Another art update!
Here’s the next stage of the Dax painting, sent by the artist Jessica R. Van Hulle. (theladyjessica.com)
First color layer is down. Per Jessica, this is following the technique of Boris Vallejo, classic fantasy artist and creator of such epic movie posters as Barbarella and National Lampoon’s Vacation. Ahhh it’s looking so good!
More to come!
-Tony
Good morning and Happy Anniversary to Women Like Us, because today is one year since Pub Day!
Here’s a look back at me holding the book for the very first time. I still pick it up, leaf through it and find it amazing that it actually exists.
A lot happened around this little book in the past year. Here are a few of my favorite things.
It made it into the top 100 of its top sub-genre on Amazon (still pushing to get it into the top 10, though).
Some nice folks did interviews with me about the book. Here’s a couple, in case ya missed them.
http://www.theindieview.com/2017/05/11/indieview-with-jason-pomerance-author-of-women-like-us/
http://renderositymagazine.com/the-art-of-story-interview-with-author-jason-pomerance-cms-759
Also, the book made The Malibu Times!! This may not seem like a big deal, but we lived in Malibu for a short while, and First Point Malibu is still a favorite surf spot, so it just makes me smile. Here it is--
http://www.malibutimes.com/malibu_life/people/article_0dea1256-283f-11e6-b17a-8bda111c1653.html
We’ve given away many signed copies on Goodreads (a favorite thing to do...in fact one is going on now so go over to Goodreads so check it out) and given some away to our nearby free Local Libraries too.
p
The push to the thousand mark in print and ebook sales is getting slowly closer. That was always a sort of goal on this book but, you know, if we go well into the thousands that’s good too. Don’t stop spreading the word, people! Sales happen when marketing happens but reviews are still so vitally important. If you’ve read and not reviewed, please leave a few words on Amazon (remember I still donate 10% of my royalties to the Beagle Freedom Project so helping with sales helps free more beagles). Remember you don’t have to say anything more than "Great book" (or "Crappy Book" works but we prefer great). Here’s the Amazon link--
Meanwhile, the biggest recent news is that an audio version of the book is in production right now!! It’s being narrated by a wonderful voiceover actor, Yolande Clark. I’ve heard the first 15 minutes and it’s amazing. The audible version should be available around September. Stay tuned.
Finally, just to demonstrate how it’s not all sunshine and daffodils, in doing some research for this post I came across this really not nice review on some blog...ouch!!
https://www.reynoldsreviews.com/single-post/2016/12/18/Women-Like-Us
You gotta take the good with the bad, huh?
Thanks all for the support. Seriously. And Happy One Year Since Pub Day Women Like Us!
July 24, 2017
Good morning, everyone. Sending out a brief update on Shadow King to keep all of you informed on what the current scoop is:
Shadow King
I’m still in the queue for the editor. After speaking with Angela at Inkshares, she let me know that they will try to kick-off my project as soon as possible, however, there are close to 50 books in the Quill forecast and they are a small team. They try to honor submissions on a first-come, first-served basis but some other considerations factor in (I’m hoping to find out a little more about those factors).
They’re currently working on three Quill books with Reedsy but will only kick-off new projects when they are confident they can be managed without a sacrifice to quality. I’ll keep everyone posted as I learn more--thank you as always for sticking with me through all of this!
Coming soon: Pre-order a copy of Shadow King and enter to win a signed copy of Darkstar Rising.
Earlier in my writing career, I self-published a fantasy novel called Darkstar Rising. You can read more about it on my website: www.susankhamilton.com. If you have not pre-ordered Shadow King yet, you could win a signed copy of Darkstar--stay tuned for details coming in August.
Please follow The Devil You Don’t on Inkshares
Entries are now closed for the 2017 Launchpad Competition, and in the coming weeks, I’ll find out if lightning can strike twice for me. Devil has its own Inkshares page now: www.inkshares.com/books/the-devil-you-don-t. I’m very excited about this new story and would love to keep you updated on it as well.
Thank you!
Thanks again to all of Shadow King’s supporters; your enthusiasm means the world to me. I’ll send another update in August. Have a great week!
Best,
Susan
PS. Hopefully, those links are active above--when I update from this particular computer I often have trouble with links looking live as I write, but then not working after I send. Fingers crossed!
Hey there readers!
Well, I said I’d have some updates coming for you soon. So guess what? I got updates. :)
If you haven’t already spotted me plastering these all over social media today, here are some progress photos of the artwork for the book!
These come courtesy of the artist, Jessica R. Van Hulle, who is in fact creating AN ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING for the book cover! Why? A) Because she is fantastic, and B) Because I am a crazy person and decided "go big or go home". She is without a doubt creating something that truly captures the old-school fanciful sci-fi spirit that I hoped for with Dax. Can’t wait to see the final piece! You can check out more of Jessica’s work at theladyjessica.com.
Also, while we still do not have an exact publishing date for the book, the editing team says we may likely be looking at sometime in October. I will keep you all posted as soon as I have more to share.
Until next time!
-Tony
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
Hello followers. It’s been some time since I’ve given you an update. 25 days remain. Still very possible to hit that 250 mark. You may be wondering what I have been doing. Well... Going over each chapter for continuity issues, especially when I get to the time travel portion which happens through out the book, but in detail toward the last six chapters.
Things look good on this end. Just keep spreading the word, tell me what you think or what you might not understand so far. I know things get crazy, but that is the way the story goes. You’re not sure what is real and what is fantasy.
Wish I could say more of where the story goes, but it does have an unexpected twist. Or at least that’s how I want it to play out.
Thank you again.
Joshua L. Covarrubio
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
