J. Barton Mitchell

Announcing The Razor

I’m working on a documentary project with Greg Davis, a photographer with National Geographic Creative. He told me what I imagine is a common anecdote for photographers in his position. The short version is that Greg always loved the work of photographers in National Geographic, and held the magazine and its imagery as a gold standard. The moment when he could finally say he himself was a NatGeo photographer and use their logo on his own materials was an extremely emotional moment for him. It’s no surprise he felt had achieved a major life goal.

It occurred to me hearing this, I’m having my own major life events happening this year as well.

For me, in the writing world, the equivalent of National Geographic to Greg, was one publisher. A publisher that filled more than half my book shelf as a kid growing up, and pretty much still does today. That publisher is Tor.

Steven Erikson. Robert Jordan. Brandon Sanderson. Zahn. Brin. Harry Harrison.

Pepper it with pretty much every Dragonlance book up until 1998, Sir Conan Doyle, Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, a giant stack of random comic books, and the occasional oddball (like John Fowles), you have my shelves. Then and now.

I mean, I’m really glad places like Half Price Books exist, but…who gets rid of books? When you can put them on shelves in your office, like hunting trophies or arrange them like some giant Scottish tapestry?

All of this is a round about way of announcing what you probably already have guessed…my new novel THE RAZOR is finally coming out, and it will be published by Tor books in November. It’s a giant, giant honor for me to be associated with this imprint, and I hope it’s the first of many collaborations to come.

Anyway, I know most writers keep their announcements and cover reveals shorter than this rambling post, but I thought I would add just a little context to why I’m so excited about it. Here’s the cover:

THE RAZOR comes out in November. I hope you’ll check it out, and help me celebrate something I never thought I’d see: a book with my name on it and that famous triangular logo at the bottom.

Join my mailing list to read the first chapter for free. You can also check out my page about the book, or visit Macmillan to preorder. And stay tuned for more details coming as we build up to launch (including a pretty nifty book trailer that features some not so great voice acting by myself).