Writing and Publishing Roadmap - 2022 and Beyond

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

So we all know about That Author who told everyone his books would be coming out on a certain schedule, then sort of dropped off the face of the earth, right? At the risk of being That Author myself, I want to share the rough roadmap of what I have planned for writing in the next little while. Other than titles already stated as being written and being prepped for publication, everything is subject to change at the whims of fates, gods known and unknown, and the general mood of my creative muse.

Summer 2022

Braelorne Academy #1

The first book in the Braelorne Academy cycle, tentatively called Saber and Stone, is currently in revisions and is slated for release in either June or July of 2022. Saber and Stone is a contemporary fantasy novel about Finn Holloway, an almost 16-year-old kid who gets the opportunity to go to magic school, only to discover that it’s not what he expected after reading a few too many books were magic is all pseudo-latin and wand-waving. This is a story about finding one’s place in the world, and the true cost of attaining those things we most desire.

The Traveling Librarian #1

The first book in what will hopefully be an open-ended series of relatively stand-alone adventures in the fictional world of Tellen, The Traveling Librarian is nearing the conclusion of its first draft with 100,000 of approximately 120,000 words written. This series follows a young librarian as he travels the far corners of Tellen in search of rare and dangerous books. It’s low-stakes slice of life fantasy that’s as much travelogue as it is anything else. Depending on beta reader timelines (which could involve you!), The Traveling Librarian is slated for release in either August or September of 2022.

Fall 2022

Untitled Fantasy Project #1

Set in the same world as the Traveling Librarian series, this book follows the journey of two characters who are thrown together by circumstance, then forced to flee through the wilderness and ultimately make their way across the kingdom so that one of them can reach their intended destination and the duty to which they’ve been bound by honor. 85,000 words of this story were drafted during the pandemic, and it’s only in the writing of The Traveling Librarian that I saw how to shape this project in a way that will allow me to slot nicely into the line-up of cozy fantasy books I’ve already got in the works. I will be sharing previews of this project with subscribers, and if there’s enough demand, I’ll write the rest of the draft and prepare it for publication in either late fall or early winter.

Braelorne Academy #2

No matter what happens with the Untitled Fantasy Project, I will be writing a first draft of the second Braelorne Academy book this summer for potential publication in October or November of 2022.

The Traveling Librarian #2

Much of this fall will be occupied by the writing of a first draft of The Traveling Librarian #2. It’s unlikely this will make it to publication before Christmas, especially if the Untitled Fantasy Project gains traction, but it will ideally be available in either January or February of 2023.

Winter 2022/23 and Beyond

At this stage of planning, winter will be spent writing both Braelorne Academy #3 and The Traveling Librarian #3, and I will cycle between those books with periodic interludes for things like a potential sequel to the Untitled Fantasy Project and a few other ideas I may produce as either stand-alone or episodic series novels. Aside from the Braelorne Academy books, most of these will be set in the fantasy world I’ve developed for The Traveling Librarian, more of which you’ll learn about here in future updates. Do you like maps? Because I have maps! There are a million stories to be told in this fictional universe, and I hope to spend the next several years diving into as many of them as I possibly can while still continuing to release new titles in your favorite in-progress series.

That’s the bird’s eye view of where I’ll be focusing my time and energy. In my weekly progress reports, I’ll get into specifics about what I’m working on in any given week, what the major publication timelines are looking like, and if there are any potential new projects on the horizon.

Thanks for reading, and see you among the stacks!

Mark Feenstra