Seeking First Readers for Transcendent
After three years of planning, writing and revising, I am thrilled to announce that I have completed the second draft of my new novel, Transcendent. Since this is the first time I’m talking about the project on my website, here’s the pitch:
Rubie is no stranger to the concept of parallel worlds. After all, she literally wrote the book on it—or so everybody thinks. When Rubie is asked to produce a second magnificent thesis or lose her livelihood, she must confront the truth: she stole the work of a man named Sephren and published it as her own, although she has no recollection of doing so. In fact, she’s never found any evidence that he exists, aside from his name on the original manuscript.
Given sixty days to begin researching the mysterious Blight, Rubie turns back to her old pages. There she finds a ritual that pulls her into a parallel world where the Blight still rages and Mount Incarnus runs with rivers of fire. Worse, she falls into the clutches of Sephren the Godslayer, who claims that Rubie was once his mortal enemy—and that they fought for the fate of the world.
Realising that Sephren is a parallel of the man she stole from, and that Rubie is a parallel of the woman he once fought, the two forge an uneasy alliance. Together, they must unravel the mysteries of their shared past, find a way to stop the Blight, and get Rubie home before the life she’s built collapses, even if it’s one built on lies.
With two drafts completed, it’s time for me to share this story and world—or rather, worlds—with some first readers (AKA beta readers). This was an immensely helpful step for A Fate Entwined, and I’m eager to get some outside opinions once again.
A Brief History of Transcendent
If you aren’t interested in learning about the history of this project, that’s okay! Just click here to skip to the specific details about the book and being a first reader.
I conceptualised Transcendent late in 2021 and wrote an early version of what has become the second chapter immediately. Due to some massive changes in my life, I didn’t really get around to writing much more until 2023. I also made an extensive plan for this book, which is a first for me, since I have tended to write without a detailed outline in the past.
My writing process for a novel usually looks something like this:
- Plan the book (or not)
- Draft One
- Three-month break
- Draft Two (rewriting and revising)
- Send to first readers
- Draft Three (implementing feedback)
- Submit manuscript (ie. Query Hell)
Draft One of Transcendent took a long time, partly because I wrote the first 30,000 words only to discover that the direction wasn’t working, prompting me to start over. I completed Draft One at 99,000 words on 31 December 2023 after a massive push at the end of the year.
After my mandatory three-month break, I had a ton of ideas for Draft Two and dove back into it. This draft shook things up quite a bit, and about half of the scenes had to be completely rewritten, with several new ones added on top of it. After about eight months, Draft Two was completed at 117,000 words (whoops).
About Transcendent
Basic Info
Age Category: Adult
Genre: High Fantasy (with elements of Dark Fantasy)
Word Count: ~117,000
POV: 3rd person
Narrative Tense: Past
Romance: Yes (2/5 🌶️)
The Magic
Transcendent features a magic system called epamancy, the magic of seasons. This magic was originally limited to the dryads, but Rubie has mysteriously come to possess four magical ribbons with their powers.
The World
Transcendent takes place on the island of Theos, inspired by elements of Greek mythology. Ravaged by the Blight for a decade, much of Theos has become a desolate wasteland where only the bravest survive.
What Kind of Story Is It?
Transcendent is a high fantasy novel centred on deep character relationships amidst world-ending stakes.
Queer Representation
Sapphic romance
Trans/Non-binary representation
Lesbian representation
Bisexual representation
Content Warnings
Grim setting
Depression
Suicidal thoughts (minimal)
Animal death
Transphobia
Gender dysphoria
Coerced detransition
Explicit violence
Death on page
Occasional coarse language
Being a First Reader
Expressions of Interest
I’m seeking expressions of interest for first readers, with an eye toward sending out copies before the end of 2024. This will give me some time to comb through the book to mercilessly slaughter any typo goblins and plothole kobolds I can find.
How Long is Transcendent?
Transcendent is currently ~117,000 words, which is about 400 pages for a standard paperback novel.
Ideally, I’d like to get the word count closer to 100k, but I’m not going to make any big cuts until I’ve had a chance to review some feedback and figure out what is working or not working so well.
What is Expected of a First Reader?
As one of my first readers, your feedback will be crucial for the direction of the project’s third draft. At a minimum, your responsibilities as a first reader will be to read the manuscript and answer some questions at certain feedback milestones (after each of the book’s three parts).
In the past, I have had first readers provide feedback on characterisation, plotlines, character arcs, twists, readability and more. Some choose to skip the specific feedback questionnaires and instead provide a detailed feedback document upon completion, which is completely fine. Whatever kind of feedback you feel comfortable giving, in whatever form, is acceptable and much appreciated.
It’s important to note that this is by far the most emotionally draining part of the novel-writing process, so positive feedback and cheerleading are always welcome in addition to critique. Knowing what works well is just as important as knowing what doesn’t!
What Is the Deadline?
I like to give my first readers three months to read the manuscript and provide feedback. With a January 2025 goal for sending copies out, I would hope to have all feedback by 31 March 2025.
If this deadline is an issue but you would still like to be a first reader, please reach out to discuss other options. Similarly, if you agree to become a first reader but need an extension of this deadline, just let me know.
What Do I Get?
In exchange for being one of my first readers, you will receive my eternal gratitude, your name in the book’s acknowledgements (should it be published) and possibly a little treat from me.
How Do I Become a First Reader?
There are several ways to contact me to express your interest in becoming a first reader. If you know me personally, the easiest way is to reach out on social media. If you’d like to discuss the project further before committing, this is the best way to do so.
Otherwise, you can easily express interest by completing this Google Form. Personally, I’d do this either way, because I think forms where I don’t have to write anything are fun.
If you express interest in being a first reader but later change your mind, you can withdraw your interest by sending an email to jade@jptalon.com
Please note that there are a limited number of first reader positions available, so an expression of interest does not guarantee selection.
Transcendent Preview
I would never expect somebody to commit to reading a 400-page novel without knowing what they are getting into. As such, the first chapter of Transcendent is available via the link below.
Thank You!
Thank you for your interest in Transcendent (I think it’s safe to assume you’re interested in the book if you’ve made it this far, even if you don’t want to be a first reader).
You can express interest in being a first reader by completing the Google Form or by getting in touch with me personally.
I can’t wait to share this book with you all!