Greetings good people.
It's been a busy week so I'll keep this update short.
Campaign - The new Inkshares model switched over at the start of the month, so it's now official: Ghosts of War is getting published. We've cleared the light publishing goal, so the next target is 750 copies. I realise with the price increases that it's going to be quite a task to get there in the next 44 days, but stay tuned, there might be a small bit of relief coming on that front in the next week or so.
Ghosts & NaNoWriMo - I'm participating in NaNo this year and using it to finish up Ghosts, plan out the sequels and maybe even make a start on book two if there's time. I'm currently closing in on 8,000 words written in 6 days, so I'm about 2,000 words off the pace, but there's plenty of time to make it up.
In closing, here's a behind the scenes look at me working during the month of November.
Uhhh...spoilers, I guess?
I'm poking and prodding the Inkshares site with new text and layout - please give it a look and let me know what you think! Same goes for my personal site - Spell-sword.com. I'm hoping to be able to show you the fancy-schmancy new cover in the next few days - and with that will come new people curious about the book. This goes along with my Pan-Social Platform Clean-Up Regimen -- time to hide all that moogle fanfiction, I suppose. Please let me know what you think will help other people get interested in AMOD - as I finish up the copy edits in the next few weeks, I need to refocus my attention to the Marketing Cannon. Oh, how it gleams...
I haven't said this explicitly in a while - but thank you. This has been an exciting week - in between stresses of Dev Edits and the oncoming Copy Edits - working on the final cover, starting to lay down early work on the marketing strategy - I feel like a BIG BOY WRITER. And it's all thanks to you. So thanks, you weirdos.
HARDBACK v PAPERBACK - FIGHT!
Last week I sent a questionnaire out to all of the AGELESS campaign backers which was about the direction that the book will ultimately go. Two major questions were asked: Hardback or paperback, and which cover tickles your fancy?
Thank you for all your responses, and here's the results...
Hardback vs. Paperback - Winner = PAPERBACK with almost 65% of the vote. The consensus was that the cheaper price would appeal to a larger audience and be more marketable.
AGELESS will be coming as a paperback next spring (And for those of you that ordered at hardback prices of $25.99, I have been told that you will be getting the difference returned to you. Initial backers, remember your investment was only $10).
The release date is tentatively May, 3rd, 2016.
As for the cover...well, it's still being tweaked (with you very valuable input) and I will show you the finished product when I can.
So if you are following and you haven't bought, let's make a plan to purchase. I need your help. It's true. I can't do this alone. I need you.
Let's make Friday, Nov. 6th AGELESS day!! If you haven't pre-ordered, let's do it then. 2:00 PM wherever you are, help me reach #AGELESS1K! Convince one friend. Just one. Read them the synopsis.
Imagine that you never aged—that you would forever remain young and vital, impervious to the ravages of time. For Alessandra, a woman whose genetic code keeps her eternally young—perhaps even making her immortal—this fantasy is a reality.
But it’s not as idyllic as it seems.
Her rare condition only leaves her feeling isolated and fearful of what her circumstances really mean for her future. And Alessandra has every reason to be afraid. After many years in captivity as the subject of Nazi science experimentation, she’s haunted by the memories of her exploitation and desperate to keep her identity a secret. This proves to be exceptionally difficult when impassioned CIA agent Mark Richards develops an unhealthy obsession with capturing her.
After decades of fleeing from her enemies, Alessandra finds a devoted ally in Grey Chapman. But can she learn to trust another after all she’s been through?
Ageless is a thrilling journey that spans decades and asks the question: If you could live forever, would you want to?
Thanks for everything! You guys are the greatest.
The following is merely an observation that is based on fact:
The pre-order train has been derailed, not completely. The wheels are still on their metal tracks, but sales have ceased. There has not been one pre-order in the last four days. Observation terminated.
You have come to know me pretty well from my posts, and once again, I have not given up hope. My test t-shirt design will be coming in this week, and I could not be more happy to wear my story proudly.
I will only give out the shirt to a reader chosen at random when I hit 300 pre-orders and not one order before that. Before what? Well, before, when I said, just look back a couple sentences.
I will say once again, and I can not say it any less. To every single person who has ordered a book or more, my warmest thank you. I am still delirious on how much love this story of mine has received.
It still needs more though. Please tell everyone you can about U-Turn At Next Synapse. You never know, maybe those first two people could care less, and that fourth person is too busy dealing with their obese cat (The third person ran by too fast for you to get to them)--that fifth person though, they listen. They themselves are a writer perhaps, and they look into Inkshares, pre-order my book, and start the process of pushing their own work they have been holding under their cowl for over a decade. We have to all get to that fifth person, because person four will be dealing with that feline for a while. My god, it looks like a small ottoman...with legs. Wait, ottomans have those.
Checkmate and Rummy Dear Gladiators.
And for all those who are reading this and have not taken the U-Turn yet, then it is time to
Something new!
The image below is a link to my first screen capture writing video on my YouTube channel. Click on it to view the video, where I take you on a tour of the Blood Dawn manuscript and the process I use to write the story.
This video is the first of what I hope will be many videos where I record my writing session and highlight different aspects of the techniques I use to write epic fantasy. As you will no doubt see in watching this video, I intend it to be informal and unscripted. Imagine you are sitting with me in a coffee shop and I am telling you about my book -- that's exactly the sentiment I'd like to create with this video.
Please leave me comments, good or bad (if they're bad don't worry; I'm a writer, I have alligator skin). I will use comments to help me improve future videos, and to get ideas for things to include.
Enjoy! And if you want to see more, please subscribe to my channel so you can get notified when I release new ones.
Back to writing.
