My Weekly Update – New Stuff

Published on January 6, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle5 Comments

New Memories

My favorite thing about the holiday season is creating new memories with my family. I haven’t had the chance to do that for a couple of years, so this year was extra special. I met some of the new additions to the extended family. I reconnected with some old friends and bonded with my nephews over, japenese anime, Jake the Pirate and Angry Bird Star Wars Edition Board Game.

Coolest Game Ever and no electricity or batteries needed.

I hope you had a great holiday full of new beginnings.

Awards

Thanks to Amanda for another star. I appreciate it so much. I know we are done with 2012, but it’s nice to still be recognized.

New Post to Praise

The 5 Big Pop Culture Moments I Can’t Wait for in 2013 by Andrew at SparklyPretty Briiiight. Thought you might want to see what to look forward to in 2013. Personally, I can’t wait to see Pink in concert.

12 Tips for Recovering from Writing Burnout by Jami Gold. Jami provided some great tips in order to get back to productive writing.

Words and Phrases that Must be Banned by C.T. Westing. Well C.T., spoiler alert, passion is trending this year in my life. YOLO. 😉

Regrets, Resolutions and Revolutions by A.M. Schultz. A.M. hasn’t posted much lately, but when he does, he has something to say. Most importantly, he has no regrets.

New Followers

Charles Henry Editing Blog

W.J. Rodriguez: writer-at-large

Finazzo380

Susan at Women Making Strides – love that title.

Dream 1 Dancer

Next Week’s Schedule

The Peasant’s Revolt Flashback Blog Hop begins today. There is still time to sign up. Click on the link below to sign up and come back on Friday for my Flashback Post. Congrat’s again to the 1 year anniversary of www.scotzig.com.

Fall in love with The Sullivans Blog Tour beginnings today. They are still looking for host, if you want to participate, click on the badge for more information.

Cephrael Blog Tour – My Take on Magic Systems by Melissa McPhail

Published on January 3, 2013January 2, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle2 Comments

Please enjoy this guest post by Melissa McPhail, author of the spellbinding epic fantasy, Cephrael’s Hand. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

My Take on Magic Systems

A guest post by Melissa McPhail

One of the most enticing aspects of writing fantasy is developing a magic system. The author’s magic system is inextricably woven into their world and contributes greatly to the reader’s vision of the world overall. The way a system is created either makes the world seem real or unreal, depending on how well the author has grounded the system with laws and limitations.

For example, scientists in our own world have defined laws—inertia, gravity, the periodic table—that describe the physical limitations and properties of energy. We don’t expect a stone to rise upwards when we throw it, but we might believe it could float if it were somehow made of helium. Likewise in a fantasy world, it’s important to codify the system with laws and rules (and to stick to those rules once established), to set boundaries for what the magician can and cannot do with magic, and to establish consequences for and ramifications of magical misuse.

This all shows that magic systems require significant thought and research on the author’s part to develop realistically. Yet for all of this, the manner in which one might design and describe the magical process is potentially limitless—there are as many magical systems as there are fantasy novels, and equally as many readers eager to pontificate on their pros and cons and/or to organize the systems into categories and types.

The one thing most magic systems have in common, however, is that they all handle energy. Whether that energy is spiritual, omnipotent, corporeal, or derives from physical objects or living things, the working of arcane arts surrounds the manipulation of energy.

I designed the magic in Cephrael’s Hand based on scientists’ existing understanding of electrical fields. The process of thought has been scientifically proven to produce energy, and human bodies are known to generate electrical fields. For the magic in Alorin, I proposed that all living things produce a metaphysical energy which is formless but which flows across the world in natural currents. This energy is called elae. This is the energy a magician of Alorin uses to produce arcane workings. How he does this is the creative part.

In Cephrael’s Hand, all things are formed of patterns. A single leaf derives its pattern from the larger pattern of its motherly oak. The snowflake harbors the pattern of a storm. Rivers form patterns that mimic the pattern of the world, and a living man harbors within him the pattern of his immortality. These inherent patterns collect and compel energy (elae) toward a certain purpose—growth, action, states of change.

To compel energy, a magician of Alorin (called a wielder) must learn to first identify and then usurp control over the pattern of a thing in order to command it. This is a laborious process requiring a lifetime of study.

