It’s the first Monday of the month, and that means accountability here at Chez Nancy. However, today I have something else to share first, and since I used the titillating word “free” in my post title, I’m going to start with that. You see my novella book cover over/up there in the image? That cover and the words attached to it (aka my book) will be released at the end of November. Yippeeee!

Now it’s time for me to think about the care and feeding of Too Clever by Half as it goes out into the world. In this day and age, a big part of a book’s survival is garnering reviews, primarily at booksellers that carry it (mine will be Amazon-exclusive for a bit), secondarily at popular reader sites like Goodreads. To get the review party started, authors give away advance review copies (ARCs) before release, with the request that recipients post a review in the first few days of a book release.

Starting today, I’m looking for my ARC readers! If you think that could be you, you’re just a few clicks away from requesting one. Just go to my author website contact page, where you can choose to email me (please include ARC in the subject line), or continue onto my FB author page to message your email address to me. Easy peasy!

A few important deets: I’ll send out a limited number of ARCs on a first-come, first-served basis. ARCs will not include the pretty pink cover you’ve been seeing for the past few weeks, so don’t be surprised by that! I will NOT collect your email address for nefarious purposes or, well, for any purpose other than to send you the e-ARC and a quick note with the basics about ARC reviewing, and a follow-up reminder to post your review on or after release day.

Now, back to Monday and that accountability thing…

October Progress

As I said in October’s accountability thread, my schedule has evolved (or devolved) to a level of inanity that precludes sharing too many details in this thread. So, a high-level recap, by project.

Too Clever by Half, HFF Novella

This one is on track for its November release, so WIN!

I did not, however, work on newsletter-related marketing tasks, but after several published author friends told me – paraphrasing here – “Calm the hell down about the newsletter until after you put out the book,” I gave myself permission to calm the hell down about the newsletter until after I put out the book. I completed some tasks, dropped others, and punted still others. It’s all about priorities, and the pesky little problem scientists have yet to resolve regarding the limits of the 24-hour day. I hate that. Final verdict on this goal: half-win!

One Kiss from Ruin, HFF Book 1

Let’s get this out of the way first: FAIL.

I forget exactly what I said I’d complete on this one and I don’t have the heart to revisit last month’s post to check. But I have been revising OKFR during pockets of non-new-page writing and non-novella-related stuff. My process has included posting a hard copy of the entire, color-coded-by-scene manuscript on the living room wall. This might or might not have led my husband to sleep with one eye open over concern about what he affectionately calls my serial killer manifesto. One of the joys of being married to a writer, I say!

Two Scandals Are Better Than One, HFF Book 2

This week, I’m handing over the final pages of TSABTO to my writing coach. Well, almost the final pages, as she’s already read the last scene, which I wrote months ago because writing the ending early is part of Lisa Cron’s Story Genius approach. I completed the penultimate pages at or around the end of October or, ahem, maybe the first weekend of November, but I’ve finished the first draft, less a few tweaks and corrections I have to make before sending this off to my coach!

November Goals

Again, I’m just going to throw these into project buckets. It’s safe to assume every bucket contains approximately ten-thousand must-do steps to complete said tasks.

TCBH

In the final proofreading stage, to be followed by formatting and pre-order set-up This also involves launching my author profile on Amazon and dealing with all the behind-the-scenes, businessy business of authoring. NOT the reason most writers get into writing, so you can imagine my joy. Ugh. But book release on November 29 – YAY!!!!!

OKFR

I’m STILL up to my eyeballs on the final revision push on this one (see above), due to All the Other Things. Within days, though, it will be out the door for its final beta read and editing pass, then probably back on my doorstep near the end of the month for my final, pre-proofreading updates. If all the stars align and everything falls into place, this book will be back on track for release on a date TBA on next month’s accountability thread!

TSABTO

As already noted, I’ll send the final pages of the first draft of this one to my coach this week, then put it to bed for a little rest. (I envy it that rest.) The last week of the month, I’ll drag it out for deep-dive revisions, then determine what the editing approach will be for this one, since my coach has been providing what is basically a developmental edit as I’ve written it.

Take the Money and Run

Remember when I used to talk about this women’s fiction/mainstream story? Yeah, me neither. But it’s still out there, waiting for some love. I’m not really behind on it, as I knew I wouldn’t get to the next (final?) round of revisions until November. But now it’s November, and this one’s not showing up anywhere on the daily to-do lists I’ve already laid out for the first two weeks of the month. Still, fingers and toes crossed, I’ll end the month with TtMaR at or near readiness for submission to agents. Yikes!

Author Newsletter (no, seriously, this time I mean it!)

This task, or more precisely, a whole series of tasks related to it, are pretty well under way. Next week at this time, I hope to reveal the details. Bonus: there’s a free-for-everyone mini-book coming with it!

And that’s all I’ve got. Really, I’m exhausted. But there’s no rest for the weary, and I’m off to tackle today’s so-many-things-I’m-just-kidding-myself list. How about you? Do you have any progress to report, or goals you’d like to share? Oh, and have you signed up to receive your FREE ARC yet?!