You had a challenge and we rose to it.

Thank you to everyone who helped Highwings take the #1 trending spot on Inkshares!

Putting this book out there in the world has been difficult. When you write a book, it sort of feels like a piece of your soul exploding onto the pages (does that mean books are horcruxes). And sharing it with the world leaves your little soul exposed to criticism (and I’m not talking about the constructive kind), it leaves your soul exposed to failure.

I honestly chose to use a penname for that reason. I didn’t want people knowing I was a writer, I was never planning on having people in my life know. I was scared to fail publicly.

However I have learned two very important things throughout this process:

1) Fear keeps us from the things we want to do. We shouldn’t let it.

2) The people in our lives really do shape us. And I am blessed that the people who I have crossed paths with in my life are the most wonderful, supporting people that I could ask for.

The goal is 750 pre-orders. We may never make it there. 

That is just a number though. And no number, no amount of books sold, can ever give me that same feeling that I have right now, sitting here basking in the overwhelming warmth and support from all those around me.

So from the depths of my heart (deeper than a well, deeper than the ocean, deeper than the Marianas Trench, deeper than a volcano, deeper than a... all right you get it, it’s deep), I want to say thank you for all of the joy that you’ve brought to my life.

And even if Inkshares doesn’t work, you’re damn right this book will be published one way or another 

(Because I am Voldemort - and my soul must live forever)

The end date for my pre-order campaign was yesterday, and I’ve just received word that the refunds have been processed. Thanks to everyone on the Inkshares team for always being quick to answer my questions, I really appreciate it.

If you’re reading this, unfortunately, I didn’t make the cut. I’ve learned a lot over the last few months, and I’ve had a lot to think about regarding what I could’ve done better. One thing I’m sure of is that most of my pre-orders came from the Inkshares community itself. Those of you I have never met in person and ordered my novel solely off of interest in the material. That gives me hope that I might just have something of value here. Thank you all so much for that.

To my friends and family who ordered, I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know. You put up with my extremely amateur marketing attempts for a long time and stuck with me anyway. You are forever awesome, and I can’t thank you enough.

To all my fellow contestants, I implore you, congratulate yourselves. You put yourself out there, and that is a HUGE step. If you didn’t get selected, or didn’t meet the quota, you still accomplished something. It’s not over.

Those of you who got the green light, congratulations as well. It was well-earned, and I look forward to diving into those stories.

As for me?

Not sure.

I have some decisions to make as far as the future of Ereshk, whether I give it another shot here or take my show on the road. Right now, I think I’ll be working on what I’ve got for a while and do everything I can to make it better. I owe you all that for getting me this far. Even though I didn’t make it, meeting you all has been an invaluable experience, and I’m glad for this crazy year.

The show must go on.

I’ll be sending out updates here to let you know what happens, and I’m active on Instagram if you like.

Thanks again everyone, it’s been an honor.

Until next time.

Oh, and there’s more stories I have to tell. 

Oh yeah. This is not the end.

Stay tuned.

Oh My Darlings, Happy New Year!

Sent version three of MINE back to the Inkshares Dev Editor today.

That Dev Letter document was a powerful learning vehicle for me. I’ve read it many, many times, and the guidance it provided should translate into an improved story for your enjoyment. (Not to mention my other secret weapon...)

Also, took time to work up another cover comp for the project entry. Can’t go back to the original title. Although nothing is for certain, the current title, MINE, is working well for me.

Check it out: https://www.inkshares.com/books/murder-happens

A lot of excitement around the recent contest winners here on Inkshares. Looks like a lot of original work and promising premises from talented authors. Looking forward to seeing those projects in print.

Also, picked up ESCAPE! Writers Bloc Anthology, available here: https://www.amazon.com/ESCAPE-Writing-Bloc-Anthology-Cooperative-ebook/dp/B07KPZRP39/ and savored a couple delicious stories already.

So, things are progressing. Thank you for your support, and your patience.

Dean Fearce

Good day, everyone. One last note before we all enjoy our holiday time with friends and family.

Some great news – the editor of my local community newspapers (shout-out to Laurie Weir!) has picked up an article on this whole venture. You can read it online here.

Just this morning, Laurie confirmed she has found room to also run the story in the print editions of both our local papers, the Perth Courier and the Smiths Falls Record News, coming out Dec. 27. I couldn’t be happier. 

Bane of All Things has also enjoyed in recent weeks some great social media push from Startup Canada and others. Despite this excellent support, direct one-on-one outreach remains the biggest driver of pre-orders to date. We will see what kind of impact media coverage has through New Year’s. 

For those of you who are new to Inkshares, I can’t emphasize enough how important friends, family and community support is to make this work. While there are thousands of users on Inkshares who self-identify as fantasy fans (and I’m following as many as I can find), they tend to wait for a new book to prove itself with hundreds of pre-orders and followers before they start jumping on board as supporters, too.

That means I can’t do this without you. No matter the media coverage we get, or what amplification through social media, word of mouth to friends and family is profoundly important to bring the volume of pre-orders and followers we need for success.

That’s all for now. Have a great holiday season and a happy new year!

The 14th has come and gone, and the Inkshares Mystery & Thriller Contest is over. Unfortunately for us, both "Richly Drawn" and "Ripe for Execution" put on a last-minute spurt and forged ahead, leaving us in fourth place and off the winners’ podium.

HOWEVER

While we don’t have a guaranteed publishing deal, we still have a chance. Inkshares is currently evaluating each of the entrants for inclusion as an "additional winner". A number of contest entries have been counting on this "additional winner" spot, I believe; but I also believe that fighting for a top three spot (even if we failed!) has put us in a much better position to get it.

We should know by January whether we’re going to get the go-ahead after all.

In the meantime, pre-orders remain open on "Cat’s Paw" until the end of January, and Christmas is almost upon us. I don’t know about you, but I refuse to let any of this get me down. May the new year bring all the best we could hope for!