As a reader kindly reminded me this week, it has been too long since I’ve posted an update on the status of book 4. I’ve been trying to put as much as possible on the back burner, including posting here, while I push to finish the book. So here’s where I am on it.
Short version: I’m in good position to finish writing The Long Hunt by the end of September. Then the draft will go to my group of volunteer editors, who will read it and give me their feedback and suggestions on the story itself, plus corrections of typographical errors, missed words, etc. that I did not catch first time around.
The next step will be my review of the manuscript, in light of the comments I receive, and I’ll make any revisions I think necessary. I have not, on the first three books, needed to do extensive revisions, so I anticipate this stage of the process shouldn’t take too long. Also during this stage will be the another proof reading by me for typographical errors
Once the manuscript is in its final form, then the process of turning it into a book begins. I’ll need to come up with a cover design, working with my friend, computer wizard, and fellow author Luc Reid, who has helped me create the new covers for the first three books. I’ll need to format the book in Amazon’s Kindle format, and Luc will format first the print and then the EPub e-book versions—Epub is the format used by all e-book distributors except Amazon. Each version must be carefully proof read, to ensure that during formatting typographical errors did not get created.
My goal is to release the print and Kindle versions simultaneously, and follow with e-book versions for Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other distribution networks as quickly thereafter as the EPub version can be finalized.
These steps all take time—lots of time—but barring some unforeseen disaster, we’re in very good position to get book 4 of the Strongbow Saga out to readers in 2013.
Once the actual writing is finished—hopefully in just a few weeks—I’ll post again, and talk a little about the story, and where the series is going.
Is the rough draft done yet??
Didn’t quite make it by the end of the month. I have about three more scenes to write in the last chapter, so it’s very close.