David R. Michael's Blog, page 22

Writing Progress Report

 
Writing progress report for the week starting Monday, October 3, 2011.
 








Writing Project


Words




Monday


Edited GoSH1 chapter 2.







Tuesday


Edited GoSH1 chapter 3.







Wednesday


Edited GoSH1 chapter 4.
Created (a new) base ebook doc for Gunwitch.







Thursday


Created Gunwitch ebook doc for KDP, SW, PubIt.
Edited GoSH1 chapter 5.







Friday


Edited GoSH1 chapter 6.







Saturday


Edited GoSH1 chapter 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.







Sunday


Edited GoSH1 chapter 17, 18.

















Total








 








Publishing/Marketing




Monday





Tuesday





Wednesday





Thursday


Uploaded Gunwitch to KDP, PubIt, SW.
Uploaded updated Gunwitch PDF to CreateSpace.




Friday


Approved Gunwitch on CreateSpace.




Saturday





Sunday





 
Reading List

Gurps Fourth Edition Horror by Kenneth Hite.
"The Colorado Kid" by Stephen King.

 
Related Posts:
9 Months of Indie PublishingNow Available – "Insanity"Now Available – "A Fine Mess"

While I Wait

 
I hadn't planned to start editing GoSH1 yet, but I find myself waiting for my POD proof of Gunwitch and my replacement Kindle. So … I started editing GoSH1 over the weekend, getting it ready for first readers. Or, I guess, second readers, since my daughter Serene already read the first draft back in the spring. And she declared it "Awesome". She's 9, though, and not as picky about story flow and consistent spelling as I am. So, the rough draft is on its way to becoming the 2nd draft. I might even have finished the editing by the end of this week. Which would be cool.
 
I would like to publish GoSH1 before the end of 2011 (preferably before Xmas), but whether that happens or not depends on how long the readers take to get back to me (hint hint). Which, in turn, depends on how long I take to get it to the readers. So I better get the 2nd draft edited/revised this week.
 
-David
 
Related Posts:
Gunwitch Editing BeginsSlow Motion ProgressI Granted My Child's Wish

Writing Progress Report

 
Writing progress report for the week starting Monday, September 26, 2011.
 








Writing Project


Words




Monday


Created base ebook doc for Gunwitch.
POD formatted Gunwitch chapter 1, 2.







Tuesday


POD (re)formatted Gunwitch chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.







Wednesday


POD formatted Gunwitch chapter 12-22.







Thursday


Created new draft of GoSH1 for initial edit.







Friday


Edited GoSH1 chapter 1.







Saturday


Edited GoSH1 chapter 1 (again).







Sunday


















Total








 








Publishing/Marketing




Monday





Tuesday





Wednesday


Uploaded Gunwitch PDF and cover to CreateSpace.




Thursday


Ordered Gunwitch proof from CreateSpace.




Friday





Saturday





Sunday





 
Reading List
 
Related Posts:
9 Months of Indie PublishingNow Available – "Insanity"Now Available – "The Perfect Hiding Place"

My First Full Year as an Indie Author

 
With the close of September comes the close of my first full year as an indie author. I won't go into as much detail here as I did in my 9 Months of Indie Publishing post. No, this post is a bit more macro.
 
In my first year as in indie author, I published:

3 novels
5 collections of short stories
10 short story singles

 
In that same year, I wrote:

1 complete novel (GoSh1)
finished 1 novel (Gunwitch)
3 incomplete novels (Sigils, HoE2, & Nano2010)
4 short stories ("Encounter", "Evanescent", "Secondhand Coffin" and "Selene")

 
Which I think means I need to work harder to integrate writing new material with publishing existing material. On the other hand, I had a lot of accumulated words to publish and I spent a lot of time/effort/expense to get then ready and released. Now, though, I just have what I write new (or eventually finish). So publishing shouldn't get in the way of writing so much.
 
On the financial side of things, at the end of the first year I had recovered about 16% of my total cash investment. Which is much lower than I expected to recover. Fortunately, none of my expenses are recurring costs. I only add to the expense column when I publish a new book, or buy a snazzy font collection (like I did last week), or something along those lines. In fact, most of my costs are "sunk" at this point. I really shouldn't even consider them. Except, of course, I will consider them.
 
Comparing my total costs for indie publishing to my total costs of the first year of my Warmachine hobby (which isn't over yet), indie publishing hasn't required that much more–with the bonus that I will (eventually) recoup all my indie publishing costs (my Cryx army is pure hobby-consumerism). Compared to my first year as an amateur photographer (back in 2005-2006), I think indie publishing was cheaper (lenses are expensive).
 
So if I look at my indie publishing as a hobby with growth potential, it's doing quite well.
 
In total unit sales, I sold more ebooks and trade paperbacks in my first year as an indie publisher than I sold copies of The Journal in my first year it was available (1996-1997). Looking at it that way, I'm ahead.
 
Starting a new enterprise is always a challenge, especially if you're starting that new enterprise in the middle of the vast expanse of the World Wide Web and/or Amazon's online bookstore. It's very hard to even be noticed at first.
 
The trick, if there is one, is that you have to consider your first year as exactly that: your first year. Meaning that there are years yet to come. Years ahead of you to grow and learn. Years where you'll do more and do it better.
 
