This August I am expecting to release my third book, Thicker Than Blood. I meant to post this as soon as I wrote up my detailed plans for publication, but unfortunately life gets hectic. I wanted to share my plans with you so you can see my process. August is only a couple months away, and I’m very eager to release the book.
May
For the month of May my main focus is finishing first edits on the hard copies of every chapter in the book. Some chapters I've mentioned before are already finished, but those revisions still need to be added to the digital copy of my book (on the computer). Even if I complete one chapter each day that gives me at least 28 days more or less to finish with that -more than enough time. I broke down my tasks in a way so it is not overwhelming, but keep in mind I can do more than one chapter if time permits.
Already I am 38% through with these edits. Once I edit the hard copy, I add all of that onto the digital copy. The copy on my computer is already formatted in the 6x9 template for Createspace.
June
By June I should have the first round of edits done. If not, I still have some extra time to work on them. My main focus for this month will be round 2 edits. This consists of checking for details, answering any questions, verifying information, and polishing everything. Working with a series requires checking back in the other books to make sure the plot and timeline continue moving in the right direction. I want to make sure nothing is left out, character develop properly, and the book fits in with the series. Again the goal here is to work on at least one chapter a day. During June I’ll also have some extra time to work on the book since school will let out (hence days off of work for me).
Expect a sign-up list (posted here on my blog) available for anyone interested in the cover reveal happening in July during this time.
July
If all goes as planned, July will be an exciting month. With all the edits complete, I can focus solely on formatting. This involved checking fonts and appearance, running the document through Amazon to verify it’s set, etc. I’ll also be ordering my hard proof copy of the book at this time to make sure everything is how it should be. (Expect to see pictures.) Once I have the hard copy I’ll re-read and approve it once it meets my expectations. This is also the time when I will be deciding on the price for both paperback and ebook versions of the book. The pricing won’t be revealing until release day.
The more exciting part: cover reveal time! I’ll be revealing the official cover for TTB -both the book cover and the book jacket. The reveal will be hosted on Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and various other social media websites. I’ll be posting the cover up on my instagram as well if you follow me on there. Somehow I managed to keep the cover a secret all this time, and I can’t wait to finally let the curtain down. If you’re already interested in being a part of the reveal, let me know.
August
By the start of August I’ll be announcing a release date.
Once I have the hard proof copy and approve it everything is set for publication. The ebook I publish through Amazon's KDP, so I'll be going through and making sure that is all set. I may be able to convert the original document to ebook format, and if not I know how to set it up to be acceptable for ebook. I had a little trouble with this last time when I published SandE, but this time I know what I'm working with and am giving myself more than enough time.
I’ll be hosting a release countdown on my blog as I always do for my books. There will be a release party, which once again I’ll be asking for participants.
Whew, that's a lot! I have a lot of work ahead of me, and some parts are laid back just to ensure I don't get overwhelmed and hit an obstacle. August sounds like a perfect month to release the book, and I hope you’re eager to read Alaire’s story. Until then, keep checking in for more news.
Lindsey R. Sablowski
