Right out of high school, he was hired by Connecticut-based aerospace firm United Technologies to work on a new 'mechanical inspection computer that could measure components for aircraft.' Speaking to this reporter from his house in South Hero, Alanson explained that the company had no employees eager to work on the newfangled system. Growing up in Springfield, Mass., he read and watched classics such as Dune, The Lord of the Rings and 'Star Trek,' and he met Isaac Asimov when the legendary author spoke at a local school.įrom there, Alanson embarked on a decidedly atypical career trajectory for a future writer.

Writers who have, for whatever reason, struck out with traditional publishers can now easily and cheaply put their work before an audience.Īlanson, 59, has an origin story that begins like that of many science fiction authors. Such platforms gave rise to a new literary ecosystem in which Alanson and others have found enormous success.

Many competing online bookstores have followed the same model. Launched in 2007, the platform allows authors to upload their manuscripts to Amazon and sell them in its storefront, keeping a sizable royalty. New alternatives emerged with the rise of online publishing, thanks in no small part to Amazon's Kindle ebook reader and Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). From beginning to end, the process can take years. If a publisher likes it, they make an offer and begin editing. If an agent likes it, they take on the author as a client and submit the book to publishers on their behalf. 'In the indie publishing cadence, you publish three to four books a year.' Craig Alanson tweet thisįor decades, a novel's progress toward publication followed a standard path: An author toils away on a book, finishes it and submits it to literary agents. His success as an author is notable not only because he releases books at a blistering pace but also because he's on the frontier of an industry that's undergoing considerable changes in how it delivers stories to readers.

This month, his Expeditionary Force, a military science fiction adventure series, hit its 13th installment, Fallout. Since 2016, Craig Alanson (the pen name for Craig Odell) has carved out a comfortable living as a self-published author. Aspiring writers face plenty of obstacles: Will their book make it to shelves or into an online store? Will supply chain issues push back the release date? Even if they make it through that gauntlet, will audiences like what they've written?

They're going to write full time, supporting their existence on the weight of their imagination. Most every writer who's ever put pen to paper has had the same dream at some point: walking into work and giving notice.

Columbus Day by Craig Alanson