What's up, everyone! Yes, I know it's been more than a month since the last time I posted but sadly there hasn't been anything worth sharing for several weeks and I was busy finishing up with school. That being said, your patience has paid off, because I have some exciting news about The Cardorian Complex and its route to publication.
As many of you saw on Facebook last December, I mentioned that I was collaborating with Jennifer Manlowe from Life Design Publishing and that my book would probably be released during the fall of this year. For various reasons I won't get into, Jennifer and I decided to terminate our arrangement. I explained to her that I wasn't getting everything I wanted out of her service, and we parted on good terms. I didn't share this information with any of you at the time because I didn't want to deliver this news until I had a new course of action. And now, after months of careful research and exploring my options, I finally have one.
For those of you who don't know, I am a 4th year student at Western Washington University, which is located in Bellingham, WA. There is a local bookstore called Village Books that offers what's known as a self-publishing assistance service where, essentially, you agree to self-publish your book and they help you put all the pieces together by purchasing your ISBNs and hooking you up with freelancers to design the cover, etcetera. Please note that this is not the same thing as a Vanity Press. Trust me, I've done plenty of research and vetting to make sure their service is legitimate. A local professor at WWU affirmed that the people at Village Books do provide a viable service, and my editor, Chersti Nieveen, has also given them her stamp of approval.
I just finished having my final consultation with one of their employees and we devised a loose schedule for what we plan to accomplish throughout the rest of the year:
Between July 1st and August 31st, I will get in touch with local freelancers to design the book cover for both a hardback version, a paperback version, and an e-book version. I will also look for someone who will do the interior formatting. Since Chersti Nieveen is sending her edits for the The Cardorian Complex in early August, I will commit to having a complete final draft of TCC by September 1st.
Between September 1st and October 31st, I will work on formatting the interior of the book and attaching the cover to our online file. I will also be submitting PDFs of my book to Kirkus, Booklife, and Foreword Magazine to try and get some advanced reviews to put on the back of the cover. By the end of October, I should have a complete, tangible copy of the book.
During November, I will receive a hardback copy, a paperback copy and an e-book copy to read for myself to make sure everything looks right. This is what's called a "proof" copy. If everything looks good, the book will be available for release in 2019.
Please keep in mind that all of the aforementioned dates are just rough estimates and that some steps may come a little sooner or later. I will keep you updated with my blog posts if there is any significant information to report. I know I've kept you all waiting for a very long time, but I assure you that progress is being made, and you will see a lot get done during the remainder of 2018.
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Signing off,
JTB
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