Unlike wielders, the Adepts in Cephrael’s Hand are born with the ability to manipulate certain patterns. Adept Healers can see creation patterns (life patterns) and mend them where they’ve become frayed. Truthreaders can hear certain thoughts and read minds to see what a man saw versus what he says he saw. Nodefinders have the ability to move long distances with a single step by traveling on the pattern of the world. And Wildlings tap into a variant aspect of the lifeforce called elae to shapeshift or even skip through time, among other intriguing talents. The last type of Adept can sense the patterns of nonliving things—stone, air, water, fire, etc.—and use those patterns to compel the elements themselves.

Adepts are limited by nature of their birth—they can only inherently work one category of patterns. They are limited by their training, their inherent intelligence, talent and ability. And of course, like us in real life, they are limited by their own vision of their capabilities.

Above all of these limitations, we find Adepts limited by “Balance.” The concept of Balance draws from my studies of Eastern philosophies. It is the high governing force, the yen and yang, karma, cause and effect, fate. It’s as esoteric and arcane as these concepts imply. How far can the Balance be pushed in one direction without lashing back at the wielder? Which actions stretch it and which ones defy it? Balance is a complex and complicated subject—as difficult to define as our own world’s myriad competing religions. The only real agreement on the subject of Balance is that all magical workings stretch the Balance to some degree. Understanding how far they can be stretched without snapping is central to survival in the arcane arts.

The concept of Balance provides, well, the “balancing” force to all magical workings in Cephrael’s Hand and is central to its plot. You see, the entire realm of Alorin is out of Balance and magic is dying—and the Adept race dies along with it.

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Cephrael’s Hand eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.

The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!

To win the prizes:

Purchase your copy of Cephrael’s Hand for just 99 cents
Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity
Visit today’s featured social media event

About Cephrael’s Hand: Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a great battle, neither knowing the other is alive… A traitor works in exile while preparing for the disaster only he knows is coming… A race of beings from beyond the fringe of the universe begin unmaking the world from within… And all across the land, magic is dying.Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light.Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

About the author: Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Visit Melissa on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

Jane George – A Letter to a Snapshot in Time

Published on December 12, 2012December 12, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle8 Comments

I just returned from a trip to New York City. So, I was really excited to share this post by Jane George about a city I love. It’s my pleasure to welcome Jane George to my blog to celebrate Book Clubs, her novel, X-It and the City of New York.

A Love Letter to a Snapshot in Time by Jane George

My novel, X-It, takes place in New York City circa 1980-81, which doesn’t make it quite a historical novel, but we can at least call it a ‘vintage’ setting.

The Big Apple is as famous for how fast it changes as much as for Lady Liberty or Times Square. Screenwriter Nora Ephron referenced New York’s changeability in You’ve Got Mail, when children’s bookstore owner Kathleen Kelly writes to her secret email pal bemoaning the closing of her business:

“In fact, someone, some foolish person, will probably think it’s a tribute to this city, the way it keeps changing on you, the way you can never count on it, or something. I know because that’s the sort of thing I’m always saying. But the truth is…I’m heartbroken.”

The tragic events of 9/11, and more recently Hurricane Sandy, remind us that New York City is vulnerable to change from external forces as well as internal ones. This only serves to make the magic of any moment in The Big Apple more precious.

In X-It I made mention of more than one NYC characteristic from 1980 that no longer exists or has been fundamentally changed. One of the most profound is the condition and general ambience, shall we say, of the subway system. I returned to New York in 2009, not having been there since 1984. I felt safer on the New York subways than I do riding San Francisco municipal transit. But what the subways have gained in safety, cleanliness and air-conditioning they have lost in visual interest. The photography of John Conn captured the visceral truth of New York’s subways in the Eighties. The main character in X-It, J.J. Buckingham, takes the F Train from 14^th Street to her job in Williamsburg every weekday to paint mannequins. She’s a sensitive soul, and the subway and its environs take its effect.

Several scenes in X-It take place on the rotting remains of the Chelsea Piers. Today, the Hudson River waterfront has been remade into a series of parks and playground on jetties. It’s beautiful, and barely recognizable from its condition in 1980. I took this shot that juxtaposes the old and new piers when I was there in 2009. The old pier is even more deteriorated in the photo than it was when the story takes place. And I’m sure Hurricane Sandy did even more damage. The water level rose above the cement shoreline in lower Manhattan.

