New Ventures
J. Dianne Dotson – Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Author - New Ventures

Seizing the Means of Production and Publication

I warned about the AI writing threat last year. So in rebuke of it, today I started a production company, and from that I’m forming a publishing imprint of books and graphic novels in SFF, horror, and mystery. These will have no AI writing, no AI art, guaranteed. 

The Facts So Far (FAQ)

  1. Who’s on board? | Of course I’m building a team, and of course my husband Gareth L. Powell is partnering with me. More details to come.
  2. So this is a production company first? | Yes. The publishing imprint is an offshoot of the production company.
  3. What will you produce? | The long-term goal is to produce video content, audio content, and of course books through the publishing arm.
  4. What will you publish? | We will publish novels, novellas, novelettes, and graphic novels for adult, young adult, and middle-grade audiences. Eventually, I want to publish non-fiction arts and crafts books; I’m honoring all my favorite legacies.
  5. Can I pitch to the publishing imprint? | Please do not send pitches at this time as we are in the early stages with this. We want to ensure everything is ready and in place before we ever get to that point. Better to build it right than too fast.
  6. What’s the name of the production company, and what’s the name of the imprint? | We’re keeping a tight lid on this until everything is finalized.
  7. Are you hiring? | We’re not to that stage yet; we have editors, designers, and data and infrastructure covered already.
  8. Will you still write? | Absolutely, and I will still work with my literary agent to submit my own new fiction to other publishing houses. I am a hybrid author.
  9. Is this a vanity press? NO. Absolutely not. We will be a true indie press and we will never charge our authors. Our job is to PROMOTE authors.
  10. Will you offer advances? As a small press just starting, we will offer great royalties in our contracts, similar to other great small presses that we love. Eventually, particularly with investors’ help, we will offer advances.

Only Human

In many ways, this honors my family legacy. My dad was a storyteller and indie author, and my mom worked in a printing press. I was always leading to this; my proximity to Hollywood also inspired me, and the vast network of designers, artists, and editors I’ve got sealed the deal.

I’m a hybrid author taking a stand. I’m an artist taking a stand. Now that we know how at-risk writing and art and even voice acting are, it’s even more important to protect the work of creatives.

Stay tuned as this all unfolds!

UPDATES

May 30, 2023 – Our production company (with its publishing imprint offshoot) is official. Details forthcoming

June 1, 2023 – Our imprint name (not the production company’s name; it’s already a go) has been approved for trademark.

J. Dianne Dotson is the author of several books including THE SHADOW GALAXY, THE INN AT THE AMETHYST LANTERN, and THE QUESTRISON SAGA, as well as numerous short stories in magazines and anthologies.