This time last year I had yet to publish my debut novel, The Serpent Sword. In the end I released it in April and since then, I have been living the hectic life of an independently-published author. This means that I need to promote the book as well as write the next one(s), all while keeping the day job going and the family reasonably happy. It is not easy to balance everything, but it is rewarding.
Since the release of The Serpent Sword, it has sold thousands of copies and garnered over a hundred reviews on Amazon.co.uk and edging towards a hundred on Amazon.com. And with over a hundred ratings on Goodreads, it has been a great nine months. For this, I owe a huge thanks to all the readers who have taken the time to leave a review. It is great to get an email or a message telling me you've enjoyed my book, but it is even better for others to be able to see the comments too. It takes only minutes, but makes a huge difference to the success of books. Readers trust readers.
One of the best reviews came from the Historical Novel Society, a prestigious global organisation that awarded The Serpent Sword Editor's Choice and Long-listed it for the HNS Indie Award 2016! Sadly, it did not make the short list, but not bad going for my first book!
I have done lots of interviews with other authors, and also with book promoters and reviewers. The support has been amazing.
Whilst doing all the interviews and promotions, I've also managed to prepare the second book, The Cross and the Curse, for release on 22nd January. I worked on the cover myself (as I did for The Serpent Sword) and got help from a friend, Stephen Weatherly, who took the great cover photo, and Matt Bunker, a living history expert in the period from the group Wulfheodenas, who graciously agreed to pose for the image (it is his gear on the cover the The Serpent Sword too).
As well as all of that, I even found time to write the first draft of book three of the Bernicia Chronicles, By Blood and Blade. I hope to have that book ready for release this summer and I will be working on another book soon.
I am sure 2016 will prove to be just as busy, exciting and rewarding as 2015. As well as the plan of releasing two new novels, there are other things in the works that I will announce in time. I hope you will stick with me for the ride.
Once again, thanks for helping make 2015 such a good year for me and the Bernicia Chronicles and here's to an even better 2016!
Since the release of The Serpent Sword, it has sold thousands of copies and garnered over a hundred reviews on Amazon.co.uk and edging towards a hundred on Amazon.com. And with over a hundred ratings on Goodreads, it has been a great nine months. For this, I owe a huge thanks to all the readers who have taken the time to leave a review. It is great to get an email or a message telling me you've enjoyed my book, but it is even better for others to be able to see the comments too. It takes only minutes, but makes a huge difference to the success of books. Readers trust readers.
One of the best reviews came from the Historical Novel Society, a prestigious global organisation that awarded The Serpent Sword Editor's Choice and Long-listed it for the HNS Indie Award 2016! Sadly, it did not make the short list, but not bad going for my first book!
I have done lots of interviews with other authors, and also with book promoters and reviewers. The support has been amazing.
Whilst doing all the interviews and promotions, I've also managed to prepare the second book, The Cross and the Curse, for release on 22nd January. I worked on the cover myself (as I did for The Serpent Sword) and got help from a friend, Stephen Weatherly, who took the great cover photo, and Matt Bunker, a living history expert in the period from the group Wulfheodenas, who graciously agreed to pose for the image (it is his gear on the cover the The Serpent Sword too).
As well as all of that, I even found time to write the first draft of book three of the Bernicia Chronicles, By Blood and Blade. I hope to have that book ready for release this summer and I will be working on another book soon.
I am sure 2016 will prove to be just as busy, exciting and rewarding as 2015. As well as the plan of releasing two new novels, there are other things in the works that I will announce in time. I hope you will stick with me for the ride.
Once again, thanks for helping make 2015 such a good year for me and the Bernicia Chronicles and here's to an even better 2016!
No comments:
Post a Comment