Sad News; A Delay

Well, I’m feeling a bit sad and frustrated today. I’ll just cut to the chase:

The Lioness of Shara Mountain has been delayed.

The publisher sent an email out explaining that the funding they were expecting did not come through and the books they were hoping to publish have all been delayed by about a year.

So instead of coming out in three-ish months, it’s going to be fifteen-ish months.

I’m really sad about it. I was (am) so excited to bring this one out into the world, and to share it with you all. I was really getting excited as the release day approached. I had so much stuff planned to do to promote and celebrate. And now it’s not going to happen for another year.

To be completely honest, I knew it was coming, which is why I didn’t start the promotion stuff in November as I had planned. But I was hoping maybe something might come up last minute to save it, and so I was waiting until it was official to make the announcement myself.

With this uncertainty in publication, my anxiety-ridden brain is, of course, catastrophising. Will it get published at all now? I’m trying not to think about it too much, but the worry is there, in the back of my head.

Worst case scenario, what happens?

I don’t know how to answer that. Part of me is thinking that I’d like to self-publish it, but doing that cuts off the whole “get into books stores” wider distribution that comes with being traditionally published. Chances of me seeing it in a bookshop would be drastically reduced, if it happens at all. And I really want to see it on the shelf…

I’m just… sad about it right now.

I’m feeling quite defeated. I did struggle with feelings of wanting to quit for a while there… just… accept my fate as destined to slave away in the office until I die. I don’t have that in me, I think. Nearly as soon as that feeling cropped up, the little stubborn, spiteful gremlin in me starting fighting back.

For now, I’m going to wait. Hopefully The Lioness of Shara Mountain will see the light of day, and will be in bookshops, and will be successful.

Sorry to everyone who pre-ordered the book. It is still coming, as far as I know. It’s just going to be late.

Sorry.

Slán go foill.