October update…
I can now answer the question: Will I be ready to publish The Spinner’s Game quint at Christmas? No.
So what’s left to do?
copyright: Lauren Willmore
Editing (a deep-down word-by-word polish)
copyright: Lauren Willmore
Books One and Two – The Spinner’s Child and Lake of Dreams – are done. Yay! I am now working on Book Three – The Pole That Threads; I’m about a quarter way through.
I performed the deep-down editing on Book Four – Lady of First Making – while attending revisions and rewrites, but I’ll give it another read-through to be sure.
All of which will deliver me to the end of November.
Book Five (Asaric Sins, working title)
I hope by the end of November to have the last of the betas and critiques back for Book Five, so I can do the rewrites and revisions, and that final edit. This will take me into the New Year.
Twiddly Bits
In the meantime – in those micro-minutes between one thing and another – I hope to write the legal bits for the Front Matter and the acknowledgements for the End Matter. Regards that, I’ll be in touch with you, my hardworking and loyal betas to ask what form you’d like your mention: simple first name, full name, name with website, occupation etc. You’ve all done me proud, and I’m more than happy to take this opportunity to promote your own work. Kindle e-books allow links to website… so let’s go for it.
Graphics
Book Two – Lake of Dreams – needs two graphic inserts. So that’s to be done. And Books One and Three – The Spinner’s Child and The Pole That Threads require maps. As does Book Five – Asaric Sins, working title. So, to venture into map-making apps… can you hear my toes curling and me softly squealing? I love maps.
The Supplement Giveaway
I’ve pondered long on this: whether to include it, and if so when? At the moment, my idea is to offer it with Pre-Orders, which I’m thinking will cover the period from Christmas to the Press-the-Button date.
This will include updated and repackaged supplementary material from the far-off days of posting The Spinner’s Game on my Feast Fables blog (no longer available). These were more by way of outpourings from the writer’s mind than anything you might expect from the oft-found Glossary and/or Appendix in High Fantasy books, though a few definitions might be included, and readers’ questions anticipated.
Q: What is a copi?
Q: The Spinner’s Game is Low Fantasy, so where in this world is it set?
I might also include some of the fables that didn’t make the final cut. It’s still in the planning stage, still in my head.
So, as you can see, there’s still much to be done. But it’s good practice to set a Press-the-Button date, even if it has to be changed. And if changed, I hope that’s to an earlier date.
The Press-the-Button Date
In The Spinner’s Child, Kerrid is kicked into the story-world the day before she and her clan are due to journey upriver for the annual gathering of clans. And so too I’m using that date to publish the story. March 21st, the Vernal Equinox. That allows me another six months. Phew! I have space to breathe. And to request and gather those essential reviews… 🙂
Note: I’m hoping to open for Pre-Orders from Christmas onwards.
And again, my thanks go to those wonderful beta readers who have stayed with me throughout this period who, I’m sure, must be wondering if these books will every be published. Yes, they will. But five books isn’t one book.
And that’s all for now folks. The next e-book update will be… Sunday 3rd November.
crispina kemp 
This is all so exciting. The girl who is doing your covers is amazing. Even if I didn’t know you, I would be drawn to the covers of the books. Keep keeping us posted!
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I’ll pass your words onto Lauren. She’s my critique partner. And I shall, indeed, keep you posted. I just wish I was nearer to publishing. It all takes so long. There’s more involved than just the writing, or the editing, both of which I’m happy to do 24/7
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You wrote for yourself.
That took ages.
You weren’t going to publish.
You decided to blog.
That took ages. (I know, to the moment.)
You decided to publish.
That was supposed to happen instantaneously, I gather.
But see: you have covers you like.
You have beta readers to be grateful to, and you haven’t even killed any.
Now, THAT demonstrates patience and forbearance. Or maybe just lack of opportunity and means. I’m going to assume the better of the two.
And you blessed sound as if you’re happier with the text. Admittedly, that could just be the result of eating some berries you shouldn’t have, and becoming a bit wild. But we’ll assume the best.
Because we want the best – from you – for you.
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Brian, that’s really sweet of you. I thank you. And I know you know the full story, cos you were there from the first posting, every word of it read, twice. That’s what I call a loyal following.
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I love those words and especially the last line….and maybe not being killed as the slowest Beta!!
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You’re not entirely the slowest, Judy. And I have known you to binge read and send your returns zip-quick.
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Oh good, you’ve assuaged my guilt ever so slightly.
