The future of Blood Dawn

There are many possibilities ahead for the future of Blood Dawn, but I think they might best be illustrated in this picture, made by Ave, a fan who has offered to make graphics for me every week now.

But, before I talk about the next steps for Blood Dawn, I want to be clear on what has not happened.

1) There is no agent deal

Some people have speculated that I might have gotten an agent deal. No, I will tell you all clearly I did not get an agent deal, nor have I been shopping the manuscript out. The reason for this is I know better than to shop a first draft to an agent. Agents are very busy and the manuscript I deliver has to be strong enough to convince them that it could pass through a round of acquisition and marketing editors — in particular, the long word count — means this book can’t have the slightest flaw.

2) There is no publishing deal

Other speculation is that I got a publishing deal. This also isn’t the case — I can guarantee you that if I was looking at other publishing options I would have mentioned it. And that said, if I got a publishing deal out of the blue I would have spent some time weighing it before making a choice — after all, I invested a great deal of energy in the Inkshares platform.

3) I am not self-publishing (at least there is no plan to)

Some people were expecting that I would self-publish. While it’s true that upon my decision to leave Inkshares I did start to investigate self-publishing and hybrid publishing paths, I will say officially I have no formal plans for these options. Right now, I am merely doing research and getting a feel for the land.

So here is what’s next for Blood Dawn.

The next step is to finish the manuscript

The next step for Blood Dawn is simple: get to the third polished draft. Next week, I will be writing all about the weekly milestones I will follow toward this so that you have a clear road map of the path between here and the finished manuscript I will then turn over — be it to agents or to another publishing endeavor.

Being on the Inkshares platform placed a great deal of stress on me. Most importantly, the pressure to finish my manuscript quickly so that it could end up in readers’ hands. While deadlines are good, I also don’t want to rush toward publication. You’ll see next week that I’ve set up my milestones to allow me space to create each weekend, space that allows for the depth needed in the revision process so that the book you read won’t just be great, it will be amazing.

One thing I enjoyed about being on the Inkshares platform was the ability to build an audience around the act of writing a book. I’d like that to continue still, but this doesn’t require you spend money on me to show your support. In fact, it feels a lot more wholesome to me if you don’t. The fact that you’re reading this and that you continue to follow along means so much to me.

Some doors must close in order for others to open

In closing the door to the great chapter that was my time on Inkshares, I’ve discovered a new opportunity to really dig into revision and make this book even better than I’d envisioned before. As you’ll see next week, I’m really excited about the weeks ahead and the discoveries that await as I move through draft two, then the final draft. I expect I’ll discover new things about the book as rich as things I discovered in the first draft — and I’ll be sure to share it all here.

Thank you for believing in Blood Dawn. Your excitement for this book compels me to work extra hard and to take what already is a strong passion and make it a bonfire blaze.

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And be sure to drop by and check out the posts by our talented contributors. This month, we’re exploring the topic of sword fighting and battles!