One Year On

One year ago I finally published a book!

I should mention that you all have my most sincere apologies for a complete lack of updates, posts, or feedback of any kind. My time management skills have been a disaster. Case in point: My actual anniversary was three weeks ago, so even this post is late. At least I'm consistent.

But what a year it's been! In the beginning I had no idea what to do. I still have barely any concept of how to make a living writing books, but I'm kinda getting there.

A slight back story:

The 'published author' tag began with Kingston Raine and the Grim Reaper, a dark comedy set in the afterlife. For years I had no intention of ever going down the indie route. I went through agent after agent, getting rejected and ignored for years. I tried one book, then another, and I kept going until the Kingston Raine series popped up as a query letter to agents across the US, Canada, England, and Australia.

No takers.

By then I was used to having my hopes and pride punched out of me, so when I was rejected again I simply put Kingston Raine on the shelf and got to work on something else.

Then the whirlwind of mid-2013 struck: In the space of three months I went from having an apartment, having a job, and having money, to living on my own for the first time in years, having lost my job (much in the same way that you would lose your keys, I guess), and having spent just about every penny I had on practical needs like buying the cheapest second hand car that wasn't going to crap out on me in a couple of months.

There I was, pacing around my apartment with far too much time on my hands and nowhere near enough money to see me through to the end of the year. I had to get my act together.

I made the bold promise of publishing a series of five books in 2014. They were supposed to be out in March, May, July, September, and November. The first three went off without a hitch. The fourth was a month late. The fifth...? Well, it's April of a whole new year and not only has the book not been published, the first draft has only just been completed. Kinda. The ending is a little shabby, but at least I have an ending.

If anyone was hoping like hell to read that particular book before Christmas … sorry! It was easy being ambitious with publications when I had no idea how to actually get published, in the same way that selling a million copies should be fairly straight forward until you realise how agonising it is to even sell 20 books to complete strangers.

Believe me, I wish the final book was done. Nothing sucks quite like knowing that you've sailed passed a deadline that there is no way of catching. And here I am, five months past the publication date, and instead of finishing the last draft, I'm writing a blog to explain why I'm not celebrating with wine and take out.

In short: I crashed out. For two years straight I was working on the Kingston Raine series. Not every day, but more days than not. I've been juggling full time work as well, so the writing time has dwindled which meant the agony of not being as productive as I'd like has lengthened, but over all it has been a fantastic year!

… Getting back to the point of the blog:

I've connected with other writers. I've revamped my website which will inevitably require constant tweaking and updating but it's a hundred times better than what it was. I've met up with some awesome and inspiring people, I dug myself out of being a hermit, and got myself a social life. I've watched more comedy, read less and less, worked more and more, taken time off to recharge, drunk my share of shiraz, picked up the guitar once in a while, sat in the bath way too often, and actually made something of a business plan (which can be summed up as: be more productive, be less lazy).

So what's next?

I have a photo shoot with a remarkable photographer, Nicola Bernardi, that will put me alongside Heidi Klum. (I can't believe how much I'm actually looking forward to that.)

I've got a website overhaul in the next few weeks, - so if you have any awesome ideas, let me know!

I'm also planning an eBook give away in early June (for my birthday), so stay tuned if you are at all interested.

Anyway, take care folks, I hope you enjoy the wacky antics of Kingston and his band of merry smartarses.

Until next time!
JL