We know, we know -- we never call, we never write anymore. Well, that last part isn’t true, we’re still writing, we just haven’t been sending you updates. So here’s what’s up:

ENHANCED has received some very positive professional feedback through a couple other contests we’ve entered where the judging is based on the quality of writing and not on how relentlessly the author pushes their friends and family and total strangers to pre-order it.

There are still a few contests we’re waiting to hear the results of, most notably the Book Pipeline Contest that’s looking for new authors’ works that would adapt easily to film or television. We should find out if ENHANCED has risen to the Semi-finalist level mid-March, AND they include a page of professional feedback for each submission.

We’re also waiting to hear from Her Universe Press -- well worth investigating, especially for female scifi authors! Plus, they promise to respond to every submission whether they choose to publish the work or not.

We’re finally happy with our Query letter and the devilishly tricky 1 page Synopsis. We have a polished -- but we’re not claiming perfect -- manuscript that’s ready for an agent’s love.

So that’s where we are, sending our baby out into the world, to eventually take an honored place in the hearts of millions of readers.

We hope one of them some of them will be yours.

Wow, guys! Wow, wow, wow. 

Would you believe we went up 10 pre-orders in a day? I knew you could make it happen. So as promised, by tomorrow you’ll have a brand new sample chapter! 

The level of encouragement I’m seeing from you all is astounding. It reminds me why I started this book in the first place: to reach people like you with a wacky idea for a space opera. 

Now for the important news...

This is officially the last week of the Nerdist Space Opera Contest! Next Tuesday the contest will close, and that means that whichever authors have books in the top three will be set up with a publication deal. 

If we aren’t there it means we’ll have to work a lot harder in the future to make sure this book sees the light of day. I don’t know about you guys, but I’d rather finish this now so I can make sure the book goes to market in this collection.

Again, this is referral week! I’ll reiterate what that means for the newcomers and folks who don’t read the bottoms of every email:

If you refer three people to pre-order this week you’ll get: 

•  A signed first-edition draft version of the book complete with random scribbles of frustration
  
  
• A collection of sketches of characters and setting, 10 in total, as a bound art-book
  
  
• A pack of 10 Traveller’s Cup bookmarks

• A custom Traveller’s Cup mug so you can enjoy your hot caffeinated beverage of choice with your new book

All of these items will be delivered physically to you after the release date, complete with a spacey thank you note. If you refer by word of mouth, that counts too. Just send me an email or message telling me how you know the person. 

So with that out of the way, I again want to say a space-sized thank you to you. You belong in this crew because of your dedication to our mission: to make more space books and send them to the worlds beyond. 

Your Overworked But Determined Space Captain Whose Blood is Now Caffeine,
-AC