The Living God has a new cover! Thank you to everyone who voted and left comments that helped make these better. I liked both covers so much, and since I did like them so much, I’ve decided to use them both! After all, this is a series, and I have four books to make covers four. So, I present to you the new book cover for The Living God, and the official cover (and title) of the second novel.
Hey everyone!
Thanks for casting your vote for the covers. I’ve narrowed the field and made some changes based off suggestions from the voters. Below is the link to the final face-off between the two. Cast your vote by liking your favorite cover! Also, while you’re on the Facebook page, how about giving it a like?
https://www.facebook.com/KaytalinPlattAuthor/posts/1397915053572417
Hey Everyone!
I just wanted to let you in on the Facebook poll for the new cover. As I mentioned before, as much as I love the illustration, from the comments I received it wasn’t sending the message that I would like. So, I’m experimenting with a photo-manipulated cover, which is pretty much the standard for a lot of covers these days.
Hello everyone!
I want to apologize for being MIA for the last two months. Things have been rather crazy in life, with the holidays. But, I was also offered a new job as the lead graphic designer for 117-year-old engineering firm. I’m going to be heading up (starting up, really) the department. So, I’ve been spending the last few weeks getting all the loose ends tied up at my current job. On top of that, my fiance and I are looking at wedding venues and preparing to move in three months. Needless to say, I’ve been a bit out of sorts.
I can officially say we are getting published because now we have a brand spanking new layout in Inkshares and it is no longer the funding page! That is so exciting! I’ve got to take down the incentives and get those out to everyone. Fancy mugs are in for those spectacular backers who bought 10 copies. I’m ordering the bookmarks and posters to send out to the other backers tomorrow, so I’ll be contacting you for your address so that I can send you your incentives!
Inkshares contacted me, but I have no real deadline for when the book will be published. Right now, they are working through a backlog, so it may be some time. The book is finished and it is almost completely edited after passing the first round of beta readers. As soon as I finish these edits I will be passing it off to the second round of beta readers. (If you’ve contacted me about beta reading, again, I haven’t forgotten)
I’ll be contacting those that I owe covers very shortly (today, hopefully) to discuss jumping back in to work on those. I’m looking forward to helping you guys out with them, and I apologize for the delay.
For quicker updates, go like my Facebook Page! You’ll find lots of links to other books that I’ve done covers for, you’ll get up-to-date news about the book, the editing process, and sneak peaks! https://www.facebook.com/KaytalinPlattAuthor/ Also, follow me on Twitter. https://twitter.com/KaytalinPlatt
That’s the end of the updates, so I’m going to move on to the sentimental, mushy, oversharing stuff that isn’t necessarily important to your interests, but still something I’d like to say. Rather, I’d like to share with you so that, if you are like me, you might not feel so alone in the weird need to disbelieve in the achievements you’ve made.
I suffer from imposter syndrome and have for pretty much a majority of my life and in everything that I do. If you don’t know what imposter syndrome is, it is where, no matter how well you do or what you achieve, you always feel like a fraud and that, eventually, everyone will realize how really crappy you are. Someone with imposter syndrome spends their life achieving things and expecting "the other shoe to drop".
So, I’ve got an amazing fiance, I’m gaining a wonderful family, a company actually thinks I’m good enough to start a graphics department and gave me a job out of the blue, and a book that I’ve dreamed about for the last 10+ years is going to be published. All of this culminating in the last six months or so, really kicked the imposter syndrome into overdrive.
I’ve wanted to write to tell you how much being published means to me, but I’ve been afraid to acknowledge it is really happening. It’s even harder to look people in the eye when they congratulate me in person. It’s not that I’m not grateful, just genuinely afraid that I don’t deserve it or that what I’ve loved and created is unworthy. It is definitely something I need to work on, and I am.
So, in moving past the imposter syndrome, let me tell you how incredibly happy I am. Let me acknowledge that happiness, let me announce it to you and to the world, and not be afraid. Nothing is ever perfect, least of all books. But, when you’ve worked so hard for something, when you’ve dreamed and fought and spent every spare second you had working on it, even people with imposter syndrome deserve to celebrate those accomplishments. I’ve day-dreamed half my life about sharing stories with the world, and you all made it possible.
Thank you. From the bottom of the heart, forever and always, thank you.
Hello everyone!
Funding for The Living God ends today. We didn’t make that Christmas Miracle, but that’s okay. We still made Quill. We are still getting published! Today is your absolute last chance to get in on the incentives if you haven’t backed the book yet. Head on over!
To all of you, thank you so much for your support. I could not have made it this far without you. Part of me can’t truly be settled on the idea that this is happening until the end of the day, when the campaign closes, so it feels a bit premature to celebrate. However, I’m celebrating you, the contributors. You made this book possible. It’s been in my head, and in various stages of revision for nearly ten years. I’m beyond thankful and grateful that I get to share that story with you and others!
Hopefully, I’ll be passing it off to the final round of beta readers soon. If you messaged me about beta reading, you’re definitely on the list of people it will go to!
I’m also contemplating a different cover for marketing reasons. I got a lot of comments during the campaign where people were under the impression it was a children’s book, so the illustration may feel too juvenile. You’ll still be getting signed posters of the illustration as promised. However, I’ll be exploring other cover designs/illustrations for the finished release.
I still owe two or three of you covers. Do not worry, I’ll be getting in touch with you in the next few weeks. If you ordered a book and have not received a cover or I haven’t spoken to you previously about it, please send me a DM or email. I don’t want anyone lost in the fray.
I’ll be sending a sappier thank you message as soon as reality hits me, I promise!
Hello everyone!
There are 15 days left in the campaign, and it is unlikely that we’ll have that Christmas miracle. That’s okay. We’ve got Quill. But, there are still 15 days left to get in on the cool incentives (even the free book cover for your purchase of a copy of the book), if you haven’t already placed your order.
Hey everyone!
Sorry, I’ve been MIA with no updates. It is the holiday season and things have been a bit crazy. I’ve been bouncing around with some heavy editing and trying to focus on work. I’ve also been diving back into my web development courses and dealing with a general "heavy run down" feeling. Also, house hunting, wedding planning, and... well, life can be exhausting. If you’re interested in a sample of what I’ve been up or just curious about what it looks like from 1,000 feet in the air, click this long sentence!
I’ve got some exciting news! The Quill Brotherhood Syndicate chose The Living God as its December pick! A really nice email to find a few minutes ago.
So, there are 24 days left in funding The Living God. We passed Quill with your help, and the help of the syndicates that were kind enough to throw their support behind the book (The Fantasy Syndicate, The Break the Bechdel with Strong Female Characters Syndicate, and the Quill Brotherhood Syndicate).
With 24 days left, and it being December, I’m shooting for a Christmas Miracle! We’ve got 24 days and we’re at 281. The miracle? 750 orders total. 469 in 24 days. That is around 20 orders a day, and seemingly impossible, but, why not? Why not believe in a Christmas/Holiday Miracle? Can you help?
If you’re feeling in the giving spirit, how about grabbing a second copy for a friend? Or maybe ask that friend to grab a copy? If you haven’t got your own yet, and you’ve been on the fence because of budget reasons, since we made Quill the price dropped! E-books currently sit at $5.99 and signed print copies at $15.99! Incentives are still there on the page, and will be available until after funding closes in 24 days!
It is a long shot, and I’ve got about as much energy as a bear in hibernation (darn time change), but I’m going to give it a shot regardless of the distance. Are you in?
Good morning everyone!
I have some really awesome news! The Living God was the Break the Bechdel with Strong Female Characters Syndicate’s November pick! I’m truly honored that they see Saran as a strong female lead worthy of their Syndicate. Thank you so much for believing in Saran as much as I do.
