Showing posts with label debut release. Show all posts
Showing posts with label debut release. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Back To The Very Beginning #amediting

A long time ago in a blog post far, far away...

Well, the 14th of June 2011 to be precise. That was the day I did my first post at Spacefreighters as a guest, talking about the inspiration for my very first publication - a scifi short story called The Bones of the Sea. My *coughs* unofficial publishing debut, since it was very much an experiment in all respects and a self published piece. I formatted it myself using the Smashwords style guide, bought a stock image for the cover and added the text, then got a couple of friends to read it over for obvious mistakes, and launched it on Smashwords only as a freebie. The story has had a new cover since release, courtesy of the ever fabulous Danielle Fine, but it's never had an interior makeover. Until now.

Original cover
I've decided the time has come for Bones to get a formal edit, a revamp, and perhaps to finally go up up on Amazon (yes, it's never been available there). I've almost five years of updated bio and links to add to it, and the plan is also to put it in the back of my June release as a bonus story (as they both feature the same planet) and thereby getting it into print as well (it's way too short to qualify for print on its own).
Current cover
Bones is my shortest published work at just 3000 words. I haven't succeeded in writing that short since. But I'm also not writing as long either. In complete contrast to Bones, the revised Keir is 111K. Most recently my titles have been around the 10K mark for a short, or 30-50K for the longer pieces. I'm planning to get back to some really hefty novel-length word counts next year.
I'm hoping to have Bones redone by the end of the week ready to do the whole 'tell Amazon of a lower price' tango, since they're about the only retailer that won't just let you set a book at free. *rolls eyes*

In the meantime...

Status Update
I won Camp NaNoWriMo well ahead of schedule but hung around to encourage my cabin-mates while adding to the June project having completed first round edits on it. The story got a whole new chapter, as well as additional material throughout. Bones will be added to the back for release.

I finally dared to crack open the third round edits on the original draft/first round edits on the revised content for Reunion. But I've only looked through the first, mostly unadjusted third. I haven't braved the revision section yet. In fact, at the moment I'm not sure I want to continue with it at all. One of the advantages of self publishing is that, if I don't feel a book is ready or working, I don't have to put it out. And right now that's how I'm feeling about Reunion. It's so far off where I would like it to be that I think it's broken beyond repair. So I'm going to focus on other things:
Bones and my Rebecca finalist Revived both went to my editor last week as she found herself ahead of schedule. So you may get the second Venus Ascendant story this year after all. No promises! I still don't have an official title for it yet, and frankly I don't know what I'm thinking. Four sets of edits on the go at once? Insane.

Happenings

I'm part of a huge Scifi and Fantasy event starting tomorrow and running until the 29th, with 56 top SF, UF, and Fantasy titles going on sale, free or discounted. There's also a big giveaway - two Kindle Paperwhites, one US and one UK (UK contests are so rare I strongly recommend going for this!), plus Amazon giftcards. It'll be open to US and UK entries from the 27th. For the occasion, my urban fantasy/superhero romance novella When Dark Falls is part of the event, and is reduced to 99 cents/99 pence until the end of April. Superheroes for the win!

A Superhero Romance Novella
Goodreads | Webpage 

Amazon | Kobo | B&N
iTunes | Smashwords | ARe
Print edition
Amazon | CreateSpace | B&N
The Book Depository
Next month I will be celebrating Keir's fourth book birthday and my fourth anniversary as a published author. It will also be my 23rd wedding anniversary. Together with seven other awesome SFR authors, we'll be holding the Blue Moon Blog Tour later in May for your entertainment! There'll be posts on the blue theme, and a rafflecopter giveaway including books and giftcards.
The Portals project is coming! If you stopped by to read Laurie's post yesterday, you'll know there's an exciting set of scifi romance volumes coming up - first chapters from a variety of authors in varying subgenres. Looking for love in an alternative world? Portals will take you there for free...

Back to my mountain of edits...

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Readying for the Shakedown Launch of my First Novel

MISSION SUCCESS
Fabulous February Triple Launch Update

Inherit the Stars

It appears (after just a teeny bit of panic and angst) that my third of the Fabulous February Triple Launch Party is on schedule and in route to the launch pad! I was able to complete the final edits (puff, puff!) and write the accompanying information sheets for all three parts, and ship everything off to my agent in the last two days. (Whew! *wipes sweaty forehead*)

As of now, it looks like we're a GO for the T-minus February 22 launch date for Inherit the Stars Part I: Flight.

Part II: The Network and Part III: Sacrifice are scheduled to launch just one week later on March 1st!

So needless to say, it's been a very busy couple of weeks! And as a debut author, I'm working through a lot of "firsts." I've had plenty of experience with critique partners, beta readers, and contest judges in the past, but this was my maiden voyage with a couple of honest-to-goodness editors.

