New Year, New Writing Goals

Happy New Year, All! Hope this finds you well and enjoying the first month of 2018.

While I’ve never been a huge fan of resolutions, this year I made one with respect to my writing. Since I feel comfortable with my current series in that I believe I have many stories I could tell inside it, I’ve vowed to publish two books a year for the next three years. That will make a total of seven books in the Six of One series (Book 1 having been published last year), which seems appropriate. Now, of course, if readers find it and love it and want it to continue beyond seven, I can certainly forge ahead—but for now, I’m working with that number and have a rough mental guildline as to how the story will parcel itself out across them.

My plan is to publish Books 2 and 3 in 2018. Book 2 is already with my trusty editor and she is hopefully building a better bomb as we speak. While I wait, I’m writing the first chapters of Book 3. My publication date for Book 2 will be next month (Feb 2018), but I won’t know the actual day for sure until I have all my freelancer ducks in a row. There are multiple people involved with the production of a book, all of whom have their own schedules. This time, I’m working with my editor, a proofreader, a cover designer and a formatter (a few of these hats are being worn by one person, but they are still all different jobs and have different timelines). If everything goes as planned, I’d love to be ready to release on Valentine’s Day, but I’m good if it’s later. As long as it’s somewhere in February, I’ll still be on my planned schedule.

I’m shooting to have the third book out in September/October of 2018 and that book will complete the current “monster arc”. If you’re familiar with the series, my intrepid characters are now doing battle with a succubus hag and that drama will unfold across three books (the first included). While that arc will finish, the universe will continue with new monsters. My hope is that I can move the characters through their lives and loves while still keeping the spooky factor as their everyday norm. It’s a tricky task, but I’m up for it—and I’m having fun writing it. THAT, above all, is the main thing.

That three-year plan includes some other fun things that it’s too early to discuss, but I’m excited to have things in the hopper.

For now, I’m waiting for Book 2, which is subtitled Vendetta, to come back to me so I can make the needed changes and then send it to the proofreader. After that, I can get the cover done (which is the fun part) and then I start my planned promotional blitz to announce the release. Phew. Trust me, all I see in my mind are departing dollar signs, as for the time being I’m not making ANY money on the books. I’m so far in the red with outgoing expenses that it would take shit-tons of sales to break even, much less make a profit. But again, I’m hoping it will all be worth it in the end.

When is that mythical ‘end’? Who knows? For now, I’m just enjoying the process and having a wonderful time meeting the new readers that are finding me. So far, everyone is great and super helpful—no trolls as yet. But I know they’re out there; those social weirdos that take pleasure in tearing down independent artists. I’m sure my number will come up eventually, but I’ll throw myself off that bridge when I get to it. For now, everyone has been kind and supportive and cheering me on. Couldn’t ask for better.

So, with a copy of the penultimate teaser for Blackwing, I will get back to work. If you’ve made resolutions for the new year, I wish you great luck keeping them. Until next time ...