Kaytalin Platt’s The Living God may very well be an epic in the making. The first line starts with a sense of something great and the narrative picks up right from there. Saran is witty, sharp, and compassionate--even to her own detriment. She’ll lose her magic, but I sense that won’t stop her. We can’t wait to see where this strong female lead takes us!
As a young girl, I was constantly looking for strong female characters to look up to and identify with. Later, when I was older and really developing my passion as a writer, I knew for certain that I wanted to write strong female characters. To make the Break the Bechdel syndicate’s pick really solidifies in my heart that I’ve achieved that goal. I promise I won’t let you down, and I won’t let you be disappointed!
An update on what I’ve been doing: I’ve been knocking out a few covers for my supporters and I’ve been trying to focus on content editing. I’m toggling back and forth between the two, but I’ll be honest I took last week off to rest my brain. There was just too much rattling around in it with the election and all, and it made it hard to focus.
In the next month or so I’ll be looking for beta readers. I’ve had a few beta readers, but I’m looking for fresh eyes to read over it after this last round of content editing that I’m doing. I’m thinking I’ll just pass it out to two, so if you are interested in being a beta reader let me know with a DM.
Thanks guys! You are a fantastic group and I could not have done any of this without you.
Happy Friday!!!
Congratulations to the winners of the Geek & Sundry Fantasy Contest: Helena Echlin and Malena Watrous with Sparked, Allison Griner with Storm Song, and Jeyna Grace with The Slave Prince.
Also, congratulations to all those who participated in the contest! You took one giant leap towards achieving a dream. Even if you didn’t win or didn’t make Quill, you tried. I hope you keep trying and that you never give up. If you are passionate about something, if you love your story - tell it. There are a variety of ways you can do that if Inkshares doesn’t work out for you, and I’d be happy to share that knowledge with you. I know how hard it is to get people to invest in your book, and that the number of people you have in your network willing to invest in you can’t be the sole determining factor in the fate of a dream. If that were the case, there would be a lot of failed dreams in this world. Chin up. Keep moving forward. Never stop striving for what makes you happy.
The Living God finished 9th and currently stands at 255 orders. We’ve made Quill. It’s getting published with limited release on Amazon. (YAY!) Slowly but surely I’m going to try to make it to the 750. However, I’m going to take a bit of time off from trying to get supporters and focus on finishing the covers for those who supported the book during the contest.
AND! It is NaNoWriMo! I’ll be participating in NaNoEdMo (National Novel Editing Month)... I don’t think it actually exists and is a thing, or perhaps it does and is just a different month, but this month is NaNoEdMo for me. I wish those who are participating all the luck and sanity during this insane and wonderous month.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Hello everyone!
It has been a pretty long time since I made an update. January hit and life sort of exploded. I changed jobs to one with a ton of responsibilities and have been put on various committees that require a lot of brain power, I moved to a different state, went on a vacation, and a host of other exciting, and not so exciting life events have happened. Most recently, finding out my dad has cancer. Thankfully, it is curable.
Now that life is finally settling into a rhythm I can manage, I’m going to work on collecting the address of everyone who qualified for a giveaway. I’d like to get those out to you by the end of spring.
The book is going through the last round of beta reading. I’m terribly sorry, I’ve forgotten who all asked to help beta it. If you were someone who was interested, you can shoot me a DM. But, it is definitely crunch time. Inkshares is ready for the manuscript, so I’d like to get it to them by the end of May. It is a personal goal that I’m going to try my best to achieve. From the moment I pass it off to them, I think it is estimated that it could take six months to produce. Maybe, if we are lucky, you guys will get it at the end of the year?
I’ve already started work on book two. As I mentioned in previous updates, these books were already written, but are undergoing serious rewrites. The ideas are there, I’ve just got to get them down and down right.
Again, thank you for your support!
- Kaytalin