Category Uncategorized

Reviews!

November 12, 2010 Uncategorized

This was going to be a post about the difficulties of promotion when you're an author with a small press, since the channels for established publishers assume you are self-publishing and the ones for self-publishers assume you are with a company and have unfair advantages. I'll put this post up another time, however, since I actually have a few updates on the book.The book trailer has been accepted for YouGottaRead's trailer contest for January, so I'll probably be Tweeting a lot about that when it occurs.My publisher let me know that the Nielsen feed has updated with cover and distribution details, so the book is available to be ordered Sale or Return from just about every bookshop in the country.Clover Hill Book Reviews took an ARC earlier this year and kindly got back to me with two

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Cover Image!

November 8, 2010 Uncategorized

Last week I was told the publisher had received a copy of the final artwork from Barry Weekley. This week I got my final cover layout. The "furniture" like author name and publisher logo are still being adjusted, but this is apparently pretty much what the front is going to look like. The back? Well as I hoped it's a wrap-around cover and the image continues on the back. What is on the back won't be a surprise to anyone who followed my story on Twitter, or anyone who's seen the lens.I have to say, I rather like it. It certainly stands out.

Pre-order Fire Season from Amazon.co.uk

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Twitter Story

November 6, 2010 Uncategorized

As the story nears its end, the final round up will be tomorrow. Happy Bonfire Night, and stay safe!

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A Goodreads giveaway

November 2, 2010 Uncategorized

The Goodreads Giveaway complete yesterday and I sent the books off this morning.I'll admit I have doubts about sending out proof copies. After all these aren't the finished copies so complaints about justification, or the cover art, would be somewhat unfair. However this appears to be standard practice in publishing, so I'll follow my publisher's lead and keep my fingers crossed for good reviews.On more hopeful news the lens about my book, http://www.squidoo.com/FireSeason, will be one of the featured lenses for their Books cateory until the second of December. That should build some interest. An advertising campaign targeted to specialist interesed parties, will also kick off later this month.In some ways I feel as if this is getting away from me a bit. When I started I was expecting a

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Making Steady Progress

October 28, 2010 Uncategorized

For anyone interested in the Goodreads giveaway these are examples of the uncorrected proofs/ARCS that are being dispatched. In fact, two of them probably are the copies that will be sent out. It's been a very busy day. It started with dispatching some advance copies to reviewers, and hearing that the first batch the publisher had sent out had already arrived.Then the first set of test bookmarks I'd designed for Fire Season arrived in the post, and I set up an order details page to go with the media kit. I dropped a note to some potential advertisers, who came back to me the same day and were very nice about arranging to put my ad up around the time the book is coming out.Then I was shown the first tests of the actual cover, not the placeholder used for the ARCs. The artist is

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Cover Artist

October 25, 2010 Uncategorized

The ARC copies have gone out for review with a placeholder cover. Much as I liked seeing them, I can't wait for the actual book with the full cover.The cover art for Fire Season is being done by Barry Weekley, a noted aviation artist. With an outstanding gallery, including a number of other book covers, to his name I find myself worried that my book won't live up to its cover.Unfortunately, like most authors, I didn't get much of a say in the cover art. After a few discussions in which I gave some ideas, I am left to see what the publisher and artist come up with. I do know it's supposed to be a wrap-around image, so to see the full picture you'll need to open the book flat.Barry Weekley has his own book of aviation art out, "The Aviation Art of Barry Weekley" which you can see on

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ARC giveaway

October 21, 2010 Uncategorized

My publisher just let me know I am getting more ARCs than expected. As a result, I have put two of the extras on Goodreads as a giveway.These are uncorrected proofs from a digital press, and have placeholder covers, so they don't entirely represent the finished item. On the other hand, if you are following VHFstr1, they are your chance to avoid waiting until December to read the rest. Reviews are not mandantory, but definitely appreciated.Here's the details:Goodreads Book GiveawayFire Seasonby V.H. Folland

Giveaway ends November 01, 2010.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

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ARC Copies recieved!

October 20, 2010 Uncategorized

This morning brought a very welcome package: my first Arc copies.To get the issues out of the way first: There are a few issues with the positioning which the publisher wants to adjust, and a sheet of final corrections they want made to the manuscript after seeing it laid out in the proof. They are digital proofs for the printrun, with place holder covers and the almost too-white pages from a digital press. None of this changes the fact they are also the first copies of my book in print, and if I may say so they look really good. I've also got a few extra copies in the post from layout testing. Since the publisher no longer needed them I've snaffled them for PR, and possibly early reviews.It seems very final in a way. Even if the books are hardly the finished product, looking at layouts

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FOYLES!

October 11, 2010 Uncategorized

Without yelling, may I just say that as I typed the last update I got news that the book is now available for pre-order.Fire Season can be preordered from the Foyles website. I am rather chuffed that my little book is available from the largest independant bookstore in the country.The only problem is the release date is listed as 1st November, not 1st December. The publisher is talking to Neilsen to get that fixed. To be honest, I'm just happy to see it up there. Here's the link:Pre-order from Foyles

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ISBN’s registered – promotion underway

October 8, 2010 Uncategorized

Well, the book's been through Neilsen and it now has a ISBN. The e-books are taking slightly longer as they apparently go through "Pubweb". My publisher has previously only allocated ISBNs to print books, so they're sorting out registration, but it all takes time.On Monday, once the ISBN has propagated through to Neilsen's feed, the publisher will be chasing print distribution. Ideally I'd love to get it in Waterstones and WHSmiths, but I'm a realist and while they work on large scale distribution I'll be begging my local book store owners. At least I'm already a good - read, frequent - customer!I did mention I'd been in publishing before, just not writing novels. If you do ever end up in this situation, I will say that dropping off a copy of your book, a press pack, and the name of a

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