First off comes part of the reason I was originally going to wait until January to launch this campaign, that being that I am running a giveaway along with it.  Think of it as a contest if you want, but I prefer to think of it as a reward program - an extra thank you for helping me to get this book published.  Getting together the prizes is a slow process for me on account of budget concerns though, so I have not gotten everything I intended yet, though I will continue getting more throughout the campaign.

The prizes include signed prints of art I commissioned/am commissioning for Magus, as well as some extra copies of books I originally discovered through Inkshares.  I’ll discuss the art prints below, but first the books.  I’m reaching out to the authors of the books as they become available to make sure they approve of me using their books as campaign giveaways.  So far I do have approval for one book which I had looked forward to since first spotting it here on Inkshares - "Children of the Wise Oak" by Oliver J. Tooley, which you can see a bit more about by clicking the link embedded in the title.  As new books are added to the giveaway options I’ll announce them in updates.

Now on to the art.  Magus has an episodic structure, due to my original vision of it as serialized short stories following Pentaz as he struggles to make a life for himself.  My dream has always been for each of the 13 parts to have its own title page featuring full page art to either capture a scene, character, or idea from that part.  The cover which Magus has been sporting for the past several months is one of my favorite scenes from part 4 (Llanchland) where Buscidia prepares to defend Pentaz from an inscrutable enemy made of cogs(aside from its hair and beard of cables).  I’ve always thought of it as "Buscidia vs. the Cog Monster", and the scene was captured perfectly by the incredibly talented Lizzy Perez. 

As much as I love that as a cover, I always knew that it wouldn’t remain there.  For the outer cover I’ve long wanted something which encompassed the entire story more fully, and a few months back I finally decided just what that would be.  The Caldus family plays a large role in Pentaz’ life, being at the center of the two of the three events which occur in Magus to shape him.  So it’s only appropriate that their family crest would serve as the symbol for the entirety of Exile, Magus.  I’ve been sitting on the reveal of that family crest for a couple of months now.  The art below was done by Rachel Donne(you can check out more of her work by clicking on her name), and her interpretation of the crest I described was even better than I imagined. 

I have the signed prints of the Caldus family crest, and hope to have signed prints of "Buscidia vs. the Cog Monster" within the next few weeks.  As I commission new pieces I plan to also order 3 signed prints of each new piece.  If you know artists let me know and I may have some work for them.

Finally I suppose I should cover how the rewards program will work.  Due to the limited number of rewards currently available, I’ll be running it purely as a referral rewards program.  If the book is successfully funded, then I will look to see who has referred the most people to order Magus and the top 10 will be contacted in order from 1 to 10 so they can pick their reward.  Because I want to especially show gratitude to those who have ordered themselves, any referrers who have also ordered themselves will have 3 added to their referral count before the top 10 are determined.

If I can get together enough prizes before the campaign ends, then I’ll reveal another rewards program based on orders.  I’ll not go into specifics on that yet, since there’s no way of knowing if I’ll manage that yet.

I have been way too long winded though, as I tend to when I sit down to write a full update.  To reiterate: I hope those of you who haven’t ordered yet will do so, a great book and some really nice looking art are waiting to be won so get to referring, and of course a huge thanks to all of you who have already ordered.  As always thanks for your time and support, and keep reading!

Dear reader, can we agree that beta readers are necessary for a book’s excellence?

Sure! But we need rules for the process to work, sir.

Hang on, is there a way we can bring Hamilton into this?

Okay, so we’re doing this...

One two three four five six seven eight nine

It’s the Ten Beta Commandments
It’s the Ten Beta Commandments!

Number one:
The challenge: invite a reaction
If they accept, set a date for the transaction

Number two:
Push it back, let’s be real, you need more time
You might lose a few but in the end it will be fine

Number three:
Get your words into a narrative flow
Plot holes, clichés, confusion gotta go

First draft, worst draft, you know it’s true
We need beta readers to do what they do!

Number four:
If they’re not writers too, that’s all right
You need your target audience to be on site

You pick ‘em for their love of the genre or themes
You have ‘em go in cold so their feedback’s clean

Five!
Send your book in the form that they prefer
If you don’t, face the fact that they’ll defer

Number six:
Let it go, spend time with family and friends
Tell ‘em where you been, promise your book is near its end

Seven!
Accept it all, critique and praise
Don’t just debate and argue your case

Number eight:
Take your time to clarify
You don’t have to agree, just understand (or try)

Number nine:
Fix your book, it was great but aim higher
Put in all the work that it requires

Then tell

one two three four five six seven eight nine (maybe) ten readers:

THANK YOU!

****

A notable day is approaching: on August 18th, 2015, I discovered Inkshares and entered the first Nerdist contest. That means my one-year Inkshares anniversary is almost here!

So, to celebrate (and give myself a deadline), I will be sending out my manuscript to beta readers on August 18th!!

My beta readers will have four weeks to get their comments back to me. I will incorporate their input over the course of another two weeks. Then...

Production on my book will begin!!

FINALLY!!

In the meantime, if you like Terry Pratchett, whimsy, or murder mysteries, order Jay Lockwood’s A Beast Requires immediately and help him win the current Geek & Sundry Fantasy contest!

Here is my review:

"Inkshares won’t let me recommend this more than once, which is a sad limitation when I like it at least ten times over. A Beast Requires mixes the wit of Douglas Adams and the whimsy of Jasper Fforde in a fairy tale land of forest slums, skeevy elf landlords, and murder. Every moment is layered in world building gold. If this book were food, it would be chocolate and I would eat it. (I may eat it anyway.)"

Nom nom.