This might be the first week where I’ve seriously wanted to quit. It’s been a frustrating week, or let’s be honest, a frustrating month. Some of it is probably my own fault—I thought moving my book onto more sites would be a simple process, but it has been anything but. I still haven’t managed to get my book on any new sites, and Draft2Digital has been constantly stuck on "PUBLISHING."
Then there's the new cover, which I’ll get into below. I even tried to give my book away for free, but only one person took a digital copy. It just makes you wonder what you're doing wrong.
🕵️ What's Happening with An American Treasure?
The short answer is: not a lot. The story is written, a few ARC readers have read it, and I have some minor edits to do. I really do need to get Book 2 out into the world, but An Irish Mystery is still taking up all my time and, more importantly, my money.
After saying Book 2 was coming out with a set title, I realized something was off with An Irish Mystery. After speaking with people and thinking it through, I decided the blurb wasn't right, and the cover didn't truly portray the book.
So, I rewrote the blurb and updated it on all my sites, including Amazon. I also updated it on Draft2Digital, which meant the publishing sequence started all over again—a wasted two weeks. I've added an ISBN number to An Irish Mystery, but I can't add my book anywhere else just yet because I'm still waiting for a new front cover.
🎨 The New Cover
I mentioned last week how disappointed I was with the design of the new front cover. Hopefully, after some consultation, we can get it right this time. I've learned a valuable lesson: don't just say, "I think this is what I want, check out these authors, and wait for a design." If you’re having a cover designed, make sure you're involved in the process. Ask for a preliminary sketch or a mood board before they start the full design. This ensures your vision aligns with theirs and you can fine-tune the design together.
💰 The Cost of a Hobby
All of this has unfortunately delayed the launch of An American Treasure. One reason is that I need to buy a program to edit and format my own books. I’ve decided on Atticus, which isn’t a huge cost, but it's still another expense. At this point, I have to treat this as a hobby because I’m not making any money from it. While I’ve sold some books, I’ve spent far more than I’ve made.
This is another reason I want to invest in Atticus. It will save me money in the long run. For An Irish Mystery, I spent just under £1000 to have it edited, designed, and formatted. With the right program, I can do this myself, especially now that I have a team who can edit and review my books for free.
Another reason for Book 2 stalling is the book cover—again! As any author knows, the cover is the first thing a potential reader sees. I need the new cover for Book 1 so I know what direction to go with for Book 2. It’s a bit of a catch-22, but the series needs to have a cohesive look.
🎬 What Else Is Going On?
I’ve been working on a book trailer! I actually started it about six months ago, knowing that I would eventually need one. If I can get my head around it and figure out how to display some key elements, I'm hoping to get this out to my newsletter readers as soon as possible.
You may also remember that I was going to write a prequel to the series as a permanent freebie. I'm exactly 10,100 words in and just need to finish it. But of course, once it's done, it will need a cover too—it all comes down to the cover!
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About Me:
Hello and welcome to Swmming Upstream the home of my blogs. I am D.C. Salmon and I write pulse-pounding adventure thrillers that blend real-life unsolved mysteries with modern-day action.
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