July 2020 Update

Phew! July is intense, right? I imagine if I broke it down by hour it may be one of the months I’ve actually spent the least amount of time writing this year, but I have so many things bubbling away...

Edits

The first round of edits from my editor Charlie Knight were really positive, with no major changes but a few gaps to patch. Charlie did a really great job of picking out things that didn’t track and giving me clear and constructive feedback. One of my concerns getting an editor was that as a fairly new author my voice may not yet be developed enough to stand up under that kind of scrutiny, but Charlie has done a spectacular job of helping me amplify and enhance my style, rather than quiet or change it. I’m now more excited than ever to share this story with you all! It’s back with Charlie now for the next round of edits, then hopefully straight into prof reading and then your lovely paws.

You can find Charlie's website at: http://cknightwrites.com

Or follow them on Twitter on: @CKnightWrites

Cover

Poor sweet beautiful Dean Cole.

All that talent, and he has to spend his days trying to coax me into being clear exactly what I want my cover to look like. Amazingly, he has succeeded in sending me an incredible cover idea that I am really excited about. My pesky neurodivergent brain finds imagining visual things from scratch extremely difficult, so Dean cleverly got me to give my opinion on lots of other covers and discuss the themes and setting of my story to generate a few different options until we found something that really felt right. I can’t wait!

You can check out Deans work at: https://deancolebooks.com

Follow him on Twitter on: @DeanColeWriter

And I would also recommend reading his fantastic book, Chasing Ghosts, available on Amazon in the US at: https://amzn.to/2Ux3RYz

and in the UK on: https://amzn.to/3cSSU9U

Release Date

Everything is on track for Halloween release. Spoopy.

Pre-Order & Goodies

I am currently looking into putting together a little swag bag including some fun tut for people who pre-order my book. This will include things like a postcard featuring art from the book, an original sticker, and maybe a special bookmark. Currently I’m planning to go up for pre-order with cover reveal in September.

Secret Stories

Another thing I’m working on is putting together a series of short stories that I was inspired to write from the universe of my book. They are all rather grim and macabre, but a fun insight into the mysterious terrors that we do not see every day. I am hoping that this will be finished soon and can be included as part of the pre-order goodies.

Bookings

I have booked in for an author interview and review with Rue Sparks. I’ve had a good look through Rue's website and was really impressed with their professional approach and content. I loved the ratings system stepping away from ‘stars’ and toward more unique rankings that really say a lot more about the stories. I’ve got my first round of questions sitting in my inbox and am slowly picking my way through them without trying to yammer too much. The thing I’m most nervous about, of course, is the headshot; so, we’ve all got that awkwardness to look forward to.

Check out Rue's website at: https://ruesparks.com

or follow them on Twitter on: @sparks_writes

Blogging

I’m going to aim to blog twice a month, once with updates like this, and a second time with either some extra thoughts or fiction.

Business

On of the obstacles I am dreading dealing with, is managing my accounts for selling my book. I already work full time and having an additional income from writing and the impact that has on my dealings with the tax office is something I really need to learn and understand. I have got an appointment next week with an accountant to hopefully explain to me how I am supposed to manage whatever pennies come in to me from my writing! This is something that I have found difficult, and I have found little guidance on for people from the UK so I will be sure to share what I learn here.

Other things

I have a few other things that I am juggling right now, personal and professional. Between that and writing, my days (and my brain) are definitely full up! Add on top of that figuring out how to navigate KDP, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads author accounts, sales pages on my website and all the rest and I’m definitely feeling a holiday coming on.

That’s about it for new information for the month. I hope you are all staying well, washing your hands and wearing those masks!