Since the manuscript for A Fool’s Errand went off to my editor, I think I’ve gone crazy only three times so far. I don’t have many finger nails left either 🙂

In truth after a couple of weeks of pretending I wasn’t a writer, I have been busy reading the book on my kindle app, to get a feel for it after a break, and more importantly dug book two out of the cupboard, and started back on it.

I’ve also been planning out a new podcast I am starting all about the process I’ve been through and I’ll talk more about how my first draft became two books in an episode of that. Stay tuned for that.

I’ve been applying the processes I developed through the editing of A Fool’s Errand to put the nearly 90,000 words of book two into shape, and revisiting some characters I introduced there whom I love.

I have three weeks messing about on this before I get the original manuscript back and then it will be a race to get the book ready for my beta readers and proof reader.

I’ve been starting to look at some of the marketing strategies for the launch in September, and while I won’t be making a huge fuss of it, I’ll be wanting to get it out there.

Current plan is a September launch and then April 1 launch for book 2.

Key Work of Late:

• Reviewing Book 2 manuscript
• Outlining the existing book 2 manuscript and filling in some of the missing elements
• Reviewing character profiles and the map
• Sending off a brief for the book 2 cover
• Working out when I’ll release the map and cover for book 1

Well the time has arrived, and today the manuscript for A Fool’s Errand has gone off to my editor. For a first time author this is quite a big moment. It’s both exciting and a little nerve racking.

One of the challenges in transitioning from “I’m writing a book” to “publishing a book” is being able to let go. Handing the book over to someone else to review, edit and critique is a personal challenge, but it’s the only way to get the book done.

There’s always a moment in any project where you have to say that enough is enough and it has to be set free. This week that happened for me and now I get to sit nervously and wait on what comes back.

In fact now I have to catch up on all the things I put off, like fixing some things on this site, reworking my newsletter and in general preparing for publishing.

What happens next?

1. I get to wait for the best part of 2 months for the manuscript to come bacl
2. I then review and re-edit the manuscript based on the feedback and changes suggested
3. When it’s ready it will be going to both my Beta readers and also my proof reader
4. I get that all back within 4 weeks
5. I review and do any editing required
6. It gets published!

I’ll be cleaning up the wiki I have for the series, starting to pull out book 2 and start my story grid spreadsheet on that in preparation for taking the 80,000 odd words already written and building out a full novel from it.

Key Work of Late:

• Editing the book
• Chewing my nails

2020 has been an interesting year so far. I’ve been quiet here because I’ve simply been sprinting towards the finish line.

I interviewed and selected an editor for A Fool’s Errand which made everything much more tangible. An original date for handing over the manuscript has had to be modified a little due to changing availability because of Covid-19.

The great news is that at the end of April, the manuscript will be out of my hands and off with my editor. That will be very strange for me, because there will be nothing I can do for 2 months while it gets treated.

At the moment we believe August will be our publishing month. I’d love it to be earlier but I can’t see it.

When I hand that over it will be time to go back to working on Book 2. Which has a targeted hand over date of Dec 31.

Key Work of Late:

• Editing the book
• More editing
• More more editing
• Interviewing and choosing an editor
• Prepping this site and other materials for publication