AH! I'm So Excited!

Alright, I am writing about this because I've got jumping beans in my belly and I have to say something or I'll explode! I'm super excited! Why? Because The Timbercreek Incident is almost here!

I have, at long last, come up with two book covers that I quite like. Voting for the Starlings to choose which will be the subscriber exclusive cover, and which will be the general release cover is currently underway. I don't have that many subscribers, so I don't expect they'll need the full two weeks I've granted for voting before it's decided. But still, I am really excited to have reached this stage.

What remains will be fixing up the interior, including adding a disclaimer, because I am stressed that the story is a little too similar to another piece of media... much to my disappointment. I mean, I know most everything is derivative, but lordy did it take me aback when I realised it.

Now, I technically haven't raised the amount I need to get this book out into the world (I'm sitting about 67%), so if I want to bring this out in Q2, I'll be borrowing against the future. I may have to, because I simply cannot contain my excitement. I might also open up to pre-orders and use any money coming in from that to help finance the actual release. If I decide to do that, I would advise the Starlings to not pre-order this one. You will be getting your own special version to order, which I'm hoping will be ready in October. I don't know that there are enough non-subscribed readers out there to make pre-ordering worth it, but I suppose it'll be worth a shot.

What's a good timeline for pre-orders? Do I start them three months out? Six? One? Hm. I need to do some research.

With the book being nearly ready, I need to start planning a marketing campaign for the book. I'm planning on tapping into TikTok for brief videos that I can port over to Facebook and Insta Reels. For that, I need to decide a publication date. For that I need to decide whether or not I'm going to borrow funds from the future (I probably am).

I had looked into uploading an advanced reader copy to Net Galley, but that is hideously expensive. Just goes to show, success might be luck, but money sure helps. So I might offer a few digital copies to read for folks who want it early and offer reviews. I am legitimately scared to be getting reviews for this one. I do really like it, but I have notoriously bad taste in entertainment (for example, I loved the 2005 movie Doom), and there's a lot to worry about with this one.

With the marketing planned (soon, I hope), I need to start on the design for the special edition book. I want cool chapter headings, possibly some illustrations, with a dramatis personae (perhaps in the form of personnel files), and bestiary, and a report on the stages of infection. I already know what the sprayed edges will be. I also have to decide if I'll offer a hardcover option or not. I don't think it's long enough to warrant that, but perhaps with all the extras it might be?

There is still much volunteer work that is taking up my evenings, but once that's clear, I think I'll be able to get some of these extras done when I'm done my painting sessions in the evenings.

The extra stuff will mean extra bills from the interior designer (and rightly so). I am hoping that this books sells well enough that I can afford it without dipping into my savings. We'll see.

Anyway, it's all so close that I'm practically buzzing... and I just realised that that was a pun. I'm not infected, promise (or am I?).

That joke won't work unless you've read the book.

Alright, I have a lot of stuff to do. Heading off now.

Slán go foill!