Post your Progress Thread

**MLSawyer** · October 26th, 2011, 04:43 AM

The biggest part of my progress is waiting... Just waiting for book 2 (Tallen) to arrive in time for my December launch. In the mean time, have a few books to read (including two from authors from sff world), am half way through putting book 3 through critters and I'm getting Married on Saturday...

Life is good

**kmtolan** · October 26th, 2011, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by MLSawyer

and I'm getting Married on Saturday...

Life is good

And that got in there last?? (grin) Congratulations!

Kerry (who just finished Battle Dancer's errata sheet)

**MLSawyer** · October 26th, 2011, 08:05 PM

kmtolan - Not last by any means but when there is so much focus on it between my mother, grandmother and the rest of the family... it gets a little tiring. They're stressing more than I am!

That and I'm trying to sort out my launch and a few other appearances in Dec considering for the majority of November - I'll be on the honeymoon taking a bit of a break from all of the writing, promoting, contacting reviewers and so on... definatly not enough hours in the day!

**El-Aura** · October 27th, 2011, 07:17 PM

I have finished my first book The Golden Staff Saga: The Pillar of Light which tells the story of Elena an ordinary girl from Earth who ends up in the world of El-Tepora. Once there Elena is told she must retrieve the stolen gems in order to save the world.

I have also finished the second book in the series The Golden Staff Saga: The Pillar of Water which continues Elena's journey to the water world to retrieve the water gem. The first edit is complete and I am three chapters into the second edit.

for more information or a sample of the Pillar of Light visit my website at www.christinaneely.com

**nealdooley** · October 28th, 2011, 01:25 PM

I don't know what came over me but 39 days ago I decided I was going to write my first book. I am deep into the meat of the story now and have just crested a WIP count of 60K. Whew!

After feeling out how much it is going to cost to have a cover illustration done I decided to make it one novel instead of 5 sequential novellas as suggestd in my earlier post. :-)

Can anyone point me to a good, reasonably priced, editor to help me clean up my mess when I am done? Thanks!

thoughtmage.blogspot.com

**Window Bar** · October 28th, 2011, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by nealdooley

I don't know what came over me but 39 days ago I decided I was going to write my first book. I am deep into the meat of the story now and have just crested a WIP count of 60K. Whew!

Great pace! Moving that fast, it will probably take a lot of re-working, but at least the story will have a full-energy trajectory.

Good luck!

**nealdooley** · October 29th, 2011, 07:55 AM

Thanks Window! What did you have to do to get your book e-published in the UK and France? Do you get many sales over in France?

I am hoping to publish my book in January on Smashwords and Amazon Kindle.

www.thoughtmage.blogspot.com

**sullivan_riyria** · October 29th, 2011, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by nealdooley

I don't know what came over me but 39 days ago I decided I was going to write my first book. I am deep into the meat of the story now and have just crested a WIP count of 60K. Whew!

After feeling out how much it is going to cost to have a cover illustration done I decided to make it one novel instead of 5 sequential novellas as suggestd in my earlier post. :-)

Can anyone point me to a good, reasonably priced, editor to help me clean up my mess when I am done? Thanks!

thoughtmage.blogspot.com

Congratulations on taking the plunge!

**Window Bar** · October 30th, 2011, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by nealdooley

Thanks Window! What did you have to do to get your book e-published in the UK and France? Do you get many sales over in France?

I am hoping to publish my book in January on Smashwords and Amazon Kindle.

www.thoughtmage.blogspot.com

Hi Neal--

You've answered your own question. By going with Amazon, you'll be in the UK, France and Germany. By going with Smashwords (which includes Apple, among others), you'll be in virtually all European countries... they just added 26 more countries. KoboBooks (another Smashwords player) just signed a big UK deal, which will mean more exposure there; but KoboBooks has some technology issues they need to to deal with.

Concerning France, I don't believe I've sold anything there yet, but they're a relatively new market for all the distributors. The UK has been my best market, outstripping even the US. Take this with a grain of salt, however. My single title is a moderate seller, not a best seller.

-- WB

**MrBF1V3** · November 2nd, 2011, 10:22 AM

... two steps back.

As some of you know I'm epublished, but accd. to contract I'm supposed to get some kind of royalty in the Sept/Oct time frame.

--nothing. No answer to my emails.

In the contract if I have a concern I can contact them, and they have ninety days to address my concerns. It's a small company, maybe someone was in a car wreck or something. Maybe someone forgot to put it on their calendar, and hasn't been checking his mail.

Anyway, once I finish my carefully worded letter, the clock will be ticking.

Sigh.

B5

**Carlyle Clark** · November 2nd, 2011, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by MrBF1V3

... two steps back.

As some of you know I'm epublished, but accd. to contract I'm supposed to get some kind of royalty in the Sept/Oct time frame.

--nothing. No answer to my emails.

In the contract if I have a concern I can contact them, and they have ninety days to address my concerns. It's a small company, maybe someone was in a car wreck or something. Maybe someone forgot to put it on their calendar, and hasn't been checking his mail.

Anyway, once I finish my carefully worded letter, the clock will be ticking.

Sigh.

B5

Check your contract. Mine says a check will only be sent if the royalties total a certain amount. If not then it's added to the next bi-annual check and carried over until that minimum is reached. I believe Amazon has a similar policy.

I don't remember what the minimum was but it was low. Perhaps your royalties didn't reach that minimum if you have one?

**MrBF1V3** · November 2nd, 2011, 11:17 PM

Yeah CC, there is a minimum, with the exception of third party sales (Smashwords) which are to be paid bi-annually. Maybe I'm reading it wrong, so this was my question in the email I sent two weeks ago. I hope this is all a misunderstanding, but I would think they'd let me know.

I'm worried.

B5

**nealdooley** · November 4th, 2011, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by Window Bar

Hi Neal--

You've answered your own question. By going with Amazon, you'll be in the UK, France and Germany. By going with Smashwords (which includes Apple, among others), you'll be in virtually all European countries... they just added 26 more countries. KoboBooks (another Smashwords player) just signed a big UK deal, which will mean more exposure there; but KoboBooks has some technology issues they need to to deal with.

Concerning France, I don't believe I've sold anything there yet, but they're a relatively new market for all the distributors. The UK has been my best market, outstripping even the US. Take this with a grain of salt, however. My single title is a moderate seller, not a best seller.

-- WB

Thanks Window, it will be interesting to see how this plays out when I hit the 'publish' button... How many sales is considered 'moderate' if you don't mind sharing?

**Window Bar** · November 5th, 2011, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by nealdooley

Thanks Window, it will be interesting to see how this plays out when I hit the 'publish' button... How many sales is considered 'moderate' if you don't mind sharing?

Sure, I'd be happy to talk numbers with you, but I'd rather that part of the conversation be kept private. SFF doesn't yet allow PMs to be sent to you, so I can send you an e-mail if you'd like.

Best -- WB

**BettyCross** · November 6th, 2011, 11:26 AM

I'm seriously looking at buying Campaign Cartographer 3, with some of the nice add-ons. I figure the alternative would be to hire an artist to do my maps. Anybody got any other suggestions for map-making software?

Betty Cross