Writing is lonely work. For the most part, I like that – I get a chance to put my thoughts into some sort of logical order before anyone else encounters them. When I unleash words live in the wild, I spend half my time apologizing for them or trying to corral them into the direction I intended them to go.
When I write, all that messiness gets concealed through revision and editing. At the risk of mixing metaphors, I can prune and weed the garden, allow the sun and soil of my imagination to feed them, and then just invite you over once everything’s in bloom. You smell the roses, not the manure.
Well, spring is here, and I’m excited to say that my garden is very nearly in bloom. As promised several weeks ago, I am very close to my self-inflicted deadline for the publication of my next book. And while I have once again bitten off more than I can chew, I am still confident I can get reasonably close to that mark.
That’s right, I should be done proofreading, revising, and editing The Borrowed Daughter by 11:59 PM EST on Easter Sunday. However, to publish it I also need to
finalize the cover,
update my description, and
get the whole thing formatted into e-book and paperback forms
I should probably also come up with a marketing plan to promote my launch and boost sales for at least the first few weeks. Like I said, lonely work, and no shortage of it.
But this is where you come in. In preparation for my book launch, I can use all the help I can get. If you or anyone you know would be interested in helping with any of the following items, it would help me dramatically:
1) Beta-read. Did you like any of the sneak previews I shared so far? Would you like more? If so, you could preview the entire book before it’s available for sale! Just DM me if you’re interested, and I will hook you up. The more feedback I can get before launching, the better the final product will be.
2) Write a review. If you chose to beta-read (or even if you didn’t, honestly), you can leave a review for The Borrowed Daughter as soon as it appears on Amazon. Those early reviews help make new books more legit, and we all want more legit-ness, right?
3) Pre-order. As soon as I am allowed to set my launch date, there will be a pre-order page on Amazon. Just like early reviews, early orders help boost the visibility of books. Plus, you get bragging rights for being the first people to land this delightful little novel!
4) Get the word out. While I like to imagine the collective literate world lifts its head to note when I release a new book, I’m aware my “organic reach” is minimal. Anything you can do to spread the news about my books (tell your friends and family, post on social media, share this page) would be immensely helpful.
I know quite well that none of you owe me anything. Your willingness to help in whatever way you can is truly a blessing. I know I peddle in words all day, so they may seem cheap, but they are all I have to give, so please accept my sincere gratitude. I write alone, but ultimately I do it to reach others. Thank you for helping me do that.