Hello to all the Archers Aim readers! The blog has been a little more quiet than usual the last week or so, but that’s because I’ve been busy writing elsewhere. Last week, I did have some freelance work that needed to be completed, but that’s not the really big news. It’s just one reason why I’ve been distracted, but the others are much bigger. Here are the top items:

Mage

As most of the readers on this blog will remember, I finished the rough draft of this book last month. Since then, I’ve been spending my evenings editing it to a more polished draft so that it will be ready for proposals that may require an initial reading by publishers. This particular fantasy novel is quite a bit longer than normal, so it will take some time to complete this process. However, I am about 25% through the book and I’m really creating a lot more consistency in it. I’m able to make notes about details that I had forgotten since writing on the manuscript began in March 2017. I was forced to write the early parts of the book for my agent around publication of An Arrow Against the Wind and The White Arrow last year. It’s been good to get back to this book, finish it, and now begin to create a sense of cohesion throughout the manuscript. I’m having a lot of fun with it and hope to share more about it over the upcoming weeks.

Glove

Writing did not stop once I finished Mage. I immediately shifted over to completing Glove which I also began during 2017 to get to my agent as well. This novel is much shorter, so I’ve already finished it over the last week. Dictation has made completion of both of these novels much easier around my regular work schedule. I’m pleased to have completed Glove and look forward to editing it very soon.

Publication

Regarding both of these books, I don’t have a specific news at this point. It would be good to have some decisions from traditional publishers so I will know how to plan for the rest of the year in terms of editing and such. However, I’ve decided that I will be as prepared as possible if one or both of these books are turned down. With that in mind, I will prepare some proposals for hybrid publishers and also engage my editor’s schedule just in case I need to proceed in either of those directions. For me, a rejection from traditional publishers is not a big deal. It would be easier to handle the publication with a traditional publisher, but I understand that not all books fit a publisher’s needs at any given time. So, being self published means that I am willing to go that route if necessary. I’m confident in my editor and my cover artist so that I know I can produce a quality book. However, this time around I would like to be able to do more than initially publish in e-book only. For this reason, I am considering hybrid publishers so that I might be able to produce one or both of these books and release them in multiple formats, which is my preference.

What’s Next

I may have finished Glove and Mage in terms of writing the first drafts, but since I now dictate during my commute time, I still have time to write. So, even though I am editing in the evening, I’m also dictating while I drive. I have quite a few shorter books that I would like to see published as soon as possible so I’ve also started a LitRPG-style book which I hope will become the first of a series. I made quite a lot of progress so far, and, since it’s a novella that probably will be no longer than 50,000 words, I’m already about one third finished with the rough draft. This e-book may be done so quickly that it may wedge it’s way into my editing schedule so that I can possibly publish it within the next few months. I’ll share more news about it as work on it progresses, but I should have a faster schedule with this novella, considering it will most be likely self-published as an e-book.

Audio and The Bow of Hart Saga

Last week, I was also working on some of the details for my audiobook publisher, Podium Publishing. We had a number of regular email exchanges about various details of the upcoming production. I have been able to provide all of the pronunciation and character notes that should help the narrator and other people on the production team getting started. I’m pleased to announce that production will begin next week and it sounds like the narrator has a number of wonderful ideas concerning character accents. It should make for a very interesting audiobook production. It’s very exciting to be able to work with a professional narrator like this and it will be just a few short months until the series is released in this format.

Also regarding The Bow of Hart Saga, I have begun discussions with a hybrid publisher so that the series can make it into print, possibly this year. Since the entire saga has sold so many copies, and I have had a fair number of requests for the book in print, I feel that I should pursue every avenue possible to gain bookstore and library distribution channels. So I’m going to try a hybrid publisher and see how that works out. The series is pretty much ready for print so I don’t think that it would be a major project to get ready within a few months. The main work would probably be marketing. As soon as I find out more I will be certain to share it here on the blog.

Writing has become a very busy venture for me. I did not anticipate my first series carrying me as far as it has as an author. I always like to thank all of the readers because all of you are the reason that the books have done so well. Readers are also a big reason that I am pushing very hard to complete my next projects. I am very thrilled to have the reading audience that has come my way and I really want to share more of the stories that I have, including a possible sequel to The Bow of Hart Saga as soon as I can get to it.

I mentioned several months back, that I do have a lot of projects that need my attention. I’ve only mentioned three new ones in this post, however I do have at least two other series that I would like to start as soon as possible. It may seem that I’m juggling quite a lot of different projects and some people might even wonder how I’m doing all of them (or will be able to write well), but the dictation helps me keep moving with all of the projects that I have. I’ve learned quite a lot from the three books that I’ve published so far and I’m moving along very well with the editing. I certainly do need professional editing regardless of what direction these projects go. Since I have several ways that I can go to accomplish production of these books, I am confident that they will be of high quality.

Thanks for stopping by today and checking in with my writing progress. If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave them in the comments section and I’ll be happy to reply as soon as I can. I’ll share more about what’s happening behind the scenes in coming weeks so readers can have a good sense of what it’s like to write and publish fantasy books.

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