I wasn't planning on doing any writing update-type posts for a while but I has the excitements right now and excited S.C. wants to share.
Also, this is probably technically more a publishing update than a writing update but what are ya gonna do?
So the primary reason for my excitements is that I've seen cover mockups for both Book 1 (Miltan Epsilon) and Book 2 (Chak'r'Das) of the Jazz Healy, Reunion series. Yes, they're only mockups but they look awesome! I gave the artist I'm working with my vision for the covers and I think they've nailed it even more perfectly than I could've imagined. If the mockups look this good, then I reckon the finished product can't look anything but super-amazing.
This is an artist I've worked with before, L.E. Badillo. L.E. did some covers and banners for Comets & Criminals, the short fiction e-zine I edited and published a few years back, and always had a knack for understanding exactly what I wanted and then creating it.
In due course I might share the mockups but not just yet. Don't want to go jumping the gun! Seeing as I'm self-publishing perhaps jumping the gun isn't the right term but I'm sure you know what I mean. Ducks in a row and all that stuff.
On a side note, the other day I saw someone on Twitter say, "hitting the nail on the caughin'". I'm still not sure whether that was a genius mixing of two sayings plus a purposeful misspell of coffin to create an accent or something else.
Anyway, back to writing/publishing talk. I've finished the final edits on Miltan Epsilon, Book 1 of the Jazz Healy Series. Well, mostly finished. I ended by changing the opening up a bit so will let that sit for a few days before I give it my final approval. It's kinda fun, being both the writer and the various editors. I have some hella good arguments with myself, I can tell you that right now, though I haven't quite got to the point where I'm sending myself angry - sorry, 'animated' - emails rejecting all my suggestions.
Now that the Miltan Epsilon edits are finished I'm moving straight into final edits on Chak'r'Das. To clarify, neither of these edits are content/line edits. Those have been and gone. These are more copyedits plus changing any obvious stuff that doesn't flow well that I missed previously. And fiddling with the openings. Because openings are the hardest part to get right yet imo the most important part when it comes to hooking readers.
Once Chak'r'Das is done it'll be time to get both manuscripts formatted for publishing. Then I'll get to the content/line edits for Book 4, Bil'Tross, after which I'll get to final edits on Book 3, Garbadon Major, and then hopefully write the first draft of Book 1 of Next Series Set in a Completely Different Universe.
I'm on track for a release date of May 4th, 2021 for Books 1 & 2. Book 3 is scheduled for July 6th, while Book 4 is set to drop September 7th (apparently Tuesday is the best day of the week for media releases, or so the internet tells me!). Mark the dates, yo!
Finally (thanks for reading, by the way), next week I'm planning on posting a free-to-read short story. The one I have in mind has already been published but is not available for free anywhere else. It'll be a quick but (hopefully) fun read.
See you then!
S.C. Mae