There is big news on the Crow’s Gambit front! The book has been selected as the July 2017 pick for the “Break the Bechdel with Strong Female Characters Syndicate”. The syndicate comment was:
Patrick Tebbe’s Crow’s Gambit takes the reader into another world that is fascinating and realized. Luckily for us, our guide is Cassie--a smart, savvy protagonist who will pilot her way through both politics and alien interactions with a calm, cool and collected brilliance.
The interest and support of the Syndicate and its members is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
More to come soon...
PT
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
Friends, Readers, and Sorcerers All,
My dear androids and gynoids,
Thank you.
Thank you for following this project and thank you for pre-ordering if you already have.
We had a really strong start because of you. It’s been almost too good. Made me lazy. But I’m getting back on the horse. I don’t want to pester you, but I need you on my team.
Now, I get it, there’s so much time left! No hurry, right? You can get to it later. But there’s a few reasons why maybe you shouldn’t?
You all live busy lives and as the months fall off like so many cartoon calendar pages the deadline might slip by you.
Sentients, the bottom line is that I need your help. I need you to be my army of ambassadors and to go forth across the known galaxy (y’know... Earth) and spread the word about Arch-Android. I can only reach so many people and yes, if every single one of you got one book we’d be all set instantly, but that’s not how the space station spins.
Thank you for your support so far and thank you for any help you bring in the future. I will be thinking up and adding more rewards and goodies as the months go by.
JF Dubeau
Good news everyone! Proteus has received the honor of its very first syndicate selection!
The Fantasy Syndicate has selected Proteus as their pick for the month of July. Why the Fantasy Syndicate? I...have no idea. Proteus is definitely science fiction, through and through. But I’m not going to question it! It’s a good thing! Plus, Proteus is an adaptation of Shakespeare, and Shakespeare goes hand in hand with fantasy, so...there. I found a connection!
Regardless of the reasoning, I am incredibly grateful and honored that the Fantasy Syndicate would consider Proteus a worthy selection, even from across genres. With the contribution of their support, we are within arms’ reach of the coveted 250 pre-order milestone: the one-third marker towards full funding.
More will come soon as I make more progress with Proteus, both in writing and campaigning. Stay tuned, and remember to keep telling everyone you know about Proteus. We’ve got a lot of ground yet to cover!
July 18, 2017
Hello, hello! I wanted to send a quick note to thank all of you for following "The Devil You Don’t," especially at this early stage.
Entries for the 2017 Launchpad Manuscript Competition closed the other day, so now it is up to the judges, so fingers crossed! Right now the top 25 are scheduled to be announced on September 12, but I’m not sure if they’ll do a Top 75 and Top 50 prior to that (they did last year, but those milestones are not on the official list).
In the meantime, I am working through a really robust set of edits to the manuscript, and am excited with how it is developing. I think these changes help raise the stakes for my two main characters, Mara and Duncan, and give more depth to their relationship as it unfolds.
I’m also working on a book trailer to use once (with luck) I’m able to open Devil up for funding on Inkshares as part of the competition. I’m not, however, going to do more work on the trailer until my manuscript edits are done to make sure it is truly reflective of the story’s content.
Thanks again for your interest in "The Devil You Don’t." I’ll send out another update when I have some news to share. If any of you have questions, you can message me through Inkshares or through email: susankhamilton@yahoo.com, and of course, if you know anyone who might be interested in joining us on this wild ride, please share my Inkshares page with them (https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-devil-you-don-t)
Best,
Susan
Glorious news! The Walls are Closing In has begun developmental edits.
I received a thorough twelve-page document with insights, as well as several notes within the body of my manuscript, from the Head of Story Development at Inkshares, Matt Harry.
I was so pleased to read Matt’s feedback and suggestions, as he certainly seems to understand what I am striving to accomplish with this novel. I know that he and the rest of the team at Inkshares will guide me in strengthening the story, ensuring that all of you receive the best version possible.
Matt has worked on Tal Klein’s Punch Escrow, which recently signed a deal with Lion’s Gate, and JF Dubeau’s recently released A God in the Shed, optioned by Skydance. Matt’s own book, Sorcery for Beginners, will be out in October.
Check out a recent video with Matt Harry, discussing the development of A God in the Shed.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/224256631
Over the next several weeks I will be hard at work incorporating Matt’s suggestions, and then I will send the revised manuscript to him for round two. It also sounds like Inkshares has started kicking around some ideas for the cover. I will keep you posted on all fronts.
Until next time,
Jacqui
