Updates, Faoii! Listen up!

Did I tell you that the cover I’ve been using forever isn’t going to work because of copyright issues? Did I also tell you that the cover design artist I was working with had to drop the project very suddenly and so there was a few hours there where I thought we weren’t going to have a cover at ALL? I’m telling you, Faoii, it’s been a wild couple of days/weeks. But this is where we’re currently sitting, and I am incredibly pleased. Tell me what you think:

Greetings, Faoii! I have a few updates and a little bit of reminiscing to do for the moment. Listen up!

So, a year ago I did possibly the craziest thing I could in my FAOII journey so far. I refunded all of your money so that we could try again, but with the hopes of winning the largest contest on Inkshares to date. It was insanity, Faoii. Insanity! Who gives up on all the help they’d already garnered so they can start again from 0? But you know what? It was worth it. We didn’t win that contest, but we made it to the top 5. We lost a lot of soldiers that had pledged their support during the first phase but never came back during the second-- but their lost battle cries were quickly filled in and drowned out by those of new soldiers that joined the ranks. I was so scared a year ago. I thought I was making a terrible mistake. But I also thought it could be worth it. It was.

Today I’ve just sent off the Final (FINAL! Can you believe it??) interior proof of The Last Faoii to Inkshares. It’s done. It’s perfect. It looks like a real book! Correction, Faoii. It IS a real book. I am... surprised at how much that struck me, to see it like that. I hope you end up feeling the same way when you get your own copy, since you were as much a part of this process as I was. I’m also working on the finalized cover so that it’s ready to go, too. 

So things are happening, Faoii! We’re almost there. Keep your shields up and don’t forget to let other potential warriors know about our army. This story is worthy of being told, so find people who’d be willing to hear it.

Dear readers, 

I am making good progress on my novel, and I’m excited by how it’s coming together. The process of editing takes a long time, but I’m happy to report that my storyboard is almost finished. The editor and I have agreed on the story except for three items where I have additional work to do: I need to strengthen the storyline of one of my key characters, I need to tighten up the action scenes in a couple of crucial places, and I need to work on the theme. Obviously, the theme is the most challenging of these three. However, I am in agreement on what needs to change with the theme and how it needs to be improved to make it consistent with the overall plot. My goal is to make these edits to the storyboard by the end of the week and get the green light to proceed—and then I will begin rewriting the manuscript. Hopefully with all of this pre work, the rewriting will not take that long. I’m excited to get this book into your hand as soon as possible, but I also want it to be the best book it can possibly be.   

Quick Update, Faoii! Listen Up!

Things have been moving along smoothly, and I am absolutely ecstatic about the results. The design pour, the edits, the new cover... it’s all beautiful. (Once again, A giant Thank-You to Evan Graham, who made the cover spectacular. Definitely check out his page, Faoii!) 

We’re just waiting on the final proofread, now, and my newest missive from Reedsy held some interesting information. Apparently, traditional publishers have control of any formatting issues and other so-called "micro decisions" in a novel’s final edits. However, my editor seemed genuinely surprised to find out that those decisions were actually in my hands (Admittedly, I was surprised to learn this too, Faoii) and will be sending me the final proofread within the next few days. I am not yet sure what these "micro decisions" entail, nor do I know why traditional publishers deal with these themselves instead of giving them to the author, but I am incredibly excited and pleased to have that much control over this project we’ve been working on for so many years. We’re getting close to the end now, Faoii, and I’m going to keep working on giving you the best damned book I can. Just keep fighting bit longer, we’ve got this.

Don’t forget-- the current battle is won, but we can always use more soldiers for the next wave that’s coming soon. Tell your friends and other potential Faoii about our war. Let them pick up their own blade and join the choir. They’ll thank you in a few months when this book is in their hands.

That’s it for now. Shields up!

Faoii-Tahani

Hello, Curio Citizen supporters!

I’m here to give you all a little update on the progress of Curio Citizen’s publishing process. I’m still awaiting an official timeline and estimated release date, but I’ll take a few moments to fill you in on the information I do have.

As with any publishing company, Inkshares has a whole host of people who will be working on getting my book ready for bookshelves (and your inbox/mail box!). I’ve already filled out paperwork for the marketing team, who will organize the best methods for promoting my book, and the creative team, who will be designing my official book cover. I have also submitted my entire Curio Citizen manuscript, which will be assigned to an Inkshares editor. Like with any publishing company, the editor will read my manuscript and help me perfect it to be the best it possibly can be before publishing.

As you can imagine, this complicated process can be rather lengthy. Because of your help in this contest, my book will go through the full publishing process, which includes:

Editing: Inkshares handles the entire editorial process from developmental to copy-editing; from fact-checking to proofing.

Producing: Internal layout design, cover design, printing.

Distribution: Through Inkshares’ partnership with Ingram to book sellers like Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and hundreds of independent bookstores.

Marketing: Social media marketing, email marketing, traditional and online publicity.

Selling movie and TV rights: Sales of movie and TV rights for our books in Hollywood through a partnership with UTA.

So, although I don’t have an official timeline estimate for the publishing of Curio Citizen, I can tell you that the average time for a book to go from completed manuscript to being on the shelves is about a year. I can’t wait for you all to read Curio Citizen, but I hope you don’t mind being patient! It takes a long time to get everything just right, and at the end of the process, hopefully Curio Citizen will be ready for success!

I will continue to keep you all updated as more concrete information comes my way. I am so excited to move from writing to the next phase of hard work--publishing.

Please keep letting other people know about Curio Citizen who might be interested. Although the contest is over, Curio Citizen is still available for pre-order. The more copies sold and the more hubbub surrounding the book, the better chance it has for success.

Thank you!

Katherine

DOWNLOADING THE EBOOK

Alright Campers,

A ton of you have had problems getting the ebook. Here is an explanation of how to download it. You should have recieved an e-mail from Inkshares that looks like this:

Please note, the ebook did not come from me directly. The e-mail you are looking for is from Inkshares. 

Click on the download button and it will take you directly to a page that looks like this:

Download EPUB for Apple, MOBI for Kindle, EPUB for Android, EPUB for Sony, EPUB for Nook. Please note, EPUB should work on all Apple computers with Apple Books. You can download the Kindle App for free on ANY DEVICE to read the MOBI version.

If you continue to have trouble please e-mail hello@inkshares.com and they can help you sort out any issue. I cannot personally change your incorrect e-mail, tell you your Inkshares password, or sort out any issue with your account. Unfortunately I am not an Inkshares employee, although I would love to help you with any issue.

PAPERBACKS

Paperbacks will be shipped in August. Please note, you can update your address by logging into your Inkshares account. Inkshares will also send you an address confirmation before the book ships. If you don’t receive an address confirmation in August, you probably didn’t order a paperback. If you are positive you ordered a paperback and you do not get a shipping confirmation you can e-mail hello@inkshares.com to see if there was a mistake. 

REVIEWS

Please remember to review the book on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble when you are done.

SPOTIFY

Want to listen to the music I wrote Sunshine Is Forever to while you read the book? Head here: https://play.spotify.com/user/1226958305/playlist/0CCgDQZs4DU3V7tWDfkl3u?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open

KARID

My next book KARID will fund with Inkshares shortly after Sunshine Is Forever is released. You can follow it here so you can be the first to preorder it when the time comes!  https://www.inkshares.com/books/karid

Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions and please don’t be offended if I direct you to Inkshares for help with your problem.

I appreciate all of you! Thank you for your continued support!

Kyle T. Cowan