AI JIANG | 江艾

Somehow, I'd managed to finish writing a book in the month of February, and I've concluded that my books are almost always half the size of their final word count during the first draft. The first novel I'd written back last June began as 45K words before growing steadily to 86K and ending up 83K words. A PALACE NEAR THE WIND (forthcoming 2025 with Titan Books) began at 25K words and ended at 46K before being cut down to 39K. And the book I'd just finished is standing at about 47K, though I...

Apologies for the dump of an update this newsletter will be as I've essentially been in a cave working on the 8th draft of my novel to get back to my agent. I'd finished writing the book within a month June 2023, but it took 2 years of brewing on its details before I actually got started on the writing, and it's been on and off editing for the past 8 or so months. Exhausted is the best word I think I have for what I am, but also, extremely, extremely relieved. There are still issues with it,...

It's been a whirlwind of a time this award's season, and I've found myself lucky enough to make it onto some initial ballots and recommendation lists! I think many writers have a strange relationship with awards and shouting about our work. On one hand, it feels uncomfortable to be promoting our work, but on the other hand, it feels like we're doing an injustice to our work and the people who have helped with publishing it if we don't try to get as many eyes on it as possible as it doesn't...

So clearly I've not been keeping up with the newsletter since July, and I think I've definitely been experiencing a bit of a social media and email answering burnout. Hopefully I'll be able to slowly get back into it! This newsletter might be a long one as I attempt to load everything that's been happening since August. I'd just gotten back from my trip to China and visiting family I haven't seen in the past eight years. I also met my spouse's father for the first time since we got together...

Two-Book Deal — Titan Books I'm happy to announce the novella—A PALACE NEAR THE WIND—I'd started during my week at the Humber School for Writers Summer Workshop (mentor: Naben Ruthnum) back in 2021 and later finished as a part of my dissertation for my Creative Writing MSc at the University of Edinburgh (Advisor: Patrick Errington) has evolved to become a duology! There is ecopunk, dark fantasy, cli-fi, steampunk, cyberpunk elements of horror all wrapped in a secondary world with a focus on...

I've been meaning to put this together for a while now, but I've been procrastinating, and of course, I'm currently putting this together because I'm procrastinating on something else—my novel deadline in three days. BUT ANYWHO, below is how the cover of I AM AI came to be through the collaboration between my mother Chun Yan Zhang—the artist who painted the watercolour portrait that served as the foundation of the cover; me, making the tech adjustments and brush ups with the Paint app; and...

Today is the official release day of I AM AI, and I'm so excited to be sharing this smol novelette with y'all!! When I first wrote this in November 2022, I didn't think that the current landscape of things would have evolved into what it has upon its release... But, I do hope you all find comfort in the story, despite its dystopian setting that seems to mirror our own more and more. Thank you all as always for always supporting me and my work! 🥺🤍 I'll have a limited number of signed copies...

So I'm once again a bit late on the newsletter, and hopefully I'll get caught up soon, BUT here are some updates for May and forthcoming things for June. I hope everyone has been well! My AC has been broken so we've been boiling on this end... In May, I attended the Nebula Awards as a finalist for the first time, and what I've discovered upon reflection is how different my position would have been if I hadn't been. I suppose it is a thing that quells the imposter syndrome for a moment and...

Hello all! I hope this chaiotic little letter finds everyone well! On the writing front, it's been slow, but with Odyssey Workshop finishing up in the next two days, I'll have a lot more free time (hopefully) on my hand to continue sloughing away on the WIPs. One interesting thing I've discovered as of late as I was scouring Goodreads for cyberpunk novel comps is that there are quite a few novels labelled as "Science Fiction Fantasy" even though they are very much completely epic high...

It is officially release day for LINGHUN, and it still feels surreal to me that my debut novella is finally out in the world! Thank you so much again to everyone who has been so supportive of me during my writing journey so far, and I hope y'all are all in for the continued hustle! As promised, below is the link to order some limited edition signed copies, bundles, and bookplates! I'll release the link to the public tomorrow, but for now, it's password protected for newsletter subscribers...