It ain't over til it's over. And so long as you don't quit (or die in the coming zombie apocalypse), it's never over.
 
Have a great weekend!
 
-David
 
Related Posts:
I Have Big Plans for 2011How I Stopped Feeling Like a Self-Published AuthorThe Day Job Strikes Back!

Gunwitch Proof Ordered

 
I hope it arrives before the end of next week.
 
I hope I don't have to make any changes.
 
I hope I hope.
 

 
-David
 
Related Posts:
Not Exactly How I Planned It…Gunwitch UpdateTruth Be Told…

Gunwitch Update

 
I went through the entire manuscript of Gunwitch several times today. That is, after I finished formatting the whole thing for printing.
 
First, I had to fix the font used for the chapter headings and page numbers. Because I didn't have rights to that font, but I think the change might have improved the look.
 
Then I decided to fix my s's to just s'. Personally, I prefer "James's" to "James'", but I realize that's not the standard. Yet. Now I'm consistent throughout the manuscript. (And I will think twice in future books before having a lot of character names that end with -s.)
 
The last pass was to fix widows/orphans. I twiddled with the spacing of paragraphs, contracting and expanding character spacing of selected paragraphs by fractions of a point size (-0.1 to +0.15). This was usually enough to close up a paragraph with just one word on the last line, or to push a blocky paragraph to take up just one more line. I reviewed the PDF when I was finished, but could not easily spot where I had done either one. So I'm calling it a success. I'll give the proof the same close scrutiny, because I prefer subtle to glaring.
 
As of a few minutes ago, I have uploaded everything to CreateSpace and submitted it for review. Maybe I'll hear back tomorrow (Thursday). But I doubt it. I would like to order my proof this week.
 
I'm excited. This book is almost ready!
 
-David
 
Related Posts:
Formatting Has CommencedAnother Week, Another 15K WordsSlow Motion Progress

Formatting Has Commenced

 
I've finished line editing Gunwitch, written what I think is some workable backcover copy, and Don has finished the front and back covers for the book (pending wishy-washy author nitpicking). Now I'm working on formatting the book for print-on-demand and ebook formats. And, yes, still doing as-I-see-it's-necessary editing.
 
If this was an ebook-only release, I could have done the backcover copy last. Which is when I prefer to do it (because I'm always hoping/wishing someone else would do it). But Gunwitch is also POD, so Don needed the copy so he could properly format and arrange the back cover. Insert indie author whining here.
 
I'm looking forward to showing off the cover (front and back) soon. And announcing the book's availability, also soon.
 
-David
 
PS Hmm. Now that Gunwitch is almost out, I guess I'll have to start treating it like a book title. Like this: Gunwitch. That's gonna feel weird.
 
Related Posts:
Slow Motion ProgressGunwitch Editing BeginsPublishing Seemed Less Work When I Didn't Know Any Better

Writing Progress Report

 
Writing progress report for the week starting Monday, September 19, 2011.
 








Writing Project


Words




Monday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 12, 13, 14.







Tuesday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 15, 16, 17, 18.







Wednesday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 19, 20, 21, 22.







Thursday


Gunwitch backcover blurb work.







Friday


Gunwitch backcover blurb work.







Saturday


Gunwitch backcover blurb work.







Sunday


















Total








 








Publishing/Marketing




Monday





Tuesday





Wednesday





Thursday





Friday





Saturday





Sunday





 
Reading List

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp.

 
Related Posts:
9 Months of Indie PublishingNow Available – "Insanity"Now Available – "The Perfect Hiding Place"

How I Tend to Abuse English

 
I'm about 2/3′s of the way through line editing Gunwitch now. I'm learning, via Serenity's Editor, that my grasp of English isn't as complete as I thought it was.
 
Here's the list of my most common issues:

"stand up"/'stood up" – "up" is usually redundant
"sit down"/"sat down" – "down" is usually redundant
"… and then…" – can usually get rid of "and"
"…but then…" – can usually get rid of "but"
"onto" – that's not really a word these days
"…so that…" – can usually delete "that"
"…once again…" – can usually delete "once"

 
In fact, I can do a simple Find/Replace on those items and be 75% of the way finished line editing a chapter.
 
In dialog I'm not so fussy, but in narrative prose, I like to be as correct as possible–while still hearing my own "voice" in the words.
 
Just going through this exercise, I expect to commit fewer of these transgressions in the future. Even my normal, spoken English is getting tighter than it was.
 
The trick, I think, is to improve without becoming a pain in the ass about these sort of copy issues when I see them in other people's prose.
 
-David
 
Related Posts:
Publishing Seemed Less Work When I Didn't Know Any BetterFound a Useful Editing Tool TodayGunwitch Editing Begins

Writing Progress Report

 
Writing progress report for the week starting Monday, September 12, 2011.
 








Writing Project


Words




Monday








Tuesday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 3, 4.







Wednesday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 5.







Thursday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 6, 7.







Friday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 8, 9.







Saturday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 10.







Sunday


Line edited Gunwitch chapter 11.

















Total








 








Publishing/Marketing




Monday





Tuesday





Wednesday





Thursday





Friday





Saturday





Sunday





 
Reading List
 
Related Posts:
9 Months of Indie PublishingNow Available – "Insanity"Now Available – "The Perfect Hiding Place"