The one where I flew the coop

If you follow my Facebook page, you probably saw my vaguebooking about Changeling and the Siofra Chronicles in general. I hate vaguebooking but this is one of those instances where sharing details would be legit unprofessional.

So what I will say is that Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly was not the right home for this series. They do great things for some authors, or really it’s more likely that those authors would do amazing if Stalin was their publisher because that’s just the kind of people they are. I didn’t feel like Changeling was getting the right kind of support, or reaching the right kind of audiences, and therefore, they were not the right home for me.

My contract came with an easy out clause, but I was hesitant about taking it. I’ve spent the last six months or so, at least since RT, pondering the future of this series and my future with CHBB. At this time it is mutually beneficial to both CHBB and myself to part ways so I can walk away without feeling bad about it.

What does this mean for Changeling?

For now, it’s going to be unavailable while I sort through my options. After this experience I’m not even sure I want to deal with a small publisher again, and traditional publishers aren’t keen to pick up pre-published works unless they’ve sold FSOG numbers. So this series will be a full Self Pub, meaning I retain all control on dates, covers, etc.

What about the Dreaming?

Ah, The Dreaming. If you remember it was supposed to release in June, but didn’t because of the great hacking incident where my computer was wiped. If you ever want to send a writer into a state of absolute shock and paralysis, that will do it. I totally got where Stephanie Meyer was coming from with Midnight Sun after that. It was done! Signed, sealed ready to deliver! and then it was gone and I had to rewrite the entire thing.

So we tried to set a new date for September but my editor (I have never used CHBB in-house editors) was unavailable at that point so I’ve been sitting on it while I debated what to do with this series. Right now I’m planning on releasing the Dreaming shortly after I re-release Changeling in early to mid March.

What about the covers?

I paid for all covers, promo materials, etc out of my own pocket, but if I’m rebooting it, it’s a major reboot. I’m re-editing it with my amazing editor Mickey, Regina Wamba of Mae I Designs will be doing a new cover and Inkstain is scheduled to redo the interiors as well.  This means that when you get access to Changeling again, it’s going to be amazing from cover to cover, and hopefully the words do it justice.

In the meantime, I’m going to continue working on my nano projects and enjoying life. If there’s a lesson in all of this, it’s do your research. If someone tells you the sky is blue, don’t try and convince yourself it’s azure. Sometimes blue really is just blue.