User:Jeremygbyrne/Bestseller Project

The Bestseller Project is a business development project started in the mid- to late-1990s in Australia, primarily via email.

History

The Project began in discussions between Sean Williams and Jeremy Byrne in about 1997. In April 1999 it was formalised and expanded to include Simon Brown, Shane Dix and Kirsty Brooks. Unfortunately, reagrdless of an initial 12-month target deadline, and despite an attempt to revive the project in 2003, the collaborative effort has produced little beyond interesting discussion.

As of 2004 the project has involved Jeremy Byrne working alone, and has concentrated on The Alchemy Cycle.

Media

"our aim is to produce something that will be successful not only as a novel, but will also earn from film rights, interactive hypertext websites and computer game licencing (and anything else we can sell related to the project -- action figures, anyone? <g>)." (Sean Williams)
"Not forgetting the bubble gum cards, talking alarm clocks, and the doilies designed in the pattern of the galaxy our saga will be set..." (Shane Dix)

Initially suggested specifics

WHEN: 2021

(I'd like to set it near enough to allow reasonable projections of technology, but far enough to make it interesting.)

WHERE: Locations worldwide, with the major character living in Australia.

(I think we can best describe our own country at a domestic level.)

MAJOR THEME: The effects of technological change on humanity.

(Hey; it's SF, isn't it? I'd particularly like to emphasis the negation of geographical isolation, emphasise the inversion of personal privacy and investigate the way issues of "truth" will be affected by the pervasiveness of personal opinion.)

MAJOR CHARACTER(S): An older man to represent where we are now, and a younger woman to represent what we may become.

(I'd make the woman the major viewpoint character--I think a female protagonist would help make the book successful.)

Goals

To produce a series of novels which could then be promoted for development in other media. (Simultaneous development is now the favoured paradigm.)

Products

The Bestseller Project will launch its first product The Alchemy Cycle on 06 June 2006.

Trivia

Simon Brown initially used the acronym Foatcaphswosm (for "fellowship of authors for the creation of a potentially hugely selling work of stupendous marvels) to describe the project.