June Update (Patreon)

Well, June has been fun.  I'm behind schedule in Tycoon May, but the shift in the publishing schedule with Dakota means I'm not in trouble.  We will be releasing Year of The Sword in sets of three, based on their seasons.  It means I have to sit on books without getting paid for them, but with Cenotaph of Bones coming soon things should be okay.

The first phase of developmental editing for Cenotaph of Bones took a bit longer than I expected, considering how clean I write.  There were a few sticking points between my editor and I that we had to work through, namely the ending, and how the new armor for Jim and friends functioned.  We settled on something, and now it is moving into beta reading.  By the way, if anyone wants to be an official beta reader for Mountaindale Press, they are open for new hires.  Check out their Facebook page and website for how to apply.  I know that pay is based on the ultimate ranking each book gets, so no money is guaranteed, but you for sure get your name in the back of every book, and some cool swag even if the book flops.  Definitely something cool to look into if it interests you.

As for me, things are going very well.  I'm behind on Tycoon May, but ahead on editing for Cenotaph, so it breaks pretty even.  Just have to get caught up on writing.  Having my wife back home has helped get the house in order, but she is still recovering from her operation, and needs assistance with a lot of things.  She still can't put socks or shoes on, but getting dressed and bathing on her own is a vast improvement.  She has also been cooking up a storm, and I have put on almost ten pounds in the last two months.  Time to get back in the gym, I suppose.

The compilation book I did with Royal Guard Publishing basically flopped.  It couldn't be on Kindle Unlimited due to some legal stuff, and with the changes to Amazon allowing purchases on their app, we sold a grand total of about 100 copies.  A third of those were the authors themselves, so that means it was more like 70 people buying a copy.  That's a big ouch.  We are hopeful that the audio book will do much better, since it will have 28 narrators.  It should tempt people, since it is an easy way to find a new narrator they might like.  Until then, A Pawn's Gambit is pretty much done.  I won't be exploring more of that world for a long time, if ever.  Unless, of course, I get a lot of demand for it after the audio comes out.  Travis Baldree did it, and he is always a big win.

Once again, another reminder for anyone who hasn't gotten a challenge coin yet.  Please let me know if you want one, and send me your address in a private message.  I am going to the post office to mail off a bunch of stuff on the 20th, so the 19th is your deadline for getting one this month.  Also, if anyone is feeling squirrely, posting the coin you got from me on any of the LitRPG or Cultivation Facebook groups wouldn't be a bad thing.  I'm excited to say there are less than fifty coins remaining, which is only possible because so many people are supporting me.  Thank you, once again, for being awesome.  

Michael.