Hi Everyone!


For those of us who live in the United States, today is Thanksgiving.  As the name implies, it is a day for giving thanks for all the things we have, both material and intangible.  I am extraordinarily thankful for each and every one of you.

Close to 700 individuals took a little time out of their day, and tossed a few (or more) bucks into the pot, to help me bring It's All Fun and Games to life.  I wrote the novel back in NaNoWriMo in 2010 and had been playing with publishing ever since - early feedback made it clear this was a story worth sharing.

So thank you for believing in me and my novel.  As a reminder, I squeaked into the contest top 5 by just the slimmest of margins, so every single last one of you made a difference.  That's pretty super cool.  The fact that many supporters were fellow competitors makes it even super cooler.  

Thank you also to the folks at Inkshares and Girl Friday Productions, who have all jumped in with both feet.  You make me feel like a rockstar.

Thank you to my editor, Kiele Raymond.  She's taken something that was pretty good and helping me make it into something better (maybe even great?).

Thank you to the folks over at Nerdist.com, who sponsored the contest, and chose me to be their banner carrier for their new Inkshares collection.  I look forward to meeting all of you some day, ideally when you've paid for my first class airfare when you bring me to SDCC.

I am truly thankful today.

As a reminder, you can follow the novel on Facebook and me on Twitter.  I'd love to connect with you all.  

I hope you are all well, and have your own special things to be thankful for.

Cheers
Dave

Hi Everyone!

Long time no chat!  Things have been chugging away and this is a good time to let you know what has happened since my last message.

1) The production team has been assembled.  If you visit the project page and scroll down beneath the supporters you will see who is responsible for what, as well as an overall timeline.  We are evidently 15% through the process, whatever that means.

2) I had a conference call with my design pro, and they're putting together drafts for the cover.  A special shout out to Amanda Orneck, whose cover carried me through the funding process.  Check out her Inkshares author page for info about her own novels (one of which is already for sale on Amazon.com for the low low price of only $.99!).  

3) We have a release date (sorta)!  You'll now see on the project page that It's All Fun and Games "publishes July 2016."  I'm not going to lie - I had no idea how much time it takes to professionally produce a novel.  Again, I encourage you to take a look at the production timeline to see what's going on.  Believe it or not, it takes over two months to get the books printed after the finished files have been emailed.  Mind boggling.  In any case, "July" is currently as precise as we get.  There are rumblings that the release may be timed to coincide with Comic-con (yes, THAT Comic-con).  

4) Most excitingly (more exciting than a release date, to me at least) is that I have received comments on the first draft from my developmental editor, Kiele Raymond.  Kiele is a veteran of Simon and Schuster and a total pro.  Her line edits will make the reading smoother and her big picture suggestions have already begun to make the novel a more fulfilling read.  

I'll be chugging away on my revision, which is due back to Inkshares in early December.  In the meanwhile, don't forget to check out It's All Fun and Games on Facebook and hook up with me on twitter @llabak.

Thanks again for your support!

Cheers
Dave
Ricardo Henriquez · Author · added over 8 years ago
Thanks for the shout out Dave! And thank you for sharing the publishing process, I am sure all the other authors are as interested to find out about it as I am.

Happy Satupdaturday!

Quick update to let you know how things are progressing, particularly since people keep stopping me and asking when they can get a copy of the book.


On Sunday I sent in the completed manuscript, along with the dedication, acknowledgments, and a couple surveys from the folks at Girl Friday Productions to help them on the design and marketing fronts.  I also spoke on the phone with Avalon (coolest name ever) from Inkshares about the process.

The next step is for GFP to figure out who within their organization are the best fits for my own project - developmental editing, copy editing, design and marketing.  Once that happens (within the next week or so, I believe), we'll conference call for me to meet the team.

Once that happens, I'll be able to fill you in on more of the timeline.  I would imagine the editing process will take at least a month, maybe two or more, depending on how much work GFP suggests I do revising the manuscript and how much time I've got to respond.  My page is officially "Publish date pending" as of some time ago, so we'll see.  

Long story short: while It's All Fun and Games may make a perfect Christmas gift, not this year :p

Also, I'll once again take the opportunity to mention the other books from the contest that are slowly but steadily moving toward publication and could use your support, whether you've got some spare referral credits lying around or even an extra $9.99.

The first is The Catcher's Trap , which is currently at 832 pre-orders with a month to go.  That's just 168 more.  "The Catcher’s Trap is the story of a young man fighting for his life and his freedom in a world where demonic beings have enslaved humans. This is the origin story of a hero born out of the darkest struggle of the human soul."

The second is a book called Single Version, which had been chilling in the top five for much of the contest but ran out of steam a week or so before the end of the contest.  "A massive paramilitary group. A fully armed society. An exploding population of cockroaches. Amidst it all, an entomophobic pacifist who has yet to need a cybernetic limb."  

For those of you with little girl-people in your lives, make sure you check out Sadie McGrady, Leading Lady, which is a picture book "created to help young girls imagine themselves as candidates and leaders"

The last thing I'll mention is that Inkshares is still in rapid growth mode.  Many of you came on board with the double $5 credits to preorder a $9.99 book for free.  The Inkshares long term model is based on building a reader base in the hundreds of thousands so that books will fund organically by the people already signed up (rather than authors like me begging people to order).  The long and the short of it is that if you know someone who likes to read, send them over to explore the books currently funding (or order a book already in production - many ebooks, mine included is only 6.99, so that's free with new user credits too).  Inkshares has the potential to truly revolutionize publishing, but only with our help.

That's pretty much it!  Don't forget to visit It's All Fun and Games' Facebook page, and thanks for your continued support!

Cheers
Dave

Hi Everyone!  


