E713 - Scott Pearson - Simon & Schuster’s Star Trek Novel Editor and Author Taking Us To New Places and Beyond

EPISODE 713 - Scott Pearson - Simon & Schuster’s Star Trek Novel Editor and Author Taking Us To New Places and Beyond

This episode features author and editor Scott Pearson sharing his woodland life in Carlton, Minnesota, and his multifaceted career in science fiction, Star Trek, and publishing. From fan to professional, he reveals how persistence and adaptability built his path through a rapidly changing industry.

Scott describes his detached office amid the trees, a quiet hub for editing and writing. Publishing has evolved dramatically since his early days mailing manuscripts; self-publishing, once taboo, is now viable. His key advice: keep writing, finish stories, and explore contests or networks to break in. A lifelong Star Trek fan since grade school, he started with derivative sci-fi, shifted to literary fiction in college—his first published story about a Minnesota farming couple—then returned to genre via the Strange New Worlds contest win. This led to Star Trek short stories, a novella, and an ebook, plus anthology work blending sci-fi, mystery, horror, and thriller. His latest, the self-published The Sad Rains of Mars, collects a dozen sci-fi tales.

As Star Trek's copy and developmental editor, Scott ensures fiction aligns with canon, verifying quotes by rewatching clips. He balances fandom with professionalism, enjoying stories while catching continuity gaps for "retcons." Fan fiction hones skills but stays non-commercial; licensed work requires agent connections and multi-layer approvals from publishers and Paramount. Conventions like Shore Leave connect writers and editors.

Freelance editing—Star Trek novels, Baen Books, IDW comics, self-publishers—fills his days, often crowding personal writing despite a Monday-Thursday schedule. He spotlights Tales of the Weird World War, co-written novellas with Bill Leisner mashing genres in an alternate history of shapeshifting monsters, from 1940s noir to 1950s saucers.

Key takeaway: Persistence through industry shifts, from fan roots to pro editing and original work, turns passion into a sustainable creative life—finish stories, honor canon, and balance paid gigs with personal projects.

https://scott-pearson.com/