Another yearly wrap up review!
It’s no secret to anybody who’s been keeping an eye on me for a while that this is the time of the year I do a little ‘State of the Author’s Union’ for myself and evaluate things.
It has been a hell of a year!
It started with the back half of the 12 part horror serial I released for the holiday, ‘The Christmas Journal of Benjamin Hill’. This year will start out similarly, but instead of a found-journal horror story, I’m kicking things off with a Strange Steampunk Adventure! I made a whole cover thingie with the new AI generators, but after looking back at last year, and considering the shape of this story, I wanted a different image for all 12 days. I’m still on the fence about the application of AI, so I didn’t want to do 12 more. It was easier just to draw my own. So, expect those with the official release on the 25th. For now, here’s the original cover as a teaser.
It’s a hell of a fun tale, almost twice the size of last year’s story. I hope everybody enjoys the airship ride.
I started Witchbough Daughters last January and it has dominated the year in terms of my actual writing. As a writing goal, it’s been a big ol’ failure for me to get it finished as intended. But, intentions change. The goal had been to have it complete by end of the year (like, now) but I’m only about 35% of the way through. This specter of incompletion keeps rising up to annoy me, but then it’s immediately stomped back into the grave by the memory of WHY it didn’t get done.
I published FOUR BOOKS THIS YEAR!
Stray Halos of Heaven Beyond released in April.
Across the Graven Horizon released in July.
Green Door, Red Door, Mean Door, Dead Door released in August.
Kingmaker Jelly released in October.
You can find all of them on my Amazon Page.
Obviously, editing, formatting, learning the publishing ropes, and actually releasing these took up a huge portion of my time. I had a few stories to write to finish it and all 36 tales in the collections got major updates and fixes. With all this additional work, it’s no wonder the goals I had for simply writing fell a bit short.
My end-of-year word count is sitting right around 75,000. Not where I’d like it, but still, nothing to scoff at. With the exception of a few shorts, the bulk of the writing was all in Witchbough Daughters, Adam in Chains, and The Speed of our Passing.
In addition to the actual writing, I spent a bunch of the year working on my marketing and online/social media presence. I’ve built a display for live sales and had my first one (which went very well). I’ve mostly finished updating my webpage. I’m starting a substack for mailings and got myself a tip jar on Ko-fi. All of it organized on a linktree and whatnot. A goodly chunk of progress.
So what’s on the horizon for 2023?
Plan #1 is to finish Witchbough Daughters and release it. Goal is draft by March, release by August.
I’m two medium stories away from finishing a “Weird” collection. Goal is drafts by May, release by September. Still haven’t decided on which is going to be the title story.
I’m pecking away at another Mire and Morrison joint, tentatively called The Very Red Sun of the Undone Run. All about a guy who runs around the world with spikey shoes. Plan is to have Neal and I finish it by October.
I’ve also got the bulk of a tiny “winter cold and snow themed” horror collection. Smaller than the big books, like pocket sized. Only needs a few dozen pages to pad it to a reasonable size for a chilly little collection. Right now it includes Santa’s Place, The Widow’s Tarot, Whitefall, and The Christmas Journal of Benjamin Hill. I’d like a couple more little icy stories to flesh it out. Draft planned by September, release in December.
So, four more books in 2023, with a word count goal about the same as what I pulled of this year. Should be manageable.
I’m also planning on hitting a bunch of the local conventions. The Island Entertainment Expo at the end of March in P.E.I., Y-con in Yarmouth in June, and Hal-con in October. I’m also going to set up a regular booth, once a month, at the Alderny Market in Dartmouth. Lots of putting my face out there this year!
There you have it: what was and what will be. Like I’m some sorta seer. Just don’t ask me for lotto numbers. I mean, you can ask, sure. I can spout random numbers like anybody could, just don’t get your hopes up.
Thanks to everyone for supporting me, however you manage it: being a patron, buying a book, leaving a nice review, feeding me tequila, or just being encouraging! It’s wildly appreciated. I wouldn’t be where I am without readers! You folks are the best. I hope you all have a great holiday season.
I’ll see you on the 25th when this year’s serial launches!
All my books, social media, and other fun stuff all in one handy link HERE.