IY: Mah Plans 27/04

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Ileandra Young

D’ya ever wonder what things would be like if the week was ten days long? Or three days long? How long before we all went nuts? Meh. Anyway . . . Football goal posts from OpenClipArtToday has been a day of back and forth, up and down. Not so much to do with writing, but with the stuff that comes around it. Thinking about promo and helping Raven make her decisions about what she plans to do and visiting stores in the local area to see if they fancy stocking any of our books. Busy, busy, busy!

Actions Last Week

Write 10k words of ‘On A Knife Point’ (so total word count 92k)
Yes and no. Did you see this morning? The novel is done (!!!) at 89,979 words.

Check new ‘Silk Over Razor Blades’ proof for issues and decide on final release date
Done. Just one tweak required on the cover then we’re good. Release date is Monday, 25 May. ^_^

Activities For The Week

Erm. Dunno! All the work for this month has been done!

  • Test the waters in local stores as to whether or not they will hold my humble book for sale
  • Make final decision on whether or not I want a book launch/party event
  • Chase Dave for cover tweak if not received by Wednesday
  • Start reading ‘Walking The Razor’s Edge’ to familiarise myself with the text once more. Make general, sweeping notes.

Thoughts…

As I reach the finish line for the first third of the year, I’m very concious of how much I’ve already done. I’ve drafted a novel and a novella. In four months. I’ve been editing short stories here and there as well as holding this blog, and doing the promo-dance across Twitter. My newsletter has been regular and, overall, I’m on target for all my goals for the year.

Having a week off won’t kill me. It might even do me good.

But . . . for the later half of next week I’ll be away as DSB is LARPing. Knowing that, I think I’ll have NEXT week off, not this one. It seems daft to break, start work again, then break immediately after that for a long week end. But, as you can see, this is all easy stuff. Stuff I can do while out and about that probably won’t require me sitting at a computer.

Tell you what though . . . now that I’ve mentioned it, I’m really looking forward to that week off! 😉

new ileandra signature,

 

Posted in Goals Posts *haha!*, Ileandra's Posts, Silk Over Razor Blades | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

IY: News! And An Unexpected Ending

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Ileandra Young

I’ll say!

Those of you keeping up with my Twitter will already know, as will those of you who occasionally drop onto Facebook. For the rest of you . . . the draft of ‘On A Knife Point’ is complete at 89,979 words.

gasping/shocked/surprised face OpenClipArt

Whuuuuuut?

Yeah. I know. I’m as stunned as you are. All drafts prior to this have hit the 100k range. Some as far as 120k. This means one of three things: 1) I’ve missed a chunk of story somewhere which I’ll pick up when I go back to edit. 2) I’m getting better at writing first drafts and only including the detail I need. 3) The story just couldn’t possibly stretch to that point without including a bunch of faff that I’d probably get rid of anyway.

I have no idea which it is, but I do know on Thursday afternoon, right before collecting the boys from nursery, I found myself writing the epilogue. The big ‘boss fight’ was over and all the loose ends wrapped up earlier than morning. Nothing else to put in. So I stuck a bow on it and wrote ‘The End’ (well . . . I didn’t actually write that, though now I wish I did).

I think I should give myself credit for realising that the story had nowhere further to go. For understanding that even though the target was 100k, there was no need to force myself to get there. In the old days I would have kept going, regardless, but knowing when a story is done is a skill in of itself. One that I’m learning. Apparently.

I haven’t decided how to reward myself yet. I’ll probably treat DSB‘s LARP as a ‘woooo yeah, look what we did!’ and have a good old blow out on her birthday. Yes . . . her birthday, not mine. We do all have different birthdays. Not that we get more presents though. 😉

I guess now really is the time to start thinking about ‘Walking The Razor’s Edge.’ I’ve already been talking with Dave about cover ideas. It’s going to be good let me tell you!

As to the news . . . *drum roll*

The release date for paperback and digital editions of the first book in the Saar’s Legacy trilogy, Silk Over Razor Blades, is . . .

Monday, 25 May 2015

Woooooooo! About bloody time, right? Heh, you think that’s good, next week I’ll (finally) show you the cover art. 😉

new ileandra signature,

Posted in Ileandra's Posts, On A Knife Point, Saar's Legacy, Silk Over Razor Blades, Walking The Razor's Edge | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

RS: I Haz Planz 23/04

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Raven ShadowHawk

Sooo . . . first of all:

MEOTFS Complete dialogue box

BOO-YAAAAH!

. . . followed swiftly by:

CreateSpace buy page for MEOTFS

YUSSSH!

^_^

Moving on . . .

Actions Last Weekblank calendar from OpenClipArt

~Add five entries to the book reviewers/spotlight spreadsheet per day (even if they go in the ‘no good right now’ section I need to add them in)
No. I think I managed five. The news from Breathless Press aside, I notice a trend when it comes to ‘marketing and promo’ activities. I- don’t- like- them. So I need to start smaller and work my way up. We’ll see about that in a tick

~Mail one reviewer/spotlight blogger from the list per day
Two. -_-

~Publish ‘Meeting Each Other: The Full Story’ paperback version
See above. ^_^

Activities For This Week

  1. Add ten to the book reviewers/spotlight spreadsheet over the course of the week (even if they go in the ‘no good right now’ section I need to add them in)
  2. Mail three reviewer/spotlight blogger over the course of the week
  3. Decide what to do about the Slippers & Chains series
  4. Write and set up my Twory idea

Thoughts…

I can’t send one promo-type message a day. I don’t now if that sounds defeatist or not, but I can’t. While I acknowledge that I do need to do these things, I can’t put my heart and soul in it the way I do with other things.