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We all have lives. Mine happens to be buried in this book. But you betas aren’t invested in the same way. Family, career, vacations, celebrations… all have their call on you. Me, I write on Christmas Day (in the evening, after my daughter goes home)
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I have utmost admiration for the consistency it does take to be a writer and the amount of detail to make you care about characters and build a visual world for the reader to visit and believe while they are there. It takes true craftsmanship to accomplish this. You do this well as there are times I think of your characters real time. The other day I was thinking of something and popped in an Ypsi adjective..bruisingly, I think. Or what adjective would he use? I had to laugh.
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Oh, Ypsi-isms. I had great fun creating them. Blisteringly good fun, it was, blistering.
Yea, those characters remain in my head. And they told to me, affect how I see things.
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You have competition for slowest beta, Judy. Not that Crispina will shame anyone by so identifying them in public.
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I never will shame my betas. I value you far too much.
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Kind of sad for you that the books won’t be ready by Christmas, but the spring Equinox just feels like a ‘right’ time to publish, both for you and for Kerrid and the books. And Brian’s right – it feels as if you’re very content with the way things are (aside from wanting them to happen more quickly!) so it will all be for the best. I’ve said this before, but Lauren has created some stunning covers for you – so professional – and they will help sell your books and get them the attention they deserve. Closer to the time if you want any help (author interview, guest blog post on Word Shamble) just let me know. Anything I can do to help you promote x
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Thanks, Lynn, I shall take you up on that. That’s one reason I don’t want to try to gallop along that last stretch; promotion, marketing, so important, it can’t be rushed. Plus the supplement I’ve still to do… still to get the head around. And Lauren’s in agreement that the equinox is a good time to launch. Full of symbolism. Brian is right in the long evolution of this project; back in 2006-2007 when I put first finger to key to tell a story about a girl who lived amongst *gardeners* one side of the lake, and a lad who lived with hunters on the other side, my working title was In The Beginning. So, apt to chose the equinox, beginning of the zodical year.
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It does feel right. And when the time comes, it will be a plesure to help 🙂
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I thank you for the offer, Lynn. We Plot Bunnies must support each other…. 🙂
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We certainly must 🙂
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I smile large at this 🙂
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And I will, of course, be putting my pre order in when it goes lives 🙂
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Thank you, Lynn. It’s good to have the support of fellow writers and friends.
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My pleasure 🙂
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Oops, clicked send too soon
I was to add, that you know you’ll have that support from me when your time comes
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Thank you
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🙂
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Getting so close! You can just taste it, can’t you? Good luck, and I’m looking forward to the set!
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Thanks. I’m amazed at my patience. I sat down last week and listed everything I still had to do. And now I’ve a noticeboard above the desk with index cards and postit notes to keep me running and on track.
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Nice! Good luck with plowing through!
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Thanks. I would say *shoulder to the ard* but that’s not quite how it works. How about, *fit snug in the collar and steadily push*. Sorry, agricultural imagery here.
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I’d love to read them at some point.
Are they being published online?
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I’m publishing as kindles and pods, via Amazon. Watch this space. You can be sure I shall announce it!
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I’d love to find out one day how people publish books online.
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Hey, you slipped into my spam-bin. Probably because of that phrase *I’d love to find out*. I’ve noticed a lot of the spams begin like that.
How to publish online. Well, there are several sites that will turn a word.docx or pdf into an e-pub. Some will also handle the sales. I shall be using Amazon, to produce books for Kindle, but also print-on-demand paperbacks, cos not everyone has a Reader.
My shortest answer is to direct you to YouTube and query *How to publish an e-book*. You’ll find loads of videos.
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Thanks.
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🙂
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Well, I was thinking Christmas too, but then that is only from the perspective of ease of gifting and not for a sense of rightness to the tales themselves. And the Spring Equinox sounds pretty perfect. After all Kerrid spent a lot of time reading the heavens and studying the timing of celestial events such as eclipses. A release when day and night, light and dark are equal seems fitting for a story with such dualities as crime and punishment, mortal and immortal, and of course light and dark.
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I cogitated for a long long time. When would be best? And Equinox just, as you say… as everyone says… feels right.
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I wouldn’t have minded the Vernal Equinox though….of 2019 I mean not 2020!! 🙂
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Yea, wouldn’t that be nice. I was still working on Books 3 & 4.
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I think because of today’s online publishing and print on demand facility, that it would be easy for an author to pull the trigger prematurely before the details have been properly addressed. Even though creative people tend to be less happy with their work product than their readers or viewers, it is still best to let things percolate until the brew is just right!! Pass it around twice and it will be ready for the web!!
