December 2019
It was around this time that I started to get the initial random ideas popping into my head. I just started to get thoughts pass by one after the other - spheres, UFO's, black holes, the end of our Sun. So I thought to myself that I should start writing all of these thoughts down and maybe even compiling some sort of a story.
I had seen a UFO when I was younger, and so did my dad during his younger days. That, I think coupled with being a massive science fiction geek anyway, growing up with all of the amazing 80's films that we had, was likely the inspiration that lit the fire. The ideas just seemed to surge forward easily, coming thick and fast once I decided to start writing.
I started to draft out the major plot points and officially draft one was under way.
December 2020
One year later - December 2020, after having more time than expected to sit and write, thanks to Covid-19! I now had a completed draft one. Looking back - it was bloody awful. I had never written down a story before, and it showed. I searched for beta readers that I could send it to, as well as using family and friends to read it for me. I received some blunt, but very constructive advice. It was clear that my work was nowhere near finished. Before cracking on with it again, I started to watch Youtube videos about writing, and I now read books every single day, to try to improve my writing. I realised that I had so much to learn, there were so many things that I hadn’t even considered the first time around. Things like how there are certain ways to use people's viewpoints in writing, narrative structures, certain faux pa's when starting or ending chapters. That I needed detail, but not too much so as to bore the reader - "info dumping". I know now that really I should have looked into creative writing courses. I felt bad for not doing so, but I was already so deep into it. It was back to the drawing board - or keyboard.
January 2022
A little over a year later - fast forward to January 2022. I had now completely re-written the story. It was needed, it was hard work, but I was honest enough with myself to admit that it wasn't anywhere near the standard that it should be. A lot of polishing, expanding, and generally better writing - hopefully, made it jump from 50k words to 100k words. I now felt like I had a book on my hands, although there was still a way to go.
April 2022
I spent from January to April this year, polishing it, checking the times, and subplots, making sure it all made sense. It was then that I started to shop around on Fiverr - the marketplace of people offering their services - for an editor. Again, there are so many options, developmental editing, line editing, copy editing. I went for the option that I knew I could afford, the one which seemed like a good fit for me, and Cleo Miele of Miele Proofreading – the editor that I chose, from Texas USA - was also like me, a self-confessed “Science fiction nerd.” Happy days! I now started to shop around for a cover designer, at first I was saving people under my Fiverr profile, one or two stood out as good artists. Between the editor and cover designer, this is where the major investment comes in, this can cost a fortune. For your first book you have to be very selective, choosing services that offer a good mixture of being financially viable for you, and being a good fit – creatively for your project.
June 2022
Things are starting to ramp up now, feelings of anxiety start to creep in, and the pressure really starts to build on you. Just as you think you are almost done with the hard work - the book lands back in your inbox from the editor. So now I have to go through her thoughts, suggestions and requested explanations. Step by step I have to accept or decline changes, I decide to accept all changes and read through it from scratch – checking that it all still made sense. She had done a great job and I was really happy with it. Although there were a few parts that she had pointed out, which required changes or further explanation, so this added to the word count. At this time I had now chosen my cover artist, Shaun Stevens from Flintlock covers. I sent him a very rough hand drawn sketch, along with a few examples of existing covers. “Vintage Sci-Fi” I told him. He got it. I placed my order.
July 2022
With all of the up to date changes made to my writing, the cost for Cleo luckily included one more revision by her. She checked through it and I again needed to go through accepting the second pass of revisions. The writing part is now officially complete! Thank goodness! I have started to get early drafts of the cover – it was exactly as I imagined, with not much more work left to do on that front now – aside from getting the text right, and minor changes we are almost there on that front. Now that we are almost there, there were a couple more things that I needed to place orders for. Firstly – Formatting, or Typesetting. Luckily my cover artist also does typesetting, so I agreed a price with Shaun and placed that order. Next, I needed to decide where to buy my ISBN numbers. The long number at the back of any book. I need two, one for the paperback, and one for the ebook. If I was releasing other formats – such as hardback copies, or audiobooks, then I would need more. I could have ordered these direct from Neilson’s, the book agency who handle the purchasing and cataloguing of ISBN’s for the UK, but I chose instead - after some investigation work - to order mine through Compass-Publishing UK.
August 2022
So close now I can smell it. I just need to wait for the 27th of this month and I will have my ISBN numbers, the book has now been typeset ready to go, the last piece in the jigsaw is these numbers. I have started to plan release dates now, if all goes to plan, I am aiming for 20th September. On the first of September I will officially unveil the cover. The Thing I am starting to think of now – more expenses – is promoting the book. As a new author nobody knows who you are. I need to think carefully about this. It could offer the chance to pay for itself, and even claw back some of the other costs if I use the right PR. an order, and start to think which style would suit my project.
September 2022
September 1st 2022 - Book cover release day!
I have great pleasure in revealing my amazingly designed cover for The Mars Migration.
I have Shaun Stevens at Flintlock covers to thank for working on it for me, he has been very patient.
I had rough designs and styles in mind, but Shaun managed to put them together beautifully for me.
The next major announcement will be book release day on the 20th September 2022.
Late September 2022
September 25th 2022 - Book release day!
My book is officially out, after a long three years, from what started as only a hobby has progressed to me being an official
author with a released paperback sci-fi novel!
Head over to the home page to purchase.