In light of that, I’m going to reduce the focus there. I’m going to shift gears and concentrate on my Twory. Something that people can engage with and follow and enjoy over a period of days. This, hopefully, will be far more effective as a marketing tool and also be fun, which is what I want.

Slippers & Chains needs a new home. I won’t know what to do with the ‘Second Base’ beta comments until I figure that out and I won’t know what to do about my ‘Sugar Dust’ cover art either. So I need to start making some plans.

How has your writing week been? As we near the end of the first third of the year, I’m keen to know how you’re all getting on. 🙂

Raven's Signature In Black

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RS: What The Hell Do I Do Now?

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Raven ShadowHawk

I hinted at this briefly on Facebook earlier in the week. For those of you who don’t know, here is the announcement made by Breathless Press a couple of days ago.

Facebook announcement of Breathless Press closure

. . . sad face . . .

So . . . yeah. I knew about this. Or I knew it was coming. One thing (among many) that I can say about the folk behind Breathless Press is that they have always been open, honest and frank about everything going on behind the scenes, choices being made and the reality of what is going on around us.

That being said I did hope for a different outcome. Of course I did.

Sugar Dust Cover artAnyway . . . what do I do now? ‘Slippers & Chains: Sugar Dust‘ is currently in their hands (though my rights will be back very soon) and ‘Slippers & Chains: Second Base’ is with a beta reader. I was readying myself to send that to my BP editor by the end of May. Can’t do that now.

I have several options, I guess, but looking back at the state I was in last week, most of them aren’t very attractive to me at this point.

Choices:

  • Send to alternative publishers to see if they will take on the novel. Go through whatever editing process they have and sign up new contracts.
  • Self publish under Little Vamp Press
  • Stop the series completely and start something new

. . . well that last option can sod right off. It’s an option, but I know there are people who will be devastated to learn that there will be no more of the ‘Cage Story’ as it was so lovingly dubbed. More than that, I love these characters and the potential mileage they have in them.

Middle option? A bit like Ileandra with ‘Silk Over Razor Blades‘ it was always my plan to do exactly that until the Funk Master said I should submit it. So this route is viable. And it’s not like I haven’t done it before, right?

The first option is the most scary because I have no idea how these new publishers will treat me. If they’ll even take the novel on. If I’ll have to do a whole ream of new edits to satisfy the style of a new publishing house.

. . . Basically, I don’t know what I want. I have no idea.

It’s maddening because this year was all planned, but doubly so because every rational bone in my body says shiz like this happens all the time and that the strength of character shows not in avoiding it but dealing with it. -_-

I had a little cry – not for me, but for all of us, because the BP family is lovely and I adore them and I’m so sad that this has happened to all of us, not just me – and ate waaaaaaaay too much food on Monday. On Tuesday while DSB was recording for the podcast I spent sime time on the BP Facebook page chatting with other authors about the options. Yesterday I spent an hour gabbing on #writingchat and felt very much better.

Today? Well today is a new day, isn’t it? And I need to make some decisions. The Sprogs are at nursery now (they started their new one yesterday) so I have the day largely to myself. It’s time to take that snotty horse by the reins, leap back into the saddle and show it who the hell is boss.

I’m not used to be lost and adrift. Being unable to make decisions. That’s not me. For a short while . . . this song described my life.

Time to go back to being that person. Strong. Assured. Confident. Trusting in my ability to make the right choices for my career.

Rawr.

Raven's Signature In Black

Posted in Raven's Posts, Slippers & Chains | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

IY: Mah Plans 20/04

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Ileandra Young

Football goal posts from OpenClipArtNice day today. I feel better than last night too, when my body was a bit achy from all the working and I couldn’t stop myself feeling guilty over not getting the work done because of fatigue.

This is a new day. A new week. A new start. I’ll go through how I did last week, but after that, my focus is all on this week.

Let’s see . . .

Actions Last Week

Write 10k words of ‘On A Knife Point’ (so total word count 82k)
Check. Just hit the 82k mark.

Order new ‘Silk Over Razor Blades’ proof
Done. With super fast shipping (ouch! my bank account!) it should be here within a couple more days.

Write this month’s newsletter and distribute
Sorted. Only two (I think) sections more to go of the current free story people are getting. Remember, if you want that story, or any of the other news that subscribers get, sign up for the mailing list today. All subscribers will be in with a chance to win a signed (if you like) copy of ‘Silk Over Razor Blades’ by the way.

Prepare for April Fox Bites
Hehee. I had fun, but it didn’t quite go as planned. I’m not sure if the football put people off, or our promo just wasn’t as good this time around, but the audience was a little thin. o.O In light of that our readings will get shifted to May instead.

 

Activities For The Week

The last big thing on my list for this month (that I can currently affect in any way) is the draft of ‘On A Knife Point.’ So my focus is that this week. Bring it all on!

  • Write 10k words of ‘On A Knife Point’ (so total word count 92k)
  • Check new ‘Silk Over Razor Blades’ proof for issues and decide on final release date

Thoughts…

I’m crossing my fingers that this next proof will look the way I want. The biggest thing is the cover art. It’s so, so beautiful on screen, I really want the colour that’s finally printed to match the one on screen. You won’t get the full effect unless it does.

This is something I have no control over at all, so all I can do is wait and hope.

But, if that comes out well, then I’m ready to go and I’m loving the circular nature of that. Finishing the draft of the third novel just as the first one is ready for sale. Though that does mean I need to have something else in the wings for when ‘Walking The Razor’s Edge’ is published.

Ha, thinking ahead, girlie. Thinking ahead.new ileandra signature,

 

Posted in Goals Posts *haha!*, On A Knife Point, Silk Over Razor Blades | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment