000 word) novel by midnight, November 30.”

So what? National Novel Writing Month appears to be geared toward amateurs. Their focus is on quantity, not quality. Just get the words down on paper. What you do with them after that is up to you.

Except that my goal isn’t just to get words on paper. That part is easy. It’s getting the right words that’s difficult. Maybe that comes from my being a professional magazine editor in my real life. Maybe it comes from the fact that I don’t just want to write a novel. I want to write a good one. I want to have it published and be successful.

I spend far more time planning, editing and rewriting than I spend writing fresh material. To me, that feels like the better approach. I don’t have a problem coming up with ideas or ways to express them. It’s not about writer’s block. It’s about blocking out time to keep making progress.

Like NaNoWriMo, I use word count to track my progress. But they’re not just words. They’re the right words. Counting them just gives me a way to see my progress and stay motivated. Two months ago, I had 23,000 words and six chapters. Now I have 35,000 words and nine chapters.

I hope the good folks at NaNoWriMo will forgive me, but I’m not participating. They had more than 100,000 participants last year, with some 15% actually completing the 50,000 words.

I’m just going to keep doing what I do. My goal isn’t just to have a certain number of words and call it a novel. My goal is to write a cohesive, interesting epic fantasy page-turner. Whether it ends up at 50,000 words or 150,000 words doesn’t matter.

Fantasy Novelist’s Progress Report:

• Consecutive days of productive writing: 1
• Chapters complete: 9
• Word Count: 35,300