Aaaannnddd the third draft of The Warden of Everfeld: Memento is…..

Not quite complete. Surprise! Good things are on the way, however.

I know I said that I would finish Manuscript: Charlie by February 28, but considering I disappeared on a surprise business trip for three days, I’m giving myself a pass.

I am currently working on the very last section, which consists of one normal chapter, one short chapter, and an epilogue that amounts to maybe two pages of text. I’m very close.

The reason for the hangup is that my editor suggested I add some meat to these final sections to bolster the ending and tie off a couple of the character arcs more completely.

So I’m in the midst of writing a brand new section, perhaps 2,000 words, and then padding existing sections with some more detail.

I’ll finish all of that this weekend, which means…

I need to figure out where to go from here.

What Comes Next…?

The third draft is not my final. I know that. I’ll probably send the newly written section to my editor for a spot-check. A couple read-throughs are also in order to ensure I haven’t missed anything, and to ensure that certain details are consistent throughout the novel. I’ve been keeping notes for such things to check back on after the third draft is complete.

Now, however, I also need to start looking into the logistics to publish the thing. That includes…

1. Buying ISBNs and bar codes
2. Finding a book designer within my budget and timeline
3. Preparing my CreateSpace and KDP accounts for publication
4. Preparing my marketing campaigns (!!!) for pre-sale
5. Preparing the final, formatted manuscript for publication
6. Laying out my pre-sale and publish dates, including pricing

So once Manuscript: Charlie is done, I’m turning my attention towards the business side of publishing, at least for a few days.

Goals for 3/9

1. Finish Manuscript: Charlie this weekend
2. Find and reach out to at least one book design company
3. Purchase ISBNs and a bar code
4. Wake up earlier

Steve D