J.J. and X-It sit on the rotting pier—it’s their special place— in the evening and watch another long-gone river landmark, The Maxwell House Coffee neon sign of a dripping coffee cup that was mounted atop the Maxwell House building in Hoboken. Here is a photo from the Hoboken Historical Museum of what J.J. and X-It saw. The bright drops have a special poignancy for J.J.

Change does not always necessarily engender some kind of loss. Once in a while we humans can remake something old and decayed into something new but keep, or even enhance, its visual interest and its heart. For instance, see how New Yorkers turned the old Highline elevated track into a community garden, art space, and walkway. This is J.J.’s task in X-It as well, how can she reclaim herself and yet remain true to who she is?

Synopsis:

LOVE IS A DRUG.

In 1980 NYC, eighteen-year-old J.J. Buckingham is an uptight trendoid. Working as a mannequin painter and a counter girl, she moonlights as a creature of the nightclubs. J.J. falls for aloof, crazy-talented artist and bicycle messenger X-It. In order to win his love, she succumbs to the dark machinations of drug dealer Marko Voodoo. X-It will love her if she’s the queen of underground Manhattan, right? Her plan backfires with horrendous consequences. J.J. must scrap her way out of a maze of drugs, clubs, and danger before she realizes she’s worthy of a better life. And true love might just come in the form of a clean-cut geek in Buddy Holly glasses.

The Reviews are in!

This book completely captivated me from start to finish. In fact, the first night I read about a quarter of it before bedtime. Then I tossed and turned for an hour thinking about the book, until finally I turned the lights back on, and read until a few hours before I needed to wake up. ~ William Hertling

X-It is a coming-of-age novel that is easily identifiable with for anyone who ever felt less-than-cool enough, or alone, or as though they weren’t living up to personal expectations, which, I believe, encompasses most of us. Reminiscent of Maggie Estep’s “Diary of an Emotional Idiot,” X-It contains some perfect moments of quiet truth. ~ Wendy Whiplash

From the very first pages I was drawn to J.J. – From her dripping purple hair dye through her slow, dark, and painful decent into the 80’s punk/club scene. Jane George truly created a dynamic character with incredible depth. To me this book read like a memoir, making it even more powerful and at times bittersweet. ~ Karen Toz

Purchase Links:

Kindle Edition: http://www.amazon.com/X-It-ebook/dp/B007PSY7X6/

Paperback Edition: http://www.amazon.com/X-It-Jane-George/dp/0985130717

About the Author

Author and illustrator Jane George lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a BFA in illustration from the California College of the Arts and has won awards for her art.

A dedicated writer for over a decade, she produces and publishes her YA fantasy and literary titles under her personal imprint, Paper Grove Publishing. Find out more at: www.Jane-George.com

Excerpt:

We’re early for the show. The lobby contains very few patrons and a huge expanse of lurid purple and blue carpeting. X-It pays, takes my hand, and leads me to the center of the lobby. All I think about is the touch of his fingers on mine.

“Stand here. Close your eyes, and hold out your hands,” he says.

I do as he asks. I am being showered with paper. No, not paper, I realize as I open my eyes.

Dazzling golden leaves rain out of his messenger’s bag. Feather-light, fresh and spicy, the leaves keep coming down. Upon my head. Into my palms. Onto the purple-blue carpet, where they stick in perfect chromic contrast.

X-It’s eyes glitter. “Happy Fall, J.J.!”

He’s magical. He is everything I ever wanted to be. I move to throw my arms about him, but he holds out his bag and shakes it, making sure all the leaves are out.

I take a step back.

We walk home after the film. X-It veers away from me, drawn to a newsstand by the image of Karisma smiling from several magazine covers at once.

“She’s so perfect,” he says.

I grit my teeth, yet straighten my spine in an effort to measure up.

“And here’s Brooke Shields in her Calvins. Incredible. Who do you think is more beautiful?”

I think Brooke looks like a gilded giraffe-child, but that doesn’t prevent me from envying every inch of Miss Shields. I want to scream at X-It, “Look at me! I’m beautiful! And I’m just your size!”

