Author and editor Michael Seidlinger has been engaged in a hell of a project this year. For the past couple of months, he’s been gathering a list of pretty much every indie book coming out this year. And it’s a hell of a list, including news of forthcoming books by Jacob M. Appel, David S. Atkinson, Ryan W. Bradley, Percival Everett, Molly Gaudry, Ashley Iguanta, Jac Jemc, Edward J Rathke, Ben Tanzer, Meg Tuite, and Michael J. Seidlinger himself. And those are just the names I recognize on a first quick scan!
(PS: Gang, I can’t tell you how excited I am for new Jac Jemc!)
Also on the list: My novel, Hagridden, out from Columbus Press this fall.
But that list is just phase 1 of Michael Seidlinger’s project. Phase 2, called The Great 2014 Indie Press Preview, brings in a gaggle of writers-turned-readers, who have laid claim to these forthcoming books and are writing not reviews but anticipatory previews of the books! And today, over at The Outlet literary news blog, The Great 2014 Indie Press Preview went live, and Hagridden is in the first batch of previews.
David Atkinson, author of Bones Buried in Dirt, claimed my novel, and here’s what he wrote about it:
Two women attempt to live in the bayou of Louisiana as the Civil War rages in the rest of the country outside. I’ve seen so many books about people wrapped up in the war itself, I’m curious to see how Snoek-Brown develops characters who are affected by the war but are still removed from it to some degree. Given the magnitude of emotion Snoek-Brown called up in Box Cutters, this one promises big.
Many thanks to David for claiming my novel and to Michael for putting all this together (seriously, look at the list, let alone the compiled previews — Michael is engaged in a Herculean endeavor here!).
(You can read more advanced praise for Hagridden on the Hagridden page here in my website.)
Samuel Snoek-Brown 
Sam, I gave Michael’s details to P’kaboo (my publisher) but I don’t know whether they have been in touch. Am I able to add my 2-cent’s worth about ‘Hagridden’ or does David Atkinson’s preview mean it has been ‘taken’?
Boy oh boy I wish someone had got my ‘The Everywhen Angels’ into a project like this. Too late now, of course.
Um, I’m not sure, actually. But Michael’s contact info is in his initial post with the list (http://michaeljseidlinger.com/2014/01/14/attn-indie-lit-community/), and he’s a cool guy, so you could certainly ask.
… at least I was able to leave a comment over there.
… But this is a really smart back-up plan — and thanks! You’re the best, M. 🙂
Well, to be honest I don’t really know any of the other books, even by reputation. 🙂
Get to know Jac Jemc. Her novel My Only Wife was my favorite book from 2012, and I’ve been salivating for her follow-up. There are a bunch of other great writers on this list, but hers is the book I’m most excited for.
Will do.