Well, it's been an interesting month.
I've Been Invited To a Con
BasedCon, to be exact. I'm on two writer panels - one about audiobooks and another about Religion in Science Fiction and Fantasy.
It'll be held out in Norton Shores, Michigan. Tickets are still available, I think. If you're interested in meeting me, stop by. Another author I know - R. H. Snow, the author of THE WATCHER OF THE DAMNED - will be in attendance as well.
THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB
Sales continue. I'm running ads.
I think June saw me crack 100 books sold. July saw me break the 150 barrier. The reviews coming in on Amazon are still good, usually 4 or 5 stars. My Goodreads activity, however, has come to a standstill. Whatever. So long as sales continue.
What I'm trying to do with this first book is build a reputation and a fanbase. I don't expect to make money on the thing overnight, especially seeing that I'm sinking more money into advertisements than I get back in sales. So long as people are reading and liking the book, I'm satisfied. And it appears they are...reading and liking the book.
The Next Book.
At the beginning of July, I handed the rough (very rough) manuscript to 3 beta readers. Two of the three (one being my wife) were the same people who reviewed THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB. Given the reception of the novella, I am really looking forward to their comments. The third is a new individual whose identity is a "secret."
I have a deadline of August 1st for their feedback. My wife finished first. She has given the manuscript the green light to move ahead and her comments after each chapter were pretty encouraging.
My biggest worry has been that this next book is slightly different than THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB. THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB had a steady build from beginning to end. This new book starts with action, has a few chapters in the middle that have no action, and then back into the action. In writer terms, this is called "the mushy middle," and it is a condition that is to be avoided. Still, as I reflect on the story, I don't see it that way. Tension and action in a book are good things, but they can be overdone. A Second Act with some calm, I feel, gives the reader a moment or two to breathe before plunging forward again into the excitement.
Anyhow, edits and revisions are underway. Still waiting for the feedback from the other beta readers.
I may also change the title of this book. My working title was THE WIZARD ODO, and I still love it. However, based on some preliminary feedback from one of the other beta readers, I might need to change the name. The reader found it confusing. It's difficult to mention the reason why without giving away spoilers.
I'm still trying to target late 2022 for a release date, but I think that is very aggressive at this point. I still have lots of passes to go before I can start setting a book up for release. Likewise, I want to release all of the formats at the same time - audiobook, paperback, and eBook - so I can save a little on advertising.
And speaking of the audiobook, Steve Fortune and I have had some discussions and have lined up some scheduling for him to do the narration. After the outstanding job he did on THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB, I'm more than happy to have him on board for this next project.
I'll keep you updated. Keep your eyes peeled for some cover artwork.
The Next Halsedric Book
Yes, work is continuing. I've written roughly 4 chapters since last month, though progress has been slow. July has been filled with family events, further complicated by my youngest son coming down with COVID. We had to isolate, meaning that my writing method has been disrupted.
All in all, I was running dry on ideas for the book. The chapter I was working on before my break was was leading up to the book's climax. I thought it would be 2 chapters, tops, but the chapter count has doubled. I do recall feeling pretty enthused about how well the words have been flowing. I'm kinda anxious now to get back on that saddle and ride.
This book is more of a mystery in the beginning, with lots of build towards the end. As I've said elsewhere, this book has ties into a bunch of other stories I've written. I'm looking forward to finishing it and continuing Halsedric's saga.
Miscellany
As many of you know, I'm spread across a number of social media sites. I'm trying to tie all of them together to prevent the fragmentation of the information I'm providing. Because of limited time, if I make a video and put it on my YouTube channel, I miss writing a blog entry. If I concentrate on the blog, I get behind on my videos. And both take away from editing and writing new books.
If I had the money to spend, I'd hire a person dedicated to do social media. But I don't. So, it is what it is until I start making enough money to have things like...staff.
So, if each of you just buys 1,216 books...
(Yes. That was a joke.)
Oh, and I have someone working on a logo for my imprint. A reveal may soon be forthcoming.
Anyways, that's it for now. I got edits to apply.