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My Debut Novel
I've been giving a lot of thought about my debut novel. True, I've published short stories, novelettes, and novellas, but so far, I don't have a novel-length work out there, even though I've written drafts for four novels.
I've worked with publishers before and have had good and bad experiences with them. The worst was the publisher who shall not be named who ended up scamming all of us and taking our money earned. The best gave me rounds of editing that I sorely needed and taught me a lot about editing in general.
As for marketing, I've found with most publishers I'm still going to have to do a lot of it on my own.
But I also have enjoyed self-publishing. I enjoy searching for covers. I enjoy formatting and even plan to learn how to format the hard way for Men of Foxwick. I've enjoyed the control over my product. Of course, it's also hard because everything is on you--for good or bad.
When it came to publishing a novel, I was at a crossroads. I could see the benefits of both sides. But did I want to give up control? The thought twisted my stomach into knots the more I thought about it. There's a ton of things I won't sign in a contract, and frankly, I don't think most publishers would be willing to make the changes either. Should I submit just to perhaps waste both our times, if a deal couldn't be reached?
I kept going back and forth, but in the end, I've decided I want to be in charge and self-publish my novels too for now. So I'm officially announcing that Reborn, Book One of The Fate Challenges (YA Epic Fantasy), will be released on May 23, 2014.
I will need a lot of help with the promotion, so if you'd like to help me out, then please click here to sign up. I know it's still a ways off, but the more preparation now will help make it easier in the future. Or so I hope.
By the way, Reborn is the new title for The Phoenix Prophetess and the trilogy is now called The Fate Challenges, instead of The Phoenix Trilogy.
Yes, 2014, a tad over a year away. Why so long? Well, it's my debut novel. I want to take the proper amount of time I need to make it the best it can be. It'll also give me time to write books two and three and have them in editing stages by the time book one comes out. Plus, I need to find a cover artist for it (what I have in mind is beyond my meager skills) as well as a map artist. These things, along with marketing, take time, and I want to give me the most time possible. As for May 23, for you non-Amorans, May 23--also known as 23 of Inasham--is the day of the sixth Phoenix Prophetess's birth (i.e. Yssa, the main character of the trilogy). It seemed fitting that the day of her birth should be the day the novel releases.
So, there you have it. My debut novel releases in just over a year. I better get to work.
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