Good news and bad news

My preference is always to get the bad news first, so here it is: Koen: Quills from the Raven’s Nest has been delayed and will not be released on September 22nd as initially planned. I apologize if you were looking forward to the book. It’s a bummer for me, too. After seeing the cover on Amazon and gaining some traction in its keyword placement, I was excited to see how it would do. It is indeed bad news. That is until you hear the good news about why I made this decision.

After ten months of querying agents and publishers, an 11th-hour book deal appeared. I will soon be a traditionally published author. I can’t even begin to explain my excitement and awe at how it all played out.

If you have been following the Koen saga, you know that I wrote the book with the intention of getting it traditionally published. I finished my first draft in August 2023 and began querying in November. In December, Grendel Press, a small but ravenous publisher specializing in dark fantasy, horror, and dark romance, followed me on Twitter. I was curious, so I started looking into them and saw they were open for submission, so I submitted a query with a pitch, a synopsis, my social media handles and website, and the first 50 pages of Koen. They responded with interest and feedback. It led to a substantial rewrite of Koen in February. Their response to my changes was positive, but unfortunately, their catalog was packed for the season. They put me on an under-consideration list for their 2025 catalog and said they would be in touch towards the end of the summer.

I followed up in August and didn’t hear back. After a long haul of rejections, I ultimately decided that it wouldn’t happen. I completely switched gears and advanced down the road to self-publish again. I set Koen for pre-order on Amazon and began my marketing and promotion efforts. Of course, as soon as I was no longer stressed over getting Koen published, it happened- not that I’m complaining. Better late than never.

I received this news on September 5th and got the contract the same day. I did some soul-searching and research, then went back and forth with the publisher to ensure everyone was happy with the terms. Let me tell you, I learned a lot about publishing contract law in a very short period- luckily, I have some published friends and a cursory knowledge of contracts from my day job. The other side was impressed with my questions, so I guess I did a pretty good job. I canceled the pre-order under penalty of not submitting another pre-order on Amazon for a year (a difficult decision) and signed the updated contract last night. Soon after, I received an email from KDP that they were waiving the penalty. Yay! Yesterday was a great day.

I won’t lie. The whole process was stressful- the unknown always is, but now I am more excited than nervous and thrilled to take this next step. The release is TBD but likely will be in late 2025. There are many contributing factors and details to be ironed out first- editing, proofs, typesetting, writing bios, interviews, cover design (they like my cover, and it will largely stay the same, just elevated), marketing, promotion, etc. I will update you as things progress- especially when the other side introduces me to their community. I’m in no rush and want to utilize this moment as a learning experience. I have no delusions and see this more as an opportunity to build an audience than anything. Most importantly, it is validation and gives me credibility as an author, which is invaluable to someone who devotes all their free time to the craft.

In other news, The Novice of Thanatos is in the last stages of editing. My wife finished the book a few days ago and absolutely loved it. She’s depressed that she must wait so long for the second book, which I probably won’t get to until next year. Yesterday, I also started working on the Destiny of the Daystar again (book 4 of the Absolution of the Morning Star series). I will continue to self-publish that series, and DoD should be available in the spring. My inlaws return to China on Wednesday, and my wife and I will celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary with them this weekend before they leave. A lot is going on!

I’ve often compared my writing journey to a hike up a mountain. After more than four years of self-publishing and twenty years of writing novels, I’ve finally reached a summit. I know the shadow behind me is another, yet taller, peak to climb, but I will sit here for a moment and enjoy the view before starting the hike again.

Cheers!