Category Uncategorized

Book trailer beta up!

October 6, 2010 Uncategorized

Live on Youtube for a limited time, and featuring all the changes I got from my first round of feedback.If you'd like to get a preview of the book trailer, here's the link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RukHTHHc7KkFeedback is, as always, welcome. It is still a beta release.What's missing for now? ISBN, release date and cover art. A full version with these will be released once the book proofs come through. What it has that I haven't announced yet? The new title. It's amazing how much fuss can be made over such a small change.

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ISBNs

October 1, 2010 Uncategorized

I've just been told that my books ISBNs have been filed with Neilsen. This means it is actually going to be coming out. The publisher's started talking to distributors, and I've got details for at least one competition they want to submit it to.If anyone following the blog is interested in an ARC copy, please let me know!

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Publication details

September 22, 2010 Uncategorized

After all the ups and downs the book is coming out. With the contract in place, I find myself very nervous.In summary the book is being released as:mass market paperbackplanned R.R.P. £6.99with a Kindle edition.The title is under revision, but a new working title has been decided on and cover art is in production. The trailers and teaser trailers will be coming out soon, as will a press release. The publisher is talking to distributors and pre-orders will be available soon - probably with the first teaser trailer.Bound galleys and electronic ARCs are available - drop me a note if you are interested, either by email or through the blog.Personally I'm amazed it's coming out, terrified something will go wrong again, and trying very hard to get used to refering to my book as something other

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Decision time.

September 17, 2010 Uncategorized

For the second time this year I am looking at a publishing contract for the book. This time it's completely transparent: release date, print run size, promotion, distribution, etc. All the details are there.And I find myself just looking at it. After accepting a release once already, I find myself wondering if there are any catches, any issues not covered by the contract, that are going to spring up. Even worse, I think I've lost confidence in the book.The downside? No advance, limited book store distribution, a publisher new to the field, and I'd be doing most of my publicity, promotion and marketing myself.The upside? A print run, better royalties, pre-orders, bookstore distribution, and some marketing support, as well as review copies going out.I just feel very drained. After all the

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Everything’s up in the air

August 24, 2010 Uncategorized

It is very difficult to give a blog update now, because I can't go into detail until things are signed. The book was submitted to the connection I mentioned in a previous update, but frankly I am getting impatient. I can hold out for the best deal, or settle for getting it into print and into a position where I can capitalise on the marketing and distribution that has been on hold. The second option is getting very tempting.My fallback option gives me review copies, distribution, a print run, set release date and pre-orders, (and options on a second book ) so to be honest I wouldn't exactly lose out. The problem is that I want to get back to writing, not worrying about this sort of thing. Hope you're enjoying the Twitter story!

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Decisions, decisions

August 20, 2010 Uncategorized

I have a decision to make. I was going to go with the other publisher I mentioned. However through trade connections they've encountered a mainstream publisher who is currently accepting submissions and may well be interested.As they put it, if I submit and it doesn't get picked up they will still be here and wanting to publish. If it does, then a publisher who actually works in the right field can do a lot more with it. The back-up publisher still wants certain spin-off rights to do with their field, and I'd have no problems negotiating with them on that. They would benefit if it was picked up by a large company as it's more exposure for their spin-off.The problem? Time. It takes months for a publisher to get back with a reply, and I am seriously not sure I want to wait when I have a

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Twitter terror

August 13, 2010 Uncategorized

This is surprising. I have books in print under pen names. I've had good and bad reviews over the years. I've worked in media and I know about rough audiences. I've been in this business for over ten years. I'm a member of the Society of Authors. My work has a fan club.So why am I absolutely terrified at the prospect of putting one of my stories up on Twitter?I keep sitting here, staring at the nicely set up system with all the ordered tweets, and wondering if I should simply delete the lot. Part of the problem is that to get it onto Twitter the story has suffered severe cuts from the full version. Another part is that using Twitter like this is a new format - at least for me.On the other hand, it's been planned for months and the story has been edited and beta approved. How do you tell

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Trailers and twitter

August 10, 2010 Uncategorized

The trailer got its first revision (thank to ruadh and kia for their feedback on the proboard) and the new version is currently available through Youtube. Drop me a note if you want the link.The twitter story is now in 82 discrete tweets with a hashtag allocated and space to retweet. I just need my betas to confirm it makes sense in the new format, and I'll start sending it out.Other than that, there are currently discussions underway with a distributor. They were interested when it was with Bewrite, so rather typically of my wrong-way-round approach first I got a publisher before an agent, and now I have a distributor before I have a publisher!On the publishing front things are moving along, but I can't say anything more. However if things go as planned, and in publishing they rarely do,

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Things coming up

August 3, 2010 Uncategorized

Things coming up about Firestorm:1) A short story to be released on twitter and through the blogs, from the suggested anthology.2) A discussion of cover artwork.3) An announcement about publication. I will say now I have not heard from the mainstream publisher, just so you know it's not them.4) An announcement about pre-orders.5) Talks about distribution are underway, and whether the book gets an overseas release or just UK.Please remember for all of this, no contracts have been signed yet since we are still talking terms and the people on both sides want to get this right first time.

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A companion volume

July 26, 2010 Uncategorized

While there is no news on Firestorm, there has been one development I can share. As I mentioned, one of the items in the offing was the possibility of an anthology of short stories.Over the weekend, this got discussed in some detail. As anthologies rarely draw much attention, the current suggestion is that the anthology will be a POD and eBook release only. It would be a selection of stories set in and around Brooke's Vale, broadening the background of the characters and giving more information on the setting. There is even a title under consideration.So I am sitting down and penning short stories about my characters. To be honest, it makes me a lot more hopeful that Firestorm will get a good release.

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