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Monthly Archives October 2010
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Twitter Story – Week 11
October 30, 2010
Twitter Story, weekly round up -
"Yeah. Who’d you think had to do the fire assessment for Matt when he decided to bid for it?"
"You could’ve told me!" Jim snapped, and Jake waved a reproving finger at him.
"No I couldn’t. Professional confidentiality. Besides if you’re too dumb to check who actually won the auction, or actualy talk to your brother, or even look left at the huge grey nuclear bomber that you drove right passed -"
"Ok, ok." Jim went back to watching the old crop sprayer pilot scrubbing industriously at the paint, reflecting that his brother could be particularly annoying when he was right. "Who’s he planning to get to help him look after it?"
~The story updates daily at my twitter feed, under hashtag #vhfstr1.Read More -
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 isRead More
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Planning a book launch
October 27, 2010
book launch - With six weeks to go until the book is released, people have started asking the question that I was hoping to avoid:"So, when's your launch party?""I'll get back to you."The launch party appears to be a traditional part of a book launch now, with press, publisher, author, and possibly family, friends and vague acquaintances being invited. Since I am being published by a small press, I have to arrange my own. As someone with a life-long aversion to public speaking, large events, and media exposure this feels rather like being asked to pick the members of my firing squad. I have not even settled on a venue yet. Ideally I'd like a bookshop with a cafe, so they can handle the book selling part and I can get something to eat and drink. Unfortunately my local closed a few months ago, and IRead More
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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 onRead More
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Twitter Story – Week 10
October 23, 2010
Twitter Story, weekly round up -
It was true, Jim knew. He had deliberately avoided looking, since the last thing he had wanted was to watch Matt's planes when he had just lost the auction for his own. Turning the magnification up to full he surveyed the aircraft, the eight propellers gleaming before four engines. The faded grey livery showed that this was an old, old, lady, and yet she still looked ready to fly. As he looked along the wing he stifled a chuckle. Matt was already up on a stepladder with a bucket and cleaning supplies, attacking the grime on the grey surface. Then Jim suddenly realised –
"Hold on. That means you already knew I lost." Jim lowered the binoculars and gave his brother an accusing glare.
~The story updates daily at my twitter feed, under hashtag #vhfstr1.Read More -
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 winRead More -
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 layoutsRead More
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Quick Amazon Update
- The book's back up on Amazon, so search for the ISBN, author surname or title (sorted by publication date) and you can see it again. However I will admit to spending a very worried evening.My attempt at publicity materials are also underway, including a set of mini-bookmarks that should arrive later this week. The publisher is refining their press release and putting together a media kit.Fire Seasonon amazon.co.ukRead More
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The Rocky Road to Sales…
October 18, 2010
Promotion - Things are currently rather interesting. I'm in the middle of setting up my Amazon Author Central page which will be live in seven days, working on my Goodreads and Authorsden pages and generally trying to tell the world about my book. On Twiends I got a brief VIP feature which increased traffic to my Fire season lens significantly.The publisher spoke to Nielsen and the release date issue has been corrected. I will confirm here it is the 1st December 2010, not 1st November. Perhaps most worrying of all, in two days I should receive an ARC copy of my book for promotional purposes. It has a placeholder cover, but the internal text should be properly laid out.Things were looking good.This of course is when Amazon crashed this afternoon and lost my book page. The page still exists butRead More
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Twitter Story – Week 9
October 16, 2010
Twitter Story, weekly round up -
"Yep. Matt heard there was a plane up for sale, and you know what he’s like." Jake sounded rather pleased with himself. "Thought he’d get a gate guardian, and god knows he’s got the hanger space."
"He spent that much on a gate guardian?" Jim sounded incredulous and Jake sniggered.
"And what were you going to do with it? Tour flights?" Jim ignored him, lifting the binoculars to take a closer look. The markings were all still in place, and he knew without a doubt that this was his aircraft - even if he now had to accept it was Matt’s.
"How?" he asked quietly, slightly stunned.
"She arrived this morning. You must've been too busy sulking to notice or you'd have seen her when we drove passed."
~The story updates daily at my twitter feed, under hashtagRead More