Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Well, another few months have gone by, and I've failed to post updates as often as I promised.  Go figure.  I seem to be overextending myself.  Between community theater, my day job, my DJ business, writing, editing, and participating in writing workshops, I seem to find myself sorely lacking in that most valuable of commodities: time.  That's why I'm seriously considering curtailing my theater work after my current show, to focus more on my writing.  We shall see. It's either that or my day job, which isn't likely unless I start selling a lot more books!

My marketing strategy is starting to come into focus, and I want to spread the word.  Things are going well, albeit slowly, with my works in progress.  The Door to Justice is trucking along, but some of it is kind of a mess with all the re-writes and tweaks I've been making.  But it's still on track to be released this year.  The Codex Chronicles outline is finished, and I've written rough drafts of several important scenes, but no complete chapters as of yet.  I'm tilting this one more toward middle grade readers, and that's new territory for me, but I feel like it's coming along well.

And I'm finally ready, I think, to reveal the mysterious non-fiction project I've been working on.  I've been reluctant to do so, because, well, I felt (and still feel, sort of) that it's a bit egotistical to write. But many people, from fellow writers to peers to colleagues to close friends, have been suggesting I do this for quite some time now.  I'm working on a non-fiction book about writing and publishing your first novel, from the perspective of an experienced novice.  Basically, my participation in various writing groups and the advice I give, from critiquing to editing to how to find an agent to how to select a cover artist, have convinced many in my growing circle that I know what I'm talking about.  I like to think that I do... I have done all the research and been through the process myself, and I've been someone people seek out with their industry questions despite the fact that my experience really only amounts to one self-published book so far.  In the end, their urging won me over.  Before I ever published that first book, I researched, learned, and sought advice from many professionals, and I think the knowledge I gained is more than enough to fill up a book.  I'm writing from the perspective of someone who's been through the process, instructing people who are just starting on their path.  I think that from that perspective, I do have valuable insights that I can pass along, even if I do still feel somewhat unqualified for the task.  And of course, if I don't think the finished product is valuable or worthwhile, I certainly won't publish it.  But I'm kind of excited about the project, my first foray into non-fiction.

Rocket Girl is currently on the back burner, as usual.  Not because I've lost interest in the project, but because I feel that in order to give Codex and Justice the attention they deserve, I can't spread myself so thin.  If I get Codex, Justice, and the non-fiction book out soon enough, I may have time to get Rocket Girl going before the year ends, but I don't think I can count on that.

And finally, a little bit about my marketing strategy.  I'm planning a big launch for the release of The Door to Justice, including some paid advertising as well as mobilizing my fans for word of mouth.  One of the big things that I'll be trying (assuming they accept me) is BookBub.  It's a little expensive, but my research has shown that it more often than not pays for itself, and not just monetarily.  So, when Justice is ready to be released, I'm hoping to time that up with a BookBub feature and sale for Canellin.  The hope is, of course, that sales of Canellin alone pay for the BookBub feature, and the increased exposure gets Justice off the ground on a high note.  That's just part of the overall plan, of course... I hope to also have a blog tour planned and in place for the release, as well as some other advertising, and I'm really trying to time some advance reviews to hit on the same day as well.

So that's where we stand, Gatehouse fans.  Thanks for sticking with me after all this silence!  I hope to have fresh news for you very soon!