Writing • Page 38

thanks for the advice! you're right, this will be my baby and I want the best for it (lol). To be fair, I had no real idea what the price range for this kind of thing is - minimal research told me anywhere from $500-$1500. I selected a range of 700-800 but I think the 2 designers who declined have worked for some big names and that's way below their range

 

Oh god that is pricey. But I suppose if they’re creating an original piece AND making it a cover, that makes sense. I would suggest continue searching and comparing prices. It might be cheaper to also contact designers directly. When you do it through a service, there’s usually a copay.

 

@theagentcoma are you self-publishing?

 

That's the plan!

 

Make sure your cover is to genre (I think you’re heading that way based on what I read), but also… changing your cover is simply as simple as uploading a new one. If you can afford a $50 text one to get it up and in front of people, you can pay for your illustrated one of your dreams later.

 

I think this is the way I'm leaning. Going hard on a super flashy custom illustration isn't my top priority at the moment. I'll probably do either typography or minimal object art. Illustrations can come with the super special edition some day /s

 

In the last two months, I’ve spotted my fiction novella out in the wild—on display at a bookstore I’d never been to before (on the actual anniversary of the events taking place in my book), and a friend just sent me a photo of a stranger reading it on the subway.

It really feels as surreal and amazing as you’d expect it to feel. That book, that story was once just my teenage dream.

 

this is so cool!

 

New Ceremonies by Mick Malone – Midsummer Dream House

I don't write as often as I used to and submitting to mags is absolute hell so I never do it, but this place reached out so I sent them some new stuff and they published this poem.

 

well I just finished editing the last chapter of the third draft. I've two interludes I need to edit and then fit it all together, and then it's off to beta readers.

speaking of which, fore those of you here who have gotten to that point, where did you find your beta readers? how thorough were you about the process?

 

It’s best to get readers you trust. Other authors is ideal. Other authors in your genre and who understand your vision is even more ideal. Another option, facebook groups and crowdsourcing on author pages. A swap for a swap is usually fair. Sometimes you get people just willing to read. Be careful who you share with though.

How long is it? I may be down depending on length

 

Yeah I think most of them will be other authors in the same genre, maybe only one actual friend. And it's about 138,000 words so not exactly a novella lol. And that's before I cut another 40k words

 

f it I need help with my blurb in a bad way, so I'm posting it here. Any and all feedback is appreciated. 150k words and I can't sum it up in a paragraph or two:

Aliss Cistalion has never been outside the walls of the Hallowed City. But when her mother's influence as an esteemed Empire veteran lands her a coveted promotion, she's thrust into a turbulent world of intrigue and zealotry. Soon after, rumors surface of a relic left behind by the Dha'lnar, believed to hold the power to restore the dying Empire's glory. Determine to prove herself, Aliss accepts the mission to seek out the truth of these rumors.

Unfortunately, the relic is deep within the borders of the Protectorate, long-hated enemies of the Luviatran Empire, and they've mobilized their own forces to seize it. Aliss and her squad of battle-hardened veterans, loathe to accept the command of an untried leader, must not only reach it first, but get out alive.

If she fails, her mother's work will have been for nothing, leaving Aliss disgraced and the Empire on a path to ruin.

 

Yeah, that is too long for me to read at this point in time. My apologies. If you get it to 80-90K i'd be more available for something like that. I recommend maybe asking in facebook author groups, or even GoodReads community forums (i'm sure there are also writing discords). it's also just really good to find community for things like this. drafting a novel is def a solo effort but as you approach the finish line, it becomes more a group effort than you'd expect.

It's a little synopsy, wordy, and long. You might want to give it more of an "advertising" flair. Here is the same blurb but just with less words.

Aliss Cistalion has never been outside the Hallowed City. But when her mother's influence as an esteemed Luviatran Empire veteran lands Aliss a promotion, she's thrust into a turbulent world of intrigue and zealotry (*choose one and stick with it).

Tasked to investigate a magical relic with restorative power, Aliss and her squad of battle-hardened veterans venture deep within the Protectorate. There, they must face the long-hated enemies of the Luviatran Empire, as they too mobilize forces to seize the relic. If she fails, her mother's work will have been for nothing, leaving the Empire on a path to ruin.

 

Hey thanks for taking a look, and no worries on the reading - I realize it's a big ask. I don't even know what iteration I'm on with this blurb so any feedback is helpful

 

Of course, happy to help. Mine was just a quick pass and could probably use more of that movie trailer voice I was talking about. Like asking the reader “Will she be able to yadda-yadda before the yadda?”

 

"But you yadda-yadda'd over the best part!"

 

No, they mentioned the bisque.

 

sending out the official call to beta readers tomorrow, very scary feeling

 

Congrats on the big step! Getting and applying beta-reader feedback is one of my favorite parts of the process TBH.

 

This is in its final editing phase and a little over 40K words. We're sending it to the publisher's (Thirty West Publishing) in-house editor on Thursday!!! IT'S GOING TO BE A BOOK THIS SUMMER.

So insane this happened this quickly.

 

got this note from one of my beta readers, and it's the best feedback I've received to date

 

so the cover artist returned the finished design to me, and it ruulleeeeeessss

 

reveallll

 

Friday!