Two shorts to take a break
With some of the pressure off, I'm re-adjusting my workload and I'm hoping that setting targets will help me to get a couple more books ready. I mean, there's stuff coming - Return on Investment is just out, and we'll see a new and improved Counterpunch, and there'll be the third (and last) Scorpion novel, A Taste for Poison. Later in the year, likely December, there'll be a co-written romance called Lone Wolf. All of that in 2014.
But that leaves 2015 wide open, apart from a co-written novel (No Place That Far - NPTF) to be published mid-year. I can't really launch into a new novel just yet (workload is too heavy, with studying for massage and full-time work and commute), so I decided I'll use the rest of the month to mop up some work.
Thankfully, Lori does all the heavy lifting on Lone Wolf, but I'll have to do the edits and some writing on NPTF. I'm not sure how to get into the headspace at the moment, but I'll try. I reckon it's a couple days' work to fill in some bits that need doing. It's the reason why I bowed out of every other project--I just don't have the headspace/time to write at the moment. Thankfully, Counterpunch and A Taste for Poison were 100% and 99% done when my employment situation changed. I have no idea how I'd have dragged a solo book over the finishing line. But for the moment, Suckerpunch is cancelled because I just can't.
But what I can do is mop up old work--a few days ago I found a 12,000 short story that I really loved. It was the first halfway decent thing I wrote back in 1999. Some bits have aged very well, others less so, but I think it's of interest to my readers because the main character is essentially Vadim's precursor. He's my archetype, and I already re-used him in Dark Soul, among other places. So, I figure maybe you'll enjoy it as a short story and something of a historical document. At present, it's 12,000 words in German, so very likely to be about 10,000 in English, unless I vastly expand it in edits. I don't expect Riptide to take it, because it's short, has no romance and features character death.
The other project is the German translation for Skybound, which is mostly done and needs an edit.
I'm hoping to wrap both projects by the end of the month and get them into production/on submission, and August will see me focusing on the WWII novel that's half done and really only needs some time and sustained focus (and likely 2-3 months of no distractions by other major stuff).
On the self-publishing front, Return on Investment has sold just under 200 copies in the week it's been out, which is a number I'm still wrapping my head around. It's unlikely to keep going like this - sales are below 20/day now after a strong start, and I'll be happy to see it go on at a rate of maybe 5-10 a day for a month or so and then settle in at 1-2/day for the rest of its life, which is very much aligned with what I'm used to.
I just want it to get out there and stay out there and find its readers. Reviews have been tremendously encouraging. Here I am, thinking I have an uncommercial work on my hands, one that got bounced and rejected by every publisher and agent I sent it to, and you guys are proving me wrong.
Well, thanks for the lesson, I find this really encouraging--I'll put out more weird books like that, and possibly even finish and re-write the prequel that's focused on Francis and how he ended up in London. The only thing I know about sales expectations is that I know nothing. Thank you!
But that leaves 2015 wide open, apart from a co-written novel (No Place That Far - NPTF) to be published mid-year. I can't really launch into a new novel just yet (workload is too heavy, with studying for massage and full-time work and commute), so I decided I'll use the rest of the month to mop up some work.
Thankfully, Lori does all the heavy lifting on Lone Wolf, but I'll have to do the edits and some writing on NPTF. I'm not sure how to get into the headspace at the moment, but I'll try. I reckon it's a couple days' work to fill in some bits that need doing. It's the reason why I bowed out of every other project--I just don't have the headspace/time to write at the moment. Thankfully, Counterpunch and A Taste for Poison were 100% and 99% done when my employment situation changed. I have no idea how I'd have dragged a solo book over the finishing line. But for the moment, Suckerpunch is cancelled because I just can't.
But what I can do is mop up old work--a few days ago I found a 12,000 short story that I really loved. It was the first halfway decent thing I wrote back in 1999. Some bits have aged very well, others less so, but I think it's of interest to my readers because the main character is essentially Vadim's precursor. He's my archetype, and I already re-used him in Dark Soul, among other places. So, I figure maybe you'll enjoy it as a short story and something of a historical document. At present, it's 12,000 words in German, so very likely to be about 10,000 in English, unless I vastly expand it in edits. I don't expect Riptide to take it, because it's short, has no romance and features character death.
The other project is the German translation for Skybound, which is mostly done and needs an edit.
I'm hoping to wrap both projects by the end of the month and get them into production/on submission, and August will see me focusing on the WWII novel that's half done and really only needs some time and sustained focus (and likely 2-3 months of no distractions by other major stuff).
On the self-publishing front, Return on Investment has sold just under 200 copies in the week it's been out, which is a number I'm still wrapping my head around. It's unlikely to keep going like this - sales are below 20/day now after a strong start, and I'll be happy to see it go on at a rate of maybe 5-10 a day for a month or so and then settle in at 1-2/day for the rest of its life, which is very much aligned with what I'm used to.
I just want it to get out there and stay out there and find its readers. Reviews have been tremendously encouraging. Here I am, thinking I have an uncommercial work on my hands, one that got bounced and rejected by every publisher and agent I sent it to, and you guys are proving me wrong.
Well, thanks for the lesson, I find this really encouraging--I'll put out more weird books like that, and possibly even finish and re-write the prequel that's focused on Francis and how he ended up in London. The only thing I know about sales expectations is that I know nothing. Thank you!
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Helena - Thank you. Francis is a very messed-up, angry puppy in that book. All I need to do really is research Wall Street, with which I'm a lot less familiar than London, so... it might take a while. Also, I promise, no prose versions of the phone book - I write largely to keep myself entertained and get the voices out of my head, and I've yet to be caught on a bunny I don't find interesting enough to keep working on something for a few months or years. :)
And re:time management - I have a very poor offline social life because I run home after work, cook, change, eat, exchange a few words with my partner and then hopefully write. :) I barely watch TV (sometimes I do boxed sets), but generally, I'm fairly focused. Unless I'm napping. I'm a world-class napper.
My offline social life is as good as nonexistent as well. Not so much from lack of time (although that does play a role at times) but because I'm no good in social situations (which is going to be fun when I come to London September 6th. I won't have met a single person before and the husband won't be with me to operate in his usual role of social facilitator). I've long since given up on TV (with the exception of QI)and don't really like watching movies. Time is a wonderous thing I find. There are days I seem to get far more done then should have been possible in the time available and others when my hours just seem to disappear before my eyes.I'm looking forward to angry, messed-up Francis. I'm in no hurry but will be reading his early story as soon as it is available.
I used to nap and love it. For some reason it doesn't happen anymore which is a shame. I miss my naps.
Letters from the Front
Aleksandr Voinov's blog on reading and writing.
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I may have said it in one of my reviews but I'll say it again. As far as I'm concerned you could write a new version of the telephone directory and it would probably keep me spellbound.
Good luck with your very hectic sounding life. To me it sounds as if you have more hours in your days than I do, although I guess it's probably a case of your managing your time better.