Very quick update:  

First, don't forget to check out the facebook page for the book at https://www.facebook.com/ItsAllFunandGamesNovel .  I'm trying to minimize emails for you, so if you'd like to keep up with the book, check it out on FB. 

Second, Amanda Orneck, who was kind enough to design that pretty cover that's on my page right now has self-published her novel "Shadow of the Owl" through Amazon, and this weekend only you can download it for free here: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Owl-Amanda-Orneck-ebook/dp/B0167ONCLG/  Go download it now, and then read it.  If you like it, leave her good feedback.  If you don't like it, well your mom always said don't say anything if you can't say anything nice.  Amanda is awesome, and she's a talented writer.  Give it a look.

I hope you are all enjoying the long weekend!  

Cheers
Dave

Hi everyone!  Very quick update for you:

First, It's All Fun and Games now has a Facebook page!  This will be where the day-to-day things get chronicled, so if you're interested in following along, please check it out!  I hate spam email as much as the next guy, so I'm going to try to minimize the number of updates you receive.

Second, I was featured in the local newspaper on Thursday (a day late for the contest, but there's no such thing as bad press), and on the UMaine news feed on Friday.  If you're interested in seeing either, please swing by the FB page.

Almost lastly, Inkshares interviewed each of the five winning books, and our answers are here!  Check it out, and throw a little love their way if their books strike your fancy.

Very lastly, The Catcher's Trap hit 750 preorders today - the ebook goal.  This means only 250 left for the print run.  Check it out on Inkshares.com.  

Thanks again for your continued support!  I've submitted my initial paperwork to go to the design and edit team, so things are trucking right along!

Cheers
Dave
Kris Calvin · Author · edited over 8 years ago · 2 likes
Dave, Congratulations on  being a winner in the Inkshares Nerdist contest AND  on being selected for the Nerdist collection!  I  didn't see your comment  to me until now (after your success was a done deal) but having  read the posted excerpt of It's All Fun and Games. I can see why  you received top marks!   I've  ordered my copy and look forward to reading it. Kris

Well that's pretty cool, isn't it?  Not only did you folks carry me into the top five, but you carried me into the Nerdist collection.  If you haven't already seen the announcement, you can read it here:  http://nerdi.st/1WA7ZjJ

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

It's important for you all to know that the book didn't get brought to life by me - it was brought to life by you, who over the last week kept hustling for one more reader for me.  The teachers who shared my book with their students, the folks who strongarmed their work colleagues and spouses, the library sharing with their patrons, the folks around town who let me put up fliers, my TaeKwonDo instructor who got most of the school to sign up and even my daughter who got two classes full of her fellows to sign up on the very last day of the contest.  I was tapped out two weeks ago, but you kept fighting.

That. Is. So. Cool.

Anyway, other than the announcement about joining the Nerdist collection (which, to be fair is pretty huge), I don't have anything new to share.  As in my last message, I encourage you to check out Ricardo Henriquez's novel The Catcher's Trap, especially if you've got any referral credits to toss his way.  He's 300 books (not people, books) from hitting the 1,000 book goal and moving into production.  Give him a look.

I probably won't be very updatey for a while.  I'll be focusing on getting It's All Fun and Games to be every bit the book that you're hoping to read.

Cheers
Dave

WOOT!  We made it!  I am so grateful to all of you who have helped me bring It's All Fun and Games to life.  I have to say the last hours of the contest were nerve-wracking, but now that it's all over I'm heaving a great big sigh of relief.

I've been informed that we've reached the print publication goal, and that's all the info I've got so far.  As I learn more about the process of bringing the book through editing, etc., I'll be sure to keep you updated.  While there's still a little spit and polish to do, the book is probably 95% complete, so hopefully we'll be able to move into production soonish.

Now I have one more favor to ask of you.  If you shared my book and earned some referral credits, consider tossing them at The Catcher's Trap.  Ricardo's book came in 6th place, falling just 3 supporters short of me.  What I've read of his book so far is excellent, and he deserves to bring this baby to print.  There are 48 days left in the funding window, which is plenty of time to get the remaining 360 or so book sales to hit 1000 (or at the very least 130 to get to ebook).  I, for one, will be buying another 9 copies for myself with my own credits.  Let's get Ricardo published!

That's all for now!  Thank you again!

Happy Tupdatesday?  That just doesn't have the same ring, does it?


Hi everyone!  Sorry for the long delay between updates.  Or perhaps you're welcome for the long delay between updates if you're sick of spam email from Inkshares.  Either way works.

So today is the last full day of the Nerdist Novel Contest, and I want to thank all of you one more time for supporting me throughout this process.  I've no doubt taxed the patience of many of you, and I'm grateful for your indulgence.

I don't want to jinx us, but at least as of right now WE ARE IN THE TOP FIVE!  IT'S ALL FUN AND GAMES IS GOING TO COME TO LIFE!

Of course this is a great opportunity for me to toss out one last request to those of you "following" the book who have not yet clicked the preorder button.  There's about a hundred of you - that's a lot!  If you're going to suffer through my update emails you may as well get something out of it!

This is also a good opportunity for one last request for you to spread the word about the book.  Do you know someone who enjoys a fun fantasy, or has a kid who does?  Andrew read it at 8, Danielle at 10, and my friend Bobbie's son read it at 12 or so.  In the words of my friend and HS English Teacher J Pappas, "It deserves to be published."  Why not suggest they get in now when the preorder is free rather than later when they have to shell out real money?

Look for another update once things have been finalized within the contest and the ts crossed and is dotted with Inkshares.  In the meanwhile, I will leave you with some endorsements of my book over the last week or so.  At least I hope I will.  I've never used this editor before.

Oprah

Boromir

The Gersebermps Gerl

The World's Most interesting Man

Cheers
Dave
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