NaNoWriMo has begun! I’m going down-periscope, and will see you all at the end of the month with (hopefully) a finished novel! Please back the book, as we only have two months to go to get nearly 200 more readers!
NaNoWriMo has begun! I’m going down-periscope, and will see you all at the end of the month with (hopefully) a finished novel! Please back the book, as we only have two months to go to get nearly 200 more readers!
Hi Everybody,
My apologies, as it’s been awhile since I’ve provided an update for the production timeline for The Battle Within. Part of that is by design as I haven’t wanted to flood any inboxes, but part of it is also a lack of discipline. On that note, please find below a quick update!
Timeline
The manuscript for The Battle Within is currently with Girl Friday Productions as it goes through a line edit, which is punctuation, grammar, and other ‘in the weeds’ details. This edit will be done by the end of November, following which the manuscript goes into the proofread stage. Not to get into too much technicalities, but the proofread isn’t as easy as it sounds because it takes into account visual appeal based on how the chosen font breaks across the page sizes. Bottom line, the proofed manuscript is scheduled to be complete by 12 January 2017. On a separate note, the cover has been finalized, very happy with how it turned out!
What does all that mean? It means that the book itself will be completed by mid-Jan 2017. Unfortunately for readers, the end of the production process is only the beginning of the marketing process.
From Jan 2017 to Jun 2017, Inkshares will be identifying prominent people who would be interested in reading and possibly endorsing the book. In addition, Inkshares will be laying the groundwork for the book launch, which could include interviews, reviews in national or local media, and getting the book into more bookstores. When all is said and done, The Battle Within will be released on 27 Jun 2017.
Opportunities to Help
Although The Battle Within production process is largely transparent to anyone not directly involved, that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities to help out, if you’re interested. As I mentioned earlier, once the manuscript is done, Inkshares will be looking for influential people (based either on their involvement in the book industry or through links to subject material) to read and (hopefully!) endorse the book by having a blurb on the jacket cover or as part of the marketing campaign. If you know someone who might fit that bill and would consider reading an advance copy, it would be a huge help.
Other Projects
As The Battle Within progresses, I’m keeping busy with some new projects that may be of interest. First and foremost, I’m halfway through a second draft of my second novel, tentatively named Jihadi Bride. I won’t give any more detail for the moment as I haven’t even engaged beta readers yet, but I think that it’s an exciting story that I hope to be able to share within 9 – 12 months.
I’m also running a blog at www.AlastairLuft.com, where I’ve been publishing articles on various challenges I’ve encountered so far as a writer, as well as interviews with other authors. Lastly, I’ve been playing around with writing poetry (mostly as a method to improve my writing) and I’m toying with the idea of perhaps releasing a short e-book later next year, although lots will depend on continued inspiration! Please find attached a short poem I wrote several weeks ago – would love your feedback if you have the time.
So that’s it, I hope this update was helpful and I’ll endeavour to provide more frequent updates. As an alternative, please consider liking my author page at www.facebook.com/AlastairLuft if you’d like updates via Facebook, or signing up to an e-mail list through my blog. As always, should you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with me at any time.
All the best,
Alastair Luft
We didn’t win Crypt TV, but there is still time to fund Manifesto. I am, however, running out of people that I know to ask for support, so I need your help. If you haven’t ordered yet, please consider it. And, if you have, get some friends to do the same. You guys are awesome.
Cheers,
Dan
THREE MONTHS LEFT!
I admit to being more than a little anxious. Three months! They’ll be gone in no time! And one of those months is December and, as everyone knows, nothing except Christmas ever happens in December.
(I know what I want for Christmas.)
Well, back to the story. "The Butler did it" is a stereotype of mystery fiction, yet I’ll bet most people would be hard-pressed to name a story where that does happen. I know I can’t. Well, the nearest thing the Veterans’ Club has to a butler is the resident porter....
Until next time (THREE MONTHS LEFT!) have fun and (THREE!) keep reading.
Friends, drag fans and zombie enthusiast
Only 24 hours left in the Crypt TV horror contest and our girl Bad Medicine is holding on to the second place by as string of her torn gown.
The next day will be nerve-wracking for yours truly. As I told you before, I lost my first Inkshares contest by one book; since then I’m totally traumatized.
So, if you haven’t gotten your copy of Bad Medicine: Slay it, Queen! Please, pre-order today. Do a queen a favor, put my mind at ease.
And now, the final drawing in our contest to become a drag character in the book:
The new queen joining the cast is Miss Ms. Dinah Myte (AKA Mister P.H. James)
Ms. Dinah Myte is a former U.S. Army Specialist who found a cure to his PTSD in drag.
Congratulations to all the winners!
That’s it for today. Short and sweet.
On my end, I’ll continue pushing until the last minute of this contest.
Happy Halloween!
Hello, lovely readers!
We’ve almost reached the end! The Geek and Sundry contest ends on October 31st, which is just a few days away! We’re holding 4th place, but 5th place is making a determined run. I would LOVE to achieve that 4th place finish, so tell your friends to order! And if you haven’t ordered yet, time is running out, and I’d greatly appreciate your support.
At this point in the contest, many authors are offering incentives. The first place authors are even offering to critique your writing! How cool is that? Unfortunately, I can’t quite do that. So for what it’s worth, here’s my offer:
If you or someone you refer pre-orders my book before the contest ends, I will--wait for it--solve a math problem for you. That’s right! Send me a problem of any level through calculus, and I will explain how to solve it for you!
Hey, I’m a math tutor. I’m working with what I’ve got.
Now that I know people will be lining up in droves, I’d like to seriously say, thank you so much for your support. Honestly, with over 200 books in this contest, I did not expect to do this well. So thank you, and if you’ve got anyone else you can recommend The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. to, I’d be appreciative to the infinitieth power.
Best,
Maggie
Halloween is almost here and that will mark the end of the Crypt TV contest. I need everyone’s help in sharing Manifesto and convincing others to order their copy if we stand a chance at winning. So order a copy if you haven’t already, and everyone get a friend to do the same. You are all awesome.
Cheers,
Dan
