Sorry for the paucity of updates from Asteroid Made of Dragons - I assume that most of you are wading through a small blizzard of Inkshares emails like I am every morning. The Nerdist Contest is HEATING. UP. Partly I wanted to stay out of the way of all the contestants and keep all your eyeballs focused on the new shiny books vying for your attention - but also things were just a hair quiet over here. I submitted my beta draft of AMOD to beta readers, Inkshares, and most supremely Girl Friday for developmental editing - - then I IMMEDIATELY started slacking off. I played a bunch of Witcher 3, I started planning a D&D campaign, I cut my grass, said hello to the living people that apparently exist in my immediate vicinity. It was nice. I also found some time to let my writer brain devote some cycles to Other Projects - nothing serious yet, just some ideas I want to explore when AMOD goes to bed.
But now. Oh now. There is some legitimate news and events and happenstance and furor to report. So, strap in!
Asteroid Made of Dragons - Tentative Release: April 2016
I had a long kickoff conference call with the Inkshares and Girl Friday team, and if all goes according to plan, that's the bulls-eye. As someone who's navigated the self-publishing process alone twice before - it was pure joy to have skilled, professional people go over a very rigorous schedule with me and precisely detail every part of the production, marketing, cover design, and how I CANNOT SCREW IT ALL UP BY BEING A BABY. I'm glad that I was on the phone and not Skype so they couldn't see the one dramatic anime tear making its way down my cheek. Next week I have more conference calls! Calls to discuss the cover and marketing, calls with my editor to discuss My Authorial Vision, etc. My developmental edits are due back on 10/2 -- then I have two weeks to respond and implement the suggested changes and re-writes - so expect my presence here and on Twitter to either be non-existent or pure non-stop whining during that period. I'm very proud of the draft I turned in - but I am beyond excited to watch it become the strongest thing I've ever written with the proper editorial care and absolutely the most visible and well-marketed of my books by a GIGANTIC margin.
For my day job, I work in sales - and I know how difficult and icky it can be to feel like you are SELLING your BOOK to strangers. Rachel let me ruminate on the ethos of sales and how you can be a salesman in general - but specifically of your own work and not feel like a weasel. These principles are what helped me ultimately win the Sword & Laser Contest on Inkshares and I think they're perfectly applicable to anyone trying to crowdfund or promote their own work. A huge thank you to her for giving me the opportunity to be weird on her carefully cultivated internet platform.
SURPRISE BONUS
I've fallen in with a rowdy crowd of reprobates and undesirables. Yes, other writers on Inkshares. And a few of them have collaborated on an absolutely fantastic idea - the Inkshares Authors Showcase Coloring Book and Activity Pages, Nerdist Contest Edition. It's going to be amazing! My page is going to feature Xenon the goblin archaeologist on her rocket cycle and I CANNOT WAIT for you guys to see it and try your hand at coloring it. We'll be sending it out on Monday and then you can print out the pages for REAL LIFE Coloring and activities, or just dump the files into your computer art program of choice and go to town. This is to showcase the worlds of strange wonder and fierce beauty that these authors have in their heads - and now you can color them all the wrong colors. Here's the worlds/books that are going to be included:
She Is the End, by A.C. Weston (illustrator of the AMOD page and you are officially a moron if you don't go back her book immediately)
Blood Dawn, by John Robin.
Prophecy of the Stars, by Melissa Berg (also an illustrator for the book, and the creator of our cover)
Asteroid Made of Dragons, by some guy.
A Beast Requires, by Jay Lockwood
Witches Undercover, by Rochelle Germano
Tournament of the Stars: Arbitration, by Victor Powell
Ageless (also winner of the Swords and Lasers contest) and Motor City Chronicles: Transgressions, by Paul Inman
Rune of the Apprentice, by Jamison Stone
Shadow of the Owl, by Amanda Orneck
The Seventh Age, by Rick Heinz,
We'll be sending out the coloring book to all you people on Monday - no charge, just free, right there in your inbox. I think it would behoove you to give these nice author's campaign pages a look. DO YOU FEEL BEHOOVENED?
As always, come find me on Twitter - @gderekadams for internet interaction. I should also have a special audio presentation of a Sideways chapter from AMOD for you in the very near future, recorded by busybody Paul Inman.
Finally I leave you with this:
