After two weeks off and spending five days somewhere you might recognise, I’ve got a lot to tell you, so strap in.

LOST AMONGST THE STARS

I’ve had the manuscript back from the editor and after taking a couple of days to review the edits and make minor changes based her comments, I’ve completed a final read through. Once my wife has completed the final proof read, it will be ready for release.

In preparation I’ve produced the paperback cover in the correct proportions and requested a proof so I can check the cover and the internals (as they stand at the moment) work okay. It’s just going to be some very minor corrections from the proof read so nothing much will change. I’ve set the paperback release date as the last Friday in June (28th) and at the weekend I’ll setup the pre-order for the Kindle.

All things being equal, I might stand a small chance of having the first paperbacks ready for Wallingford on 22nd June! If not then the first event will be Devizes on 13th July.

Here’s a look at the paperback cover in all its glory!

WORK IN PROGRESS

Book two of LATS stands at about 30,000 words and they’re pretty rough and ready so I think I’m a good way through the plot, perhaps over half way. I’m pleased with the results so far and have my eyes on how the book is going to end. I need tot find a satisfying point to finish on whilst not achieving their overall aim to get home as there are many more books to come before / if that can happen.

I’m finding this second book has a touch of the apocalypse to it based on the first two parrallel worlds I have the ship and her crew battling with.

MARKETING & PROMOTION

Facebooks Ads have been going well and, although I said at he beginning of this campaign I wouldn’t do this, I decided to spin the wheel and double the Facebook ad budget. I’m glad I did. I’ve checked my profit per day before whilst running £5 ads and it was £5.50 per day, and now with £10 ads it is £10.50 profit per day on average. That figure surprised my because seeing the royalties per day I expected the new profit was nowhere near £10. If I wasn’t selling audiobooks then I think I would only be breaking even. The £5 ads were running for 2 months and the £10 ads for less than half a month so I’ll do the analysis in some more detail in a couple of months.

You never know I might even try out £20 ads!

As always, the more I’m selling, the more ratings I’m getting, 533 / 540 in the UK and US for the first book in the series.

EVENTS

This week I’m in Cranleigh. It’s my third time at this location and one event was one of my few loss makers and the other was below average. The results from Saturday will seal this event’s fate for when I book 2025 events in July. Will it join the ranks of the relegated Hungerford?

That’s it for this week. Next week I need to start ramping up the pre-release marketing for LATS. I’ll be looking at sending out the book to ARC readers and putting together more marketing material.

Comments and suggestions welcomed as always.