But I say, “I don’t know. We don’t have a mannequin head of Brooke, just Karisma. So it’s hard to say.”

“I think Brooke is perfect,” he says. “But if she was a mannequin, just think of all the Prismacolor pencils you’d go through doing her eyebrows.”

So he was listening when I told him how a mannequin’s eyebrows are drawn.

“Thousands,” I say.

I collapse against the brick wall in a fit of giggles. He joins me. Our heads arc close together. X-It’s face swims before me, isolated by the electric and bracing October night. His breath brushes my cheek. Our lips circle each other more than once.

And never manage to connect.

The first time I visited New York was in 1980 as a young kid and I have been back several times since. I can relate to the changes in the City Jane talked about in her post. Very few can capture the pulse of the city in the written word and Jane does it perfectly.

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to visit other stops on the Book Club Bash Tour.

My Road to Publication by Kathy Lynn Harris

Published on December 5, 2012December 5, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle3 Comments

Thank you, Sydney, for hosting me here during my blog tour for my new novel, A Good Kind of Knowing. I thought I’d give readers a quick timeline of my road to publication for the novel, since it’s not exactly a straight path! In fact, the story began a long time ago, and it includes my first novel, Blue Straggler. So here you go!

1999 – 2000 Completed the first full manuscript of A Good Kind of Knowing while living deep in the heart of Texas.

December 2000 – Summer 2001 Moved to Colorado to live in the mountains and write; began revising A Good Kind of Knowing like a crazy person

Fall 2001 Pitched it to NY lit agents; got picked up on my 10^th bite! Thought I was Hot Snot (not really!) Began writing Blue Straggler.

Spring 2002 Got close to a contract for A Good Kind of Knowing, but alas, ultimately rejected by the Powers That Be.

Spring 2003 – 2004 Completed Blue Straggler; decided to leave my NY agent and sign with one on the West Coast who was a better fit for me.

2005 – 2006 Revised Blue Straggler; agent held auction for publishers; got oh-so-close again, but no final takers. Drank lots of vodka. Licked literary wounds.

2006 – Spring 2011 Left novel-writing for a while and published essays and short stories and bad poetry. Adopted a beautiful baby boy.

August 2011 Discussed self-publishing Blue Straggler as an ebook with my agent; she was supportive and I had nothing to lose, so I went for it!

Fall 2011 Blue Straggler as an ebook went viral, and sales exceed expectations. Signed a five-year contract with 30 Day Books of Seattle to publish the novel as a trade paperback.

March 2012 Blue Straggler published in paperback. It becomes a #1 bestseller in two categories on Amazon.

May 2012 30 Day Books passes after reading A Good Kind of Knowing, but encourages me to publish it myself.

October 2012 A Good Kind of Knowing is published as an ebook. Paperback release planned for December 2012. Sales are rockin’ along! Just released a Music-to-Read-By playlist, too.

So there you have it. My steep, winding roads to the publication of two novels.

Good Kind of Knowing is a novel about the power of music and friendship, the relationship two-steps that go on in old Texas dancehalls, and the secret to finding just a little bit of common ground in a world full of distrust.

Sera Taylor’s store is the one place in Lakeville, Texas, where individuals from all walks of life share a universal love for music and a respect for the gypsy-like woman behind the antique glass counter. Readers get a taste of the unorthodox connection between Sera and Mack, a young local cowboy and musician, and Sera’s previously untested devotion to her husband Bill. They learn of her relationship with Ruby D., the vibrant but misguided mother of five; with Louie, the shy high school band director; with Beverly, the religious, upper-class socialite; with Antonio, a local bar owner striving to make a life for himself; with Tommy Lee, a rich and directionless gigolo; and with Wes, the only out-of-the closet gay man for miles. As Sera battles a serious illness, the characters must overcome long-held stereotypes to save Sera’s store, and in the end, large parts of themselves.

