Hatrack River Writers Workshop: My book is OUT!!

This is topic My book is OUT!! in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

I just received word from my publisher that the e-book version of my first novel, "Touch of Fate," is available through her website starting TODAY!

http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com/TouchofFate_ch1.html

The book will be available through the big ebook distributors including Fictionwise in a couple of weeks, and it will be released as a trade paperback this Spring.

In the meantime, I am just riding a high. This is so exciting, I can't even tell you. This may sound corny, but I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone at Hatrack and especially to Kathleen. I've been here for 3_1/2 years now and this place has been a big part of my success. I know I'm not the first and I also know I won't be the last!

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

My publisher wanted me to add that the ebook is half off for the next week in an attempt to get some good initial sales. So if you're even thinking about buying the book, this would be a good time to do so!

My website has more information than Twilight Times, including the *entire* first chapter. (The excerpt at TT is about 2/3 of it.)

http://www.christineamsden.com

P.S. If you have any thoughts or suggestions for the web page, I would love to hear about them through e-mail.

[This message has been edited by Christine (edited October 15, 2006).]

Posted by TMan1969 (Member # 3552) on :

Congrats....I hope you have many more days such as this in the future..

Posted by hoptoad (Member # 2145) on :

Congratulations Christine.

I will buy and read it.

Off to set up a paypal account.

see ya

Posted by hoptoad (Member # 2145) on :

PS: Imagine this scene, twenty years from now, dinner party:

"Amsden? Oh you mean Christine. Yes I know her. Knew her before she was published, actuuaallllly...."

Posted by Leigh (Member # 2901) on :

I've said it before, but congrats Christine! Finally able to read it, but like hoptoad, have to set up a paypal account, which I may not be financially able to do, but I'll try.

Good luck with future endeavours!

Posted by LPMcGill (Member # 3923) on :

That's great! Congratulations!

Posted by Ray (Member # 2415) on :

Read the first chapter, gonna read the book. Congrats!

Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :

That is great! Congrats, Christine !!!!

Posted by RFLong (Member # 1923) on :

Wow. Congratulations Christine. Way to go!

Posted by Lynda (Member # 3574) on :

Congratulations! I just read the first chapter - it's an excellent start! Keep us posted on your writing journey!

Lynda

Posted by Lynda (Member # 3574) on :

May I ask a question about your publisher? How did you find them? I can't find submission guidelines on their site. I'm making lists of publishers to try and thought I'd check them out. Thanks a lot!

Lynda

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

Thanks, everyone! I just woke up and I'm still floating.

Ray -- I'm glad you liked the first chapter. I hope the rest of it doesn't disappoint.

I spent most of yesterday fixing up my web site to put up the new cover art, links, summaries, and chapter 1. I was also going back and forth with my publisher on tweaking the title art before it goes to the distributors (I decided I wanted the title capitalized). I also spent a LOT of time on the phone, calling everyone I could think of. My father in law got the first call because my parents are out of town (what rotten timing!) and he kept me on the phone so I couldn't tell anyone else before he bought the first copy. LOL.

Oh yeah, and I'm trying to get the publisher to make this obvious, but it turns out that you can buy the book without setting up a paypal account. At least, my father in law managed to do it. He complained at me about it for half an hour yesterday about having to go through the paypal link but then just being able to give a credit card number...

Anyway, this has been quite a process. I know I haven't kept you guys as up to date as I meant to. My edits came back two months ago and I made some improvements to the story basd on the editor's suggestions. (I do think they were improvements. I didn't have to make any changes I didn't like.) Then the novel went to a copy editor who actually didn't find all that many corrections to make. (I hope that means they weren't there as opposed to that she missed them! )

The cover art has been interesting. I've actually seen four different cover art concepts, the first at the end of September.

You know, there's this moment. You've sold and edited your book. You're awaiting publication. You're imagining what it will look like from the outside, and in your inbox comes some news -- a cover art concept ready for your approval! Your heart thuds, you can barely move the mouse for excitement, and you click the link.

I don't know if you want me to go into too much detail about the cover art. I'm a little nervous about giving my impressions of the first two covers because I thought they were just plain bad and didn't have much to do with the book. Certain aspects of them, in particular, were contrary to the book. Suffice to say that by the third time I repeatd the above process, my nerves were combined with anxiety.

But I liked it. It, too, was unexpected but oddly appropriate and so very pretty. It is what you see right now.

So here we are today. Electronic "cover" put on an e-book and pretty soon, it's going to get ready to go to the printers. And now, suddenly, I'm nervous and excited all over again!

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

A couple of people popped in while I was composing that response!

Lynda -- I'm glad you liked the first chapter. I found Twilight Times through "Preditors and Editors" initially. I was looking for small or medium sized presses that they recommended, and this was one.

Their submissions page is a little tricky to find ... you end up having to use the site map to find it. Here it is, though:

http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com/subs.html

I think they've treated me well. Despite all my nerves about receving cover art I didn't like at first, I always had total artistic control and total veto power. Lida has treated me very well.

Posted by Pyre Dynasty (Member # 1947) on :

Good job, Your living the dream.

Posted by franc li (Member # 3850) on :

Congratulations

Posted by goatboy (Member # 2062) on :

Good job, Christine. You've worked very hard for this. AND, you've proven your own theory that I recall you discussing a couple of years ago: write one story a week and in a year...

