So, I released Stardancer six months ago today! Time for a bit of reflection.
Obviously I haven’t begun to rival JK Rowling yet, but hey, they didn’t build Rome in a day either. All things in their time…and really, who knows? I’m still feeling my way through this whole process, and I’m quite certain that there are a lot of avenues for promotion that I haven’t even sniffed yet, so hopefully I’ll do better in the future. One thing I’ve always known about the writing gig, and always worth remembering, is that unless you’re basically the writing equivalent of a lottery winner, we’re all playing the long game. It’s about plugging away and hoping for connections; or, as Neil Gaiman put it, “putting messages in bottles and throwing them into the sea and hoping some of them come back”.
The most gratifying thing has been just seeing the reactions come in as people read the book. Every single review or mention I see, every comment I get, is another reminder that there’s this thing I created and I put it out there and people are reacting to it. I’m still at that stage where every single reader who reports back is a magical thing to me, and to everyone who has read the book and commented, Thank you very much! I hope you’ll all stick around for Book II.
And speaking of Book II, it’s almost time to get going in earnest on the final preparations for publication. I’m only a few days away from completing the first draft of Book III, and then it’s time to do another round of edits on Book II. Then will come proofreading and correcting, all in time for my November release date. My amazing cover artist is already planning that aspect, and I’ve got other things to do as well: a back cover blurb, for one.
One thing I can reveal right now, though, is the title. Here it is!
Hmmmm! To what does that title refer, and what does it tell us about Book II? Well, it refers to a single line toward the end of Stardancer, which should indicate a thing or two about the focus of Book II.
All right, I gotta get back to work! I have undertaken a “full radio silence” policy on my various social media outlets until I get the draft of Book III finished, so if you’re wondering why I’ve not said much on Twitter or Facebook or Instagram, that’s why. I’m getting close, though! Onward and Upward! Zap! Pow!!
(Oh, and by the way, for just a few days only, I’ve priced the Kindle version of Stardancer at $0.99. Get it that cheap while you can! It’s good, I promise!)