I learned a lot from the experience and I so appreciate their professionalism and expertise, and everything they did to bring some of the subtler points out into the light and to refine my characters' thoughts, deeds, words and actions.

There are times the process can get a bit grueling, but I think the end product is going to be well worth the effort. It was a total education! My hats off to Paula Dooley who served as developmental editor, and Danielle Fine who was the line editor (as well as the cover artist for all of the fabulous covers).

I found this quote on Twitter that perfectly sums up my feelings:

I've also been sticking my toe into the cool waters of the promotion pond lately. (And hey, I have to admit, it's a blast to finally have something to promote!) Here are the links:

Farewell Andromeda Cover Reveal - The Galaxy Express

Why I Wrote This Book: Farewell Andromeda - Pauline Baird Jones Blogher

Farewell Andromeda Announcement - Jessica Subject's Mark of the Stars Blog

SFR with a Twist: Why Write a SFR Solely From the Male POV? - SFR Brigade Blog
Inherit the Stars being the subject of this one. It had a great follow-up discussion.

Inherit the Stars Exclusive Triple Cover Reveal - The Galaxy Express

This month, I'll also be joining a host of other SFR authors as a guest on Anna Hackett Books Blog for the Sci-Fi Romance Authors Month. My scheduled day is February 13th--the day before Valentine's Day! Here's the link to her site: http://annahackettbooks.com/blog

NEW BLURB

Last but certainly not least, here's the brand new shiny blurb for Inherit the Stars, just off the press and still smokin'! Thanks (again) to Paula Dooley for helping to put a very fine point on it!

To escape the merciless Ithian Alliance, Sair, a fugitive slave, makes a desperate deal with Drea Mennelsohn, captain of the prototype ship, Specter. But putting his life in the hands of a woman as mysterious as she is beguiling could turn out to be the biggest mistake of his life, especially when the price on his head begins to escalate.

The daring captain seems to want far more from Sair than just payment for his passage. Though neither can deny the sizzling chemistry and growing bond between them, Sair must soon make an agonizing decision: maintain his own longed-for freedom or become a helpless pawn in an intergalactic coup against a ruthless superpower.

As the truth behind Sair's place in the galaxy and Drea's unique existence are revealed, it becomes clear that they are vital to the success of the coup. But their part in ending the Ithian Alliance may come at a terrible price for Sair: the loss of the remarkable woman he has fallen in love with—and their chance to inherit the stars.

INHERIT THE STARS GETS A NAMESAKE

Along with all the excitement of the upcoming launch, we had an arrival back on January 10th in the form of a black Thoroughbred filly out of our Lion Heart mare, Soulful. This little girl has a star studded pedigree (Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Storm Cat, Stellar Jayne and Relaunch among them!) so I got this crazy idea.

"Wouldn't it be fun if..."

I filed a name claim with the American Jockey Club and two days later our name choice was approved.

So world, meet the OTHER Inherit the Stars. :)

This little girl has a big brother who will have an unofficial birthday (all Thoroughbreds officially turn a year older on January 1) TODAY,~~February 2nd!~~and just a day before the launch of the novel he was named after, Sharon's ECHO 8!

Here he is when he was Inherit the Star's age a little less than a year ago. And note the "falling asteroid" marking on his face that helped us decide on his name--along with being a grandson of Seattle (where the book is set) Slew, and having parents that are Diabolical and Soulful (which is how I'd describe the plot of this fantastic book).

Let me just shout that out again! The long-awaited ECHO 8 releases tomorrow! Don't miss this one!

To celebrate the naming of our new foal, I'm offering a chance to win a free copy of the complete Inherit the Stars e-novel (in other words, all three parts) gifted via Amazon to the first person who comments with the name of their favorite racehorse or the name of their favorite Science Fiction Romance novel in the comments below. We'll choose a winner next weekend and announce it here, so check back if you enter.

2014 SFR GALAXY AWARDS PRESENTED

The SFR Galaxy Awards were announced on Saturday, and there were a host of great winners this year. The presenters for these awards choose novels based on a wide variety of criteria, so it's a lot of fun and provides a showcase for some of the super diverse shiny-ness that is SFR. If you'd like to check out all the winners, click here: 2014 SFR Galaxy Awards

PING PONG

Pippa, kudos, congrats and high five on the shiny new cover for Keir! It's gorgeous, dynamic and it also fits the characters to a T! What a work of art. Squeeeee!

Congrats to both Sharon for this weeks release, and to Donna who is also revving up for her debut release on February 24th, in the form of the brilliant, past RWA(c) Golden Heart Award finalist, Earth-based SFR, Unchained Memory. (And yes, I've already warned her there may be a future foal who will be named after her Interstellar Rescue series!)

Have a great week, everyone!
~~~ * ~~~