It’s back from the editor! Yes, after two and a half months it’s back!

The editor not only completed the copy edit, making an embarrassing amount of punctation corrections, but also provided a few pointers on a couple of development issues which were easily fixed. I have to share a few of the comments from the report.

There is a strong momentum in your narrative, in the movement from one point of the story to another, and the pacing worked very well, building up to each event. I felt the flow of the story worked very well, keeping in tune with the theme of the tale as it unfolded.

This novel works really well in terms of the pace of telling your story and the emotions you produce in the characters. The journeys of all the characters were worked in well throughout, and the unresolved ending leads nicely into the next book.

I found your work to be really enjoyable and interesting to read and over all I thought your storytelling was impressive, drawing me into the lives of the characters and their situations, which is a testament to your writing.

Now to the work ahead. I’ve reviewed and accepted the suggestions made, but I need to do a read through, reading aloud, to make sure everything still works they way I originally intended with the updates and maybe make a few clarifications in some scenes.

Once this is done and I’m happy with the work, I need to check over the formatting and proof when it is in paperback and kindle format, all the while starting to promote a release date as per my previously described pre-release schedule.

I estimate all this, not considering my author interview commitments, will take me to the last week in November if I really put major effort in. Here is the dilemma. If there is any delay then I will need to delay the release, but that’s a no no. When I say it’s coming out, then that means it’s coming out. So to cope with this I could add a couple of weeks but that would take me in to the 14th December, which is right before Christmas. I don’t know if that is a good or bad, thing. Part of me says it would be a great time for people choosing presents, but the other part thinks people would have either done their shopping by then, or the book is not the kind of gift to be given and people will be spending all their money elsewhere.

So this is where I’m at and I’d like your help and thoughts on the subject. I see the options as:

1. 30th November – Full throttle with no margin for error
2. 15th December – Time enough but is anyone going to have money to buy?
3. 18th January – The new year lull and still everyone is recovering from Christmas.
4. February or later – Wow that’s a long time to wait!

I’d be grateful as always if you let me know your thoughts on the options above. I aim to decide by the end of the week.