Buy Links:

agoodkindofknowingcover

Amazon | Barnes and Nobles

Author Bio:

Kathy Lynn Harris grew up in rural South Texas—and comes from people who work hard, love the land and know how to have a good time on a Saturday night. In 2001, Kathy made the move from Texas to the Colorado Rockies to focus on her writing and soak up All Things Mountain. She lives in a 1920s log cabin with her husband and son, plus two fairly untrainable golden retriever mixes. Kathy has written two novels, three children’s books, a lot of bad poetry, short stories, newspaper and magazine articles, and personal essays. Kathy’s blog, You Can Take the Girl Out of Texas, but, can be found at kathylynnharris.com.

Connect with Kathy at kathy@kathylynnharris.com or take your pick of social media channels:

Twitter – @KathyLynnHarris

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/BlueStragglerFiction

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5137823.Kathy_Lynn_Harris

Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/kathylynnharris/

Tour Stops:

December 3 My Escape Book Blog Excerpt

December 4 Her Story Calls Excerpt

December 5 Happiness, Passion, Love & Faith Timeline to publication

December 6 Nothing Better Then A Book Excerpt

December 7 A Buckeye Girl Reads Review

December 8 Bex N Books Review
December 9th My Devotional Thoughts Review

December 10 My Devotional Thoughts Excerpt

The Treason Blog Tour – S.M. Boyce

Published on November 2, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle4 Comments

I really enjoy the idea of using Blog Tour’s as a marketing tool for books. As you can tell by my blog this week, when I like something, I jump head first into. So, here is the third of three blog tours that made stops at Sydney Aaliyah this week.

I am really excited to be a host on The Treason Blog Tour. When Boyce put out the call for tour stops, I replied, but explained to her I am not much into reviews or conducting author interviews, leave that to the experts. What I wanted her to share with you is her timeline from idea to the published product. Welcome Boyce.

Hey everyone! Thanks for having me. I’m S. M. Boyce (call me Boyce), a paranormal and fantasy novelist and author of the Grimoire Trilogy: a paranormal fantasy series with a bit of romance and a lot of action.

Sydney asked me over today to talk about my publishing process from idea to publication…which is a huge, massive process I couldn’t possibly outline in full detail in the course of a single blog post.

In lieu of writing a thesis (or another book), I will give you the summary of each stage with what I think are the key steps. I also suggest you check out Boyce’s Guide to Writing, a free blog rife with how-to posts, guest features, awards lists, and more to help you learn from the mistakes that I (and other successful authors) have already made.

What You’ll Need

1) An amazing idea.

2) A Critique Circle. In an ideal world, your critique circle is made up of about 3 people you trust and respect to give you suggestions on areas that need to be rewritten.

3) Copyeditors. They catch the plot holes, motivation errors, and other conceptual mistakes.

4) A Proofreader. The proofreader finds all the typos, missing commas, and misused words you left in the manuscript on accident. Everyone must have someone proofread their work. More on that later.

5) Vendors. Cover art, formatting, book tours, and a host of other expenses can add up if you’re not careful. You can check out this list of vendors I’ve found helpful to get an idea of where to start.

6) Patience. This ain’t easy, but it is rewarding.

Concept

This goes back to the first thing you need to publish a book: an amazing idea.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the best writer in the world…if you have a bland idea, your book won’t sell. Get in online critique groups like Scribophile to learn how to workshop others’ work. Reach out to other authors and make connections. Network. Read technique books like On Writingto learn more about the craft of writing. Daydream and take an idea journal with you everywhere you go to jot down ideas, quotes, and inspiration as it comes to you.

Outline

Not everyone needs an outline, but I do. It gives me direction and lets me add in easter eggs, foreshadowing, and greater detail than I would be able to add if I were to pants it.

Here’s a question for the comments: do you use an outline? Why or why not?

Outline Critique

Before I even write the first draft, I sit down with the two people I write for: my husband, and my dad. “The people you write for” is a popular concept perpetuated by Stephen King’s On Writing. The idea is to keep someone in mind when you write your book and think of their reactions to your story as you go through. This can help keep you on task.

I let the men I write for read my outline before I sit down to write. Giving them my outline helps me make sure the idea is worth writing in the first place. Though this means they know what will happen, that’s not always true. I often deviate from my outline as I write, so sometimes they are just as surprised as anyone else when a new plot point develops.

