11/12/17

Hello, everyone. 

Wanted to just give you all a quick update on what’s going on with "Devil You Don’t." After Launchpad wrapped up, I confess I paused my campaign. My brain needed a break, and you all probably needed a break from me. :-)

Right now, we are 84 copies away from "The Devil You Don’t" qualifying for Inkshares’ Quill publishing level.

I’ve asked for (and received) an extension on my funding window until the end of this year. So at midnight on December 31, the funding window will close. At that point, either I’ll be qualified for Quill--or, I won’t be and you’ll all receive a refund for your pre-ordered copies.

I’m going to start digging up more intrepid readers. Of course, I’d love to have everyone’s continued support so if you know anyone who might be interested, please share my page: https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-devil-you-don-t.

If you’ve ordered, consider ordering a second copy--anyone who orders a copy that they’re planning to give as a gift, please let me know once you’ve ordered. If you’d like, i’ll send you a certificate you can give while the book is in production!

That’s it for now -- thank you as always for your continued support. I’ll send an update as we get into the start of December to let you know how everything is unfolding.

Best,
Susan

Good morning everyone! 

I know it hasn’t been long since my last supporter email, but this one is a special announcement. You all know my novel by its name Human Resources. What I haven’t told you previously is that the title is changing. There are various reasons for needing to change the title. Human Resources was a great title in some respects: it was understated and linked back to the corporate dystopia, as well as the way humans are treated in the novel. However, despite that, there were signs it would make the book harder to sell. Some of the issues were:

• Human Resources is not a unique title. There weren’t any other science-fiction books I could find with that title, but hundreds of business books. That meant searching for the book could be difficult.
• It confused people. Right throughout my campaign I encountered people who thought I’d written a non-fiction business manual. This can be addressed to an extent with a good cover, but I still had people misunderstand after I started including a cover image of a person with a big sword.
• It’s out of genre. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but by switching it to a title that is more recognizably from the genre of the book, it makes it stand out to people who read that genre.

So, without further ado, the new title is Blood Capital. This title isn’t as subtle, but ties it firmly in the genre. It also links back to the corporate dystopia, the treatment of humans in the world, and (bonus) the city the novel is set in. Work is underway on the final cover image, and I can’t wait to share the outcome of that. In the meantime, Inkshares have posted a (short) video of Matt Harry (Head of Story Development at Inkshares) talking about Blood Capital.

Matt Harry of Inkshares Discussing Blood Capital (July 2018) by Robbie Batten: https://vimeo.com/240758751

Robert Batten.

Hallelujah!

This day has come at last. The final hours of the Inkshares Horror contest. My Facebook friends are exhausted. Sorry folks. It has been a carnival thrill ride and it’s almost over. You all have to be done with me by now too!

And whatever happens at the end, thank you all for your support. And to the other contestants, I’m proud to be included with such esteemed company. Thank you for pushing so hard…I guess. And best of luck…starting tomorrow.

Hallelujah!

Let the writing time arise again and the huckstering time scab over to a distant painful memory. Looking forward to burying my introverted self into the bowels of Murder Happens, as crappy as that sounds. Amen

Hello all,

I didn’t provide an update on Human Resources last month, so some of you may be wondering what I’ve been up to. Never fear — I’m still working on the book!

September and October were intense. In addition to the book, I had some critical deadlines in my “day job” and an overseas holiday with my family, which is just ending now. The good news is my laptop travelled with me and I continued work on the manuscript whenever time would allow. My dreams of ten hours typing like a maniac on international flights were thwarted by our toddler (who has decided planes require constant Daddy Cuddles), but I did manage to sit down in hotel lobbies and make some solid progress on the rewrite. 

Now I’m back in Australia, I’m aiming to buckle down and finish the rewrite ASAP. Act One is looking solid as I implement some polish using my editor’s notes. Act Two is done, but needs a lot more work before it is “ready” and Act Three is sitting in my cross-hairs. 

You’ve all been amazingly supportive and patient and I thank you for that. Stick with me a little longer :). 

Robert. 

10/21/17

10/18/17

Good morning, everyone!

I wish I could be running through my office popping some champagne, but alas we came up about 20 readers short of getting into the Top Three.

I do want to say congratulations to Paul, Kate, and Meghan -- you all have what look like amazing stories, and I know all of your readers (including me) are eager to get them.

THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me and my story so far. Your support and well wishes mean the world to me, they really do.

But things are not over for "Devil" quite yet. I’m going to take a few days to be disappointed (’cause I am, I gotta be honest: when you want to be in the Top 3, fourth place kinda sucks :-) ) and recuperate. Doing this campaigning can be really mentally and emotionally draining.

However, my funding window is still open and there is no reason that "The Devil You Don’t" can’t hit the Quill funding level or better. So, after a pout and a nap, I will turn my attention to figuring out how to make that happen... because I really do believe "The Devil You Don’t" is a great story and I want to make sure you all get a chance to enjoy it.

I’ll keep you posted. Thank you again.

Best,
Susan
 I probably need all of the above. :-)

10/17/17 - part 2

Sorry for second message, but I totally spaced!

I also wanted to say a HUGE thank you to Craig Munro and the Fantasy Syndicate, who also selected "The Devil You Don’t" as their October pick to back.

Thank you all very much -- I really appreciate the support and vote of confidence.

Best,
Susan

10/17/17

Well, we are down to hours and I continue to tell myself that the silvery strands in my hair are sparkles and not grey hair from stress.

Last 24 hours have been, as I suspected they would be, wild. I gained some ground and then lost it again. So, "Devil" remains in 4th place right now with a little distance to make up before the final aria gets belted out.

We can still get Devil into the Top Three, but that means mustering the troops. As always, this is a team sport.

So, how can you help? I’m glad you asked!

If you have already ordered a copy... if each of you could get one person--just one!--to put in a pre-order before 10:00 pm Pacific time, that would be beyond amazing, and would make a HUGE difference. So if you’re at the office, hit up a friend in the cube next to you. Call your best friend (or your sibling or spouse), tell them you’re sending an email, and you need a favor...

In fact, here’s some information you can send them: My friend, Susan, has a novel manuscript that’s in a national competition, and she could win a full publishing package for her book. The contest ends tonight at 10 pm West Coast time. Do me a favor and order a copy--I know she’d appreciate the support: https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-devil-you-don-t 

If you have NOT ordered a copy yet... That’s a super easy solution! PLEASE put in a pre-order. You have the chance to be my Fairy Godmother today, how epic would that credit be on your resume?

And don’t forget, if we make the Top Three and win this bad boy, I will be doing a "thank you for your support" raffle for all of my readers -- for a $100 Amazon gift card.

No matter what happens at the end of the competition, I could not ask for a better set of friends, colleagues, and fans...

1

Best,
Susan