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

Well, with novels it's more like one a YEAR.

Posted by Lynda (Member # 3574) on :

Christine - thanks for the link to your publisher's submissions page. May I ask what they meant by "you must have a comprehansive marketing plan"? I thought publishers had marketing plans (I'm still new at this, that's why I'm doing such research!). Thanks for the help!

And thanks, to, for sharing your excitement over the cover art and your feelings about the process - I hope to share that excitement before I get too much older myself!! Nice to know what to look forward to!

Lynda

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

Lynda -- publishers do a good share of marketing, but it is a reality that authors will have to promote their own work in various ways. They are just looking for a basic grasp of that concept. They want to know that YOU know that you will have to go to book signings, readings at libraries, do interviews for local and in-genre publications, etc. Twilight Times is not a big press and as such it is very important to them that their authors help make each book a success. Big publishers can afford a flop because they have big names to keep them afloat.

And so far, Lida has been very helpful in helping me with marketing ideas. If you need some help coming up with ideas if/when you submit, e-mail me and I'll help you out.

Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :

Posted by MarkJCherry (Member # 3510) on :

CONGRATULATIONS!

I'm jealous! LOL!

Seriously though, I'm very happy for you, I think it's awesome. I haven't gotten to yet, been busy with work and my own WIP, but I'll make absolutely certain to check it out.

Again, grats!

Mark

Posted by Lynda (Member # 3574) on :

Christine - thanks for the info! I've been marketing my art myself for years now, so I have a clue about marketing, but wasn't certain what they expected. Book-signings, etc., yup, sure, I can do that! Now I just have to finish polishing my book and get it out there to publishers!!

Thanks for being an inspiration to those of us who are still "aspiring"!

Lynda

Posted by Kolona (Member # 1438) on :

Wbriggs said it well, so I'll ditto him:

Posted by J (Member # 2197) on :

Congratulations!

And I was just wondering what I should read next. Now I know.

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

I got this e-mail from a friend at 1:00 this morning:

"I'm up to chapter 5. I was going to go to bed an hour ago, but I wanted to "just finish chapter 1" -- but then I couldn't stop. I'd better go to bed!"

My aunt also called me last night to let me know that she finished already and that she couldn't put it down.

I'm sure I'll get some negative opinions sooner or later but at least some people are liking my book.

I'm going to go smile off-line now.

Posted by MommaMuse (Member # 3622) on :

WOW CONGRATS!!!

I haven't been online for a while, but I plan to look for and buy the printed version! (My type of ADD makes it hard to read things online, so it's paper for me! tee hee hee)

Again, congrats. As soon as I see it, it's SO MINE! Catch ya later with a review! LOL

Posted by JBSkaggs (Member # 2265) on :

I am so happy for you Christine.

JB Skaggs

Posted by Archon (Member # 3273) on :

Kind of late, but congratulations!

And strangely enough, your main character's name is the exact same as my past Cultural Anthropology teacher's. What are the odds?

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

It's me again...shamelessly promoting my novel.

"Touch of Fate" was nominatd in the Preditors and Editors Reader's Choice Poll! Please show your support by casting a vote in my direction in these two categories: Print/Electronic Science Fiction & Fantasy Novel published in 2006...( www.critters.org/predpoll/novelsf.shtml ) and Book/e-book Cover Artwork published in 2006...( www.critters.org/predpoll/bookart.shtml )

Anyway, the polls are open until Januar 14th so if anyone wants to take a minute to go over there and shove a vote my way, I'd really appreciate it.

[This message has been edited by Christine (edited January 11, 2007).]

Posted by RillSoji (Member # 1920) on :

Congrats!!

Posted by Zero (Member # 3619) on :

Yes. Congratulations.

Posted by ken_hawk (Member # 2647) on :

Congrats again Christine. Do you know the publication date for the printed version? I know you said sometime in the spring; any idea around what month it might be? I plan on buying it. And congrats on your nominations.

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

Yeah, Spring was what I was told last year when I signed the contract and what I still thought this past fall when the e-book came out. At this point, all I can say about the release is that it will be 4-5 months after I get a proof -- and I don't have a proof. If I get one tomorrow, we're talking early summer and I honestly have no idea when I will get this proof, so I am crossing my fingers and hoping late summer/fall will be correct.

I think I'm getting a little pessimistic about this because everything has taken longer than I expected and longer than the publisher said it would take. In any cas, I will definitely let you guys know when I get so much as a tentative release date...thanks for asking!

Posted by rcorporon (Member # 2879) on :

A belated congrats!!!

Posted by RMatthewWare (Member # 4831) on :

I just read the first chapter and I'm going to get this book. I think I'll wait for the hardcopy, though. I like reading paper books. Though I read OSC's Hot Sleep online. So....

I noticed on your bio that you're from Kansas City, I live in Independence. I thought that was cool.

Matt

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

Awww, thanks!

Can't blame you about the paper copy...that's why I didn't go with a pure e-book publisher.

Once I get a release date, I'll be planning book signings in the area, too.

Posted by RMatthewWare (Member # 4831) on :

If you do a signing in KC, let us know. I think it's cool that there are other writers in KC.

Matt