Martyn Stanley's Blog - Posts Tagged "fantasy-adventure-series"
Plan of Action for the Release of book 3 'The Temple of the Mad God'
I was thinking about this last night, my content editor has finished going through 'The Verkreath Horror' I need a meeting to go through some minor edits. Then while he's working on book 1 I'm going to put Book 2 to a proof-reader to fine-tune the grammar and punctuation. Once books 1 and 2 are fully sorted, they are off to my literary agent and my intended illustrator (Daniel Johnson is the current likely candidate.) to have new covers designed.
Then when the new covers are done and the texts are really polished, I will release a full 2nd Edition of books 1 and 2. Finish up book 3, and this time put it through my content editor and proof-reader before passing it onto my illustrator for a cover and waiting for the new cover before I publish! Target date for book three 'The Temple of the Mad God' is being pushed back to about 15th December I think. The reason for this are down to personal reasons, why I haven't been able to spend as much time on it, the increased length over the first two books and the fact that I want to do things differently. I rushed books 1 and 2 out to gain some momentum, get some feedback and build awareness. I have those things, I get mixed criticism, but mostly very positive feedback. So I now really want 'Deathsworn Arc 3 : The Temple of the Mad God' to be great on it's first release and not need to publish as many revisions as the first two books. I expect to raise the price once all the three books are what I consider 'finished' but that's to be decided yet. If I can move to the traditional publishing model it might be that I don't have control over pricing any more.
I am sorry about the wait, but it will be worth it. 'Deathsworn Arc 3 : The Temple of the Mad God' is going to be best yet!
Martyn
Then when the new covers are done and the texts are really polished, I will release a full 2nd Edition of books 1 and 2. Finish up book 3, and this time put it through my content editor and proof-reader before passing it onto my illustrator for a cover and waiting for the new cover before I publish! Target date for book three 'The Temple of the Mad God' is being pushed back to about 15th December I think. The reason for this are down to personal reasons, why I haven't been able to spend as much time on it, the increased length over the first two books and the fact that I want to do things differently. I rushed books 1 and 2 out to gain some momentum, get some feedback and build awareness. I have those things, I get mixed criticism, but mostly very positive feedback. So I now really want 'Deathsworn Arc 3 : The Temple of the Mad God' to be great on it's first release and not need to publish as many revisions as the first two books. I expect to raise the price once all the three books are what I consider 'finished' but that's to be decided yet. If I can move to the traditional publishing model it might be that I don't have control over pricing any more.
I am sorry about the wait, but it will be worth it. 'Deathsworn Arc 3 : The Temple of the Mad God' is going to be best yet!
Martyn
'The Temple of the Mad God'
Well, part 3 is progressing nicely! My volunteer editor is now going through the first half of part 3, and I'm now over 51,000 words. There's still a long way to go though! It is going to be bigger, in fact it's going to be huge. I can't see it being less than 100,000 at the moment, but after careful deliberation I've decided not to break up the books again. I did think book 3 could have become, 'Deathsworn Arc 3 : The Blood Trials' but it's starting to get ridiculous! So I'm going to press on and release a late, but double the expected size. 'Deathsworn Arc 3 : The Temple of the Mad God'
It's coming, I know it's late, but it will be worth the wait!
Martyn
It's coming, I know it's late, but it will be worth the wait!
Martyn
Deathsworn Arc : The Verkreath Horror and The Blood Queen
I'm aching to get the definitive Verkreath Horror up! The cover is amazing, I'm going to crop the faces and put them in the first book for the portraits. I actually already did this for a handful of review copies. I think it'll look amazing.
I'm still ploughing through an initial edit of 'The Blood Queen' I think it's a great story, its got a really different feel to the first two books, now that the 'Truth' is revealed. You really do start to get a picture, if a hazy one of who Vashni is by the end of the book.
I sincerely apologise for the long wait for the final Verkreath and 'The Blood Queen' but I really think it will be worth it!
I have decided to release an anthology of books 1, 2 and 3 too - the anthology will have the old image I used for book 1 for the cover I think, but I will include the new covers in the file as well - as I think they look amazing!
I'm still ploughing through an initial edit of 'The Blood Queen' I think it's a great story, its got a really different feel to the first two books, now that the 'Truth' is revealed. You really do start to get a picture, if a hazy one of who Vashni is by the end of the book.
I sincerely apologise for the long wait for the final Verkreath and 'The Blood Queen' but I really think it will be worth it!
I have decided to release an anthology of books 1, 2 and 3 too - the anthology will have the old image I used for book 1 for the cover I think, but I will include the new covers in the file as well - as I think they look amazing!
The Blood Queen.
It's drawing closer!
I have an incredible cover, it looks great. Theoretically it just needs lettering - but something seems somehow off with it? I don't know what though! There just seems something isn't quite how it should be?
I love it and in many ways it seems perfect - but there's something I can't put my finger on...
I still need to finish editing and polishing it of course. I need to start thinking about my blurb too. I've never been too happy with my book 1 and 2 blurbs, I don't think they're very enticing - but I don't really know how I could improve them, without spoiling some of the big plot twists.
Book 3 also has the companions facing confrontations with the Isharian Church. I think the atheist aspect of the books is important - yet people don't seem to pick up on it... Part of me thinks I should shout about the atheism, because it's subtle and part of me thinks I should leave it in - but not mention and let people discover for themselves. I am trying to be balanced. The Isharian Church has it's problems, and is responsible for evil in Torea, but I want to portray it as also responsible for good!
I wish I could get it out sooner - I'm really waiting for time to sit down with my editor at the moment, and I need to work out what needs changing about the cover. It's really special though, so I don't want to share it until it's ready.
I will get there! Sorry for the long delay, I just want it to be as good as possible before I release it this time.
Martyn
I have an incredible cover, it looks great. Theoretically it just needs lettering - but something seems somehow off with it? I don't know what though! There just seems something isn't quite how it should be?
I love it and in many ways it seems perfect - but there's something I can't put my finger on...
I still need to finish editing and polishing it of course. I need to start thinking about my blurb too. I've never been too happy with my book 1 and 2 blurbs, I don't think they're very enticing - but I don't really know how I could improve them, without spoiling some of the big plot twists.
Book 3 also has the companions facing confrontations with the Isharian Church. I think the atheist aspect of the books is important - yet people don't seem to pick up on it... Part of me thinks I should shout about the atheism, because it's subtle and part of me thinks I should leave it in - but not mention and let people discover for themselves. I am trying to be balanced. The Isharian Church has it's problems, and is responsible for evil in Torea, but I want to portray it as also responsible for good!
I wish I could get it out sooner - I'm really waiting for time to sit down with my editor at the moment, and I need to work out what needs changing about the cover. It's really special though, so I don't want to share it until it's ready.
I will get there! Sorry for the long delay, I just want it to be as good as possible before I release it this time.
Martyn
