Case study · Sci-fi · 2025
ASIN B0DTHF8XLR
An orbital-mechanics engineer wrote a hard-SF novel where the science had to hold up. We paired him with a domain consultant (a second aerospace engineer who reads SF) during the developmental edit. The book launched in July 2025 and was shortlisted for a major hard-SF debut award in November.
Inside the project
Working shots from this engagement — interview sessions, manuscript pages, cover concepts, launch day.
The domain-consultant pairing is the move that separated this engagement from a standard developmental edit. Sam read for story; the consultant (a working aerospace engineer who happens to read hard SF on weekends) read for which paragraphs were doing the over-explaining and which were genuinely needed to ground the reader.
The cut came out to roughly 4,200 words. The added emotional-arc scenes came in at 3,800 words. Net change: small. Net effect on reader engagement: substantial.
The award shortlist arrived in November. The Tor.com book-club selection in October. The Tor traditional submission is in flight as of writing.
“The consultant pass was the right call. Sam knew the structure was off; the engineer knew exactly which paragraphs were doing the over-explaining.”
Cover rounds
The shortlist we presented to the author before round-one revisions. The selected concept is the second in the strip.
Project facts
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