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Yea, I think Brian summed it up well. The Spinner’s Game has had a very long infancy. But there’s still a desire to go over the text one more time. I might have one comma too many. Or did I use a colon when it should have been a semi. And yesterday I changed the spelling of a name (Eld Frielsen, I added an -e-, it’s now Elde). And I’ve changed the tskt that I favoured, to the more normal tut. There is no end to the edit process.
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Just remember anyone can be a technician, but not everyone can create a tangible world to visit. You have done the hard part as well as the technical part not to worry. I assumed Eld was a shortened form of the authority respect for Elder. Elde sounds more like a name in which you’d pronounce the e. Guess I’m vested in Eld. LOL!! And you could mix the tsk’s and tut’s I suppose. Just looked it up. Tut is an expression of disapproval and tsk is an exclamation of disapproval. One site has both as a sound expressing commiseration or disapproval. I guess they are pretty fungible and maybe whichever rolls off the tongue best. Don’t agonize too much, its already great. 🙂
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It comes from using Microsoft George to read my text. I’ve found it the best way to pick up on missing words and typos and just the rhythm and pace of a piece. But George is geared towards a southern European pronounciation. Thus he pronounces Meret as Merey, and he does something real weird with Aldhe. That h is really a feature. Which it should be, but very few English speakers would sound it. Anyway, there are two words that Microsoft George can’t handle. Eld. Which he spells out. And Tskt, which he spells out. And on both occasions it breaks the flow.
Now, I’m thinking, if a reader were to put the book on similar read aloud facility (kindles do have such, my windows app has it, but my bottom of the range cheapest of cheap readers doesn’t) then how much better if their Read Aloud Reader can handle it. So, done with visually impaired people in mind.
But amazes me is that George doesn’t have a problem with my constructed languages (Bk 3), even though it’s a real tongue-tripper.
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That is amazing.Wow, this is an area I would have overlooked, what an automated digital reader would pronounce. I am used to my digital caption phone but it doesn’t talk to me it only puts audio into text. So does it pronounce Elde as Eld? I have say I like it sounding Eld.
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Yea. Elde Frielsen is said as Eld Frielsen. There are a few ofter oddities. It contracts words. I tell you, it’s a cross twixt French and Spanish. It says Splin instead of Spelan, and Beggar instead of Barega. And the stress falls in the wrong place on Gimmerin. But that doesn’t matter. It mattered that it voice kept spelling it out The E.L.D…. it really spoiled the smoothness of text. It had to change it. So yes, it still sounds the same.
There are two other Microsoft voices, Hazel and Susan, but I find the higher female tone abrasive, while George has a nice deep sexy voice
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Yeah if these audio devices are a must then it is right to put that into consideration. Lynda did an audio book and engaged someone to read it for the audio version but I guess that is a different thing. You are relying on something automated. What a new world this all really is.
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In time I shall look into audio books. But first to see how it does. I have at least looked at the possibility. But if you’ve going halfs on the profits, the reader might want to be fairly sure it’s going to be worth their while. 🙂
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I just realized I screwed up that comment as I meant Autumnal Equinox..this just past September….
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Oh. Well, it could be been welcome, but it wouldn’t have fitted so well symbolically. I just have to wait. The extension gives me breathing space. And I’m also getting my head around the next e-pub project. I want to be fairly speedy in the follow-up.
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Definitely Spring sounds great. I am just being over anxious. The next question will your release schedule or timing between books for releasing them. I am always happy to find series books already written so I don’t have to wait a year between them. I can go at my own pace.
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My thought is to release all five together. It’s a five-part book, rather than a five-part series. But then some of the betas have suggested publishing the first three, then the other two about a month later. But, I’ll probably do all 5 together. I know that’s how I’d prefer to buy them.
And the next one is also part of the Asaric tales, but isn’t part of the Spinner’s Game. In fact, it’s almost 100% different. It has some of the same characters. The hope is to catch those who were interested, but were put off by the milieu. Then when they read this next one, ah-ha, maybe we will go back and buy that. I’m talking about *Neve*. Remember that? I posted it on crimsonprose while posting *Feast Fables* in Feast Fables.
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Right, I loved Neve even without having read the rest. Though I would understand better now and look forward to what you prepare as you ready for that one.
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I shall be asking for betas in the New Year. I’m going to put it out under the name of Bellinn Road, which was it’s original title.
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I like the title…do you pronounce it Belleen Road or Bell-in Road? I could see either way.
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Bell-in. It comes from the Old Dane word for a trickster. But Neve equates it with *The Beautiful People* i.e. hippies
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