I’m going to take a few minutes here and list a few helpful tips when it comes to the Hunters for Hire series.
01) Read everything you’re sent in regards to this series. I know the introductory email is long, but I didn’t write it just to waste time or to make your eyes pop out of your head. Honest. It contains important and useful information and will save on a bunch of questions and time later on.
02) When emailing one of the creators to ask about a specific planet, please list the system it is located in. In helps us to find the answer you’re looking for much, much quicker. We’re generally very busy and listing the system as well as the planet name will help save a great deal of time.
03) As you write your story, keep a record of where the information you use from the series bible is located. (example: write down the page numbers), this will not only help you when it comes time to double check your facts, but it will help the editors and/or the creators when questions arise.
04) Double check EVERYTHING before submitting. When dealing with this much information, it’s very easy to mess things up.
05) If it’s not in the series bible, odds are you probably shouldn’t include it in your book. I’m primarily referring to planets, systems, and alien races. I have stated numerous times but feel it necessary to point it out again, that there are no new planets, systems or alien races being added to the series at this point in time. However, if this should ever change, I will post notices.
06) What you are allowed to add to the world provided: plants, animals, gizmos and gadgets, ships, drugs, foods, and drinks as well as clothing. We provided some of each of those things into the bible, but there’s only so much you can think of when you’re not actively writing a book at the time.
07) The bounty hunters that the series revolve around are paid quite well, however, listing an exact number isn’t necessary. We intentionally avoided naming a specific price because what’s high in one instance, may be a low number in another. It will vary greatly depending upon who and what the hunters are dealing with.
08) Gate travel. It stands to reason that one cannot openly gate from Amalgamation space into Cintealios space and vice versa. They are mortal enemies and gate travel is highly restricted between the two, although the gates in each territory are connect to the other. If a story requires travel between the two territories, it requires the hunter to sneak across the border.
09) Cintealios women are kept in seclusion from the time of birth. This was implemented by the Cintealios leader in an attempt to preserve the purity of the races’ blood, meaning they didn’t want a non-pure blood male to mate with one of “their” females. Even female children resulting from a mating between a Cintealios male and a non-Cintealios female are often placed into seclusion.
10) Ulric Vonner knows EVERYTHING that goes on in the Web, though he will not admit to how he knows. There are no secrets from the man.
11) Constance O’Rourke – The Web’s supply handler. He can acquire anything a hunter might need to complete his/her mission, however, he will not act as a drug supplier to anyone with an addiction. Hunters are clean, unless a mission requires that they “appear” otherwise. Ulric won’t have an addict working for him as it would put the operation, the hunter, and everyone connected to the operation in jeopardy.
12) It’s not necessary to list every character that is named in the series bible into you book. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but it never hurts to repeat something. They are merely listed there in case you DO need to use them. Use only what you need from the series bible so long as the rest of your story fits into the world provided.
13) It takes more for a book to qualify for the series than calling your hero/heroine a hunter (or hunters) and naming off a planet from the series bible as their home world and/or location. I have jokingly called the series a plug and play type project, but in reality, it is much more complicated than that. It is extremely difficult to take a pre-existing story and trying to make it fit into the world provided with this series without major rewrites.
14) If a planet’s description states that a particular race is the only inhabitant of the planet, you can’t put a “secret” society there. That would contradict the world’s set up and mess with the continuity and consistency of the series.
15) There are no traditional werewolves, vampires, witches, or other paranormal creatures in this series. An alien race that can shift its form does not count as a paranormal creature.
I’m sure there are other things I could list here, but this is all that’s coming to me at the moment. I’ll add to the list as things come up.