First Draft

It’s going to suck. Don’t worry about it. You’ll fix the weak writing and plot holes in the rewrite phase, but the goal now is to sit down and get it out. If you want more on this step, make sure to check out the technique section of Boyce’s Guide to Writing.

First Draft Rewrites

I never show anyone my real first draft (the one from the previous section). I always re-read and make adjustments to the concept when I find plot holes. There’s still weak writing here and there, and I clean that up before I send it to the copyeditor. But for the first draft, the point is to get the concept and early dialogue/narrative down.

Critiquing Workshop

I send the rewritten first draft to my critiquers when I feel good about the book’s direction. In an ideal world, your critique circle is made up of about 3 people you trust and respect to give you suggestions on areas that need to be rewritten. I have one writer, one book addict who loves my genre, and one of the people for whom I write (hubby dearest).

Give them about two months. If they need longer, look into finding someone else. Whatever you do, make sure you respect them and don’t hound them for the MS back. Get all time estimates before you send the book to them.

While your critiquers are going over your first draft, start creating your marketing plan and contacting vendors. Get a cover artist, proofreader, and all the other vendors you’ll need now. Booking early means you’ll get to do it on your schedule, rather than filling in the gaps in the vendors’ schedules.

Once you have the cover, do a cover reveal and create a page on each of the major review sites for it. Encourage people to add it to their TBR list.

Rewrites

When the critiquers give you their input, sit down and rewrite. It’ll be exciting to see your book developing, but you’ll also get frustrated. Just remember why you’re doing this—it’s fun. Don’t rush or put too much stress on yourself. If this is your career choice, you’ll go through this process plenty more times. You can’t burn out.

Remember that not all feedback is necessarily good for you or your book, so it’s important to learn the distinction between helpful and harmful feedback. Having a workshopping background (remember, you can use Scribophile if you don’t have a local workshop) will help you develop this natural instinct for judging feedback.

Copyediting

You must have at least one professional copyeditor look at your book before you publish. They catch the plot holes, motivation errors, and other conceptual mistakes. I have about 5 in case one misses anything. One is a bookworms and avid reader, one is my dad (the other person for whom I write), two are fellow authors, and one is a professional copyeditor with whom I trade this copyediting service. That is, she copyedits my book and, in exchange, I copyedit hers. It’s a great balance.

Rewrites (Again)

Ugh. It starts to get rough here because you’ve read your book so many times at this point. Hang in there. Don’t rush, and don’t give up.

Proofreader

Once you are 100% happy with your changes, send your manuscript to your proofreader. You can find many proofreaders for about $250-$300, which is reasonable for a 100k word manuscript.

You should also send out the ARC as soon as you’re comfortable with your MS. Including a disclaimer/reminder that ARCs have typos in them might help.

Soft Release

This is optional. I publish the book on all major distribution sites about 2-3 weeks before the official release date—so, when I send it to the proofreader. I don’t tag the book or even link it to my author account yet because it hasn’t been proofread yet. I also order the print proof now so that I can just upload changes once I get the manuscript back from the proofreader.

The whole point of the soft release is to allow reviewers to add their reviews before your “formal” release. That way, you don’t start off opening weekend with zero reviews.

The longer you give reviewers, the more reviews you’ll see before your official release date. It’s a hard balance between just wanting to get it out there and having enough reviews when you formally publish.

Publish

Once you get the manuscript back from your proofreader and make the final changes, spread the changes to your eBook and print editions.

Keep in mind that, at the moment, I do all of my own book formatting. Bits of this timeline won’t work if you hire a book formatter…in that scenario, you’d really need to have your final edition before the formatting can happen. Your timeline will differ based on your methods.

Marketing & PR

I recommend you always create a marketing plan before you publish the book…long before. Check out the marketing section of my writing website to get tips and suggestions on what to do.

—

Thanks for having me today! If you have any questions, feel free to add them below or head over to my writing website to search for the answer. I’m always up for a chat, so feel free to ping me on Twitter, too! My contact info is below. Stay awesome.

About S. M. Boyce

Boyce writes fantasy and paranormal fiction. She’s a sarcastic twit, but she still has friends because some people seem to like that. Her Creative Writing degree qualifies her to serve you french fries, but it helps her write books, too. She’s currently working on the YA epic fantasy series the Grimoire Trilogy.