Happy Sunday!

Just a quick update on how things are going ahead of Bane of All Things’ Nov. 9 release.

I am finalizing the manuscript with the copy editor. A copy editor scrutinizes the manuscript for the niggly things related to punctuation, American vs. Canadian spelling, and consistency with a style guide (like The Chicago Manual of Style). They are also a last pair of fresh eyes to catch things that may still be unclear to a reader or details that may be inconsistent from one end of the story to the other (like details of a character’s appearance).

The manuscript will go next to the interior designer. They will turn the manuscript from a Word doc into a stylish layout and file format ready to become an e-book and sent to the printer for the trade paperback edition.

For the cover of the book, that falls to Tim Barber of Dissect Designs, who has done a number of fantastic covers for Inkshares. I look forward to when I can share with you the real cover and that do-it-yourself placeholder down below can finally be retired.

There will be lots more work to do in the months that remain before launch day. Advance promotion is critical – this will include distribution of ARCs (advance reader copies) to generate reviews on sites like Goodreads before Nov. 9. The hope, of course, is that the reception from these advance readers will be generally positive—they get an advance copy of the book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Taking time to reflect

I found myself rather reflective this morning on the long road to get to this point.

I landed the deal with Inkshares for Bane of All Things on May 1, 2019. That’s just three years and two months after I began writing the first draft in March 2016.

That could be considered fast, especially for a debut author. On the other hand, I first started working on this idea in 1999! Two other failed versions of this story – two other full-length novels – came before. 

Over those years, I worked on other stories that might also be published someday. But I kept coming back to this one, determined to unlock its mysteries. Figuring out the best way to tell a strong and engaging story is the most difficult and the most rewarding thing that’s within my ability to do. I am compelled to do it.

While Bane of All Things was a completely fresh start from those two previous efforts – think of it like the recent Planet of the Apes reboots versus the original movies of the ‘70s – it did benefit from an already established foundation. This world and these characters were already entrenched in my mind and that made a big difference. There is absolute truth in the saying that every overnight success was years (even decades) in the making.

It remains to be seen if Bane of All Things will be a success. But no matter what happens, I remain grateful and humbled that you chose to be part of the adventure with me.

Stay safe and keep reading!

Cheers

Leo

Hey all,

 If I’ve learned one thing in this publishing process, it’s never to promise "we’re almost there" or "the end is in sight."

So I’ll just repeat what Inkshares is telling me: the book is coming out July 14th. There’s also this:

Happy Friday everyone. Thanks for your 4+ years of patience.

Hello!

I am beyond excited to let you know that your copy of The Devil Inside is coming soon! The official release date is May 11, 2021!

Back in the fall of 2017, you were kind enough to pre-order a copy as part of my funding effort to get the book published. It was supposed to release last year, but—as with many things—the pandemic delayed it.

I am grateful and appreciative of your support (and your patience) while the book waited in the queue for its turn with the editor and proofreader.

Right now, it is with the printer, and it should take about two weeks to print the hard copies. From there it will ship to the fulfillment center and then it will be on its way to you! If you ordered a paperback, you will also get a free e-book copy as well. The link for that will arrive in your email when it is ready for download. If you don’t see it, be sure to check your spam folder!

But I want to make sure you get your copy after all this time, so this next part is important: If you ordered a paperback and have moved to a new home since September 2017, you will need to make sure Inkshares has your shipping address and email. Otherwise, they will send your book to the wrong place.

If you have any trouble with that, contact Inkshares customer service at and they’ll be able to help you out.

Thank you again for all of your support. I’m looking forward to all of you getting your copies, and I hope you enjoy the story (and when you’re done, I would love to have you leave a review on Amazon or GoodReads!).

Take care,

Susan

PS. And if you also see this message via my author newsletter, I apologize for the double message. There are, however, a few people on the Inkshares platform that have not subscribed to my mailing list and I don’t want to accidentally overlook anyone!