It’s been a crazy couple of weeks.

I anticipated continuing my series on how to write a novel this week, but so much has happened, I feel like I need to dedicate a whole post just to everything that’s been happening – and some personal reflections.

Seregn’s prologue and first three chapters are now available, for free! Since putting them up a couple of weeks ago, it’s been great to see the interest start to grow. If you want to grab them right now, you can sign up to my email list at the end of this blog and they’ll be sent to your inbox (don’t forget to check spam/junk)!

One of the biggest helps this past couple of weeks is a new rule Gabe and I have instituted – the No TV Rule. It sounds dramatic but, essentially, it means we don’t watch TV from Monday – Thursday nights. Friday – Sunday though, we do. It means we have the evenings to dedicate to things like going for a walk together, sharing dinner at the table talking, then tidying up or completing other tasks that are so easy to put off when you’re watching Netflix. So, if you’re struggling to find time, cutting down on TV seems to really do the trick!

Anyway, back to all the exciting Seregn news.

The proofread is underway.

This is it.

No more editing.

No more going over and over the manuscript.

It’s done.

It’s locked in.

All that a proofread is, is checking there aren’t any typos going on in the manuscript. It’s super important, but the story is complete. My incredible publication coordinator, Sarah, is reading the manuscript for the proofread herself, and I’m so thankful for the time going into making sure Seregn is the most high quality product possible.

The cover design is locked in.

This was one of the most fun parts, to be honest. Watching a design brief become a first draft, then a second, then a third, was incredibly exciting. And it really didn’t change very much at all from that first iteration – we tried a few different fonts, a few slightly different placement options… and that was about it. Now I’ve got this glorious cover sitting, waiting for the day it can be unveiled. It’ll be showing up sometime in the next few months, and I’ll explain why below…

The book endorsement query process is underway.

You know on book covers, when an organisation, author, or other celebrity is quoted stating how wonderful the book is? That’s what I’m looking for at the moment.

I’ve had a couple of wonderful authors show a lot of generosity with their time to take a look at Seregn for a potential endorsement (including a personal favourite author, whose books have been on my shelves for years). It’s incredible to think these people would take the time to do something kind for me – a writing nobody! It reminds me of the incredible value of paying it forward, and demonstrating kindness to others who may not really be able to pay you back in any real way.

We will wait and see if any endorsements are forthcoming, so they can be added to Seregn’s cover before the books are printed.

The final print run number has been decided and locked in.

This was actually pretty scary. It’s easy to put a number on how many books you want for your first print run, but actually thinking it through realistically is something different.

How many can you sell?

How long will that take?

Can you store them all?

What can fit in your budget?

It can feel pretty intense. And there’s more to it than just the number of books, it’s whether you want to print locally or overseas? White or cream paper (btw, definitely cream for me!)? What are the production timelines? There’s several elements to consider. Overall though, I’m so happy with my final choices. That decision is made, now it’s just a waiting game.

Marketing materials are in production.

Business cards. Bookmarks. Flyers. A pull-up banner. It’s all happening.

It’s making me realise in a whole new way this isn’t just producing a book, it’s producing my image as an author. Pondering these materials, a book launch seems to be a whole lot more real. Imagining myself with my pull-up banner set up, books and bookmarks spread across the table… it’s kind of crazy and wonderful to realise how far I’ve come from the uni student sitting on my bed tapping away at my laptop.

Looking ahead…

Soon enough, I’ll have a final timeline for when my books will be in my hands. The cover will be completed, the proofread ticked off. Soon I’ll be able to start organising a book launch, and set up the pre-sale for Seregn.

I can’t believe I’m at this point.

It’s exciting and terrifying and wonderful and amazing.

I’ve been so busy I haven’t really had time to do much brainstorming on a new book – hence the delay in my next post on that topic. But, I’m hopeful when things with Seregn slow down a little, I’ll be able to jump into that creative process properly.

So, what do you think? What would you be most excited about? What would you like to hear more about in the publishing process thus far?

And to receive Seregn’s prologue and first three chapters, join my email list below!