Or more accurately, start the presses.

I’ve gotten feedback from readers that moving forward with new books this year is the wrong course to steer. They’ve convinced me that until I get all the books out in all the formats (ebook, audio, and – most importantly – paperback), I should not move forward with new work.

Of course, ideally, I’d be able to do both but there are only so many hours in the day. Every hour I take away for writing is an hour I’m not working on getting the paperbacks ready.

So, new course.

I just published the ebook of Hermit of Lammas Wood – the final volume of Tanyth Fairport’s first trilogy. It’s available on Kindle, Nook, and Kobo. (Links point to US stores so you may need to adjust for your local.)

That will be the last new book until I get the entire catalog published in paper.

Realistically, that should take four to five months but it will probably take closer to six. I’ve eight titles and each book takes two to three weeks to get prepped, laid out, and proofed. Maybe once I’ve done a few, I’ll be able to speed up a bit.

Quarter Share is out in paperback now and I have the galley proof for Half Share sitting on my desk. I have some overdue audio work that will have priority this week but next week I’ll be back in the vaults working through the old books one more time.

On January 12, 2007, I sat down and wrote “Call me Ishmael. Yeah, I know, but in this case it’s really my name…”

My goal was to have some fun and explore podcast fiction by playing in that world. If anybody had suggested that I’d be sitting here now formatting my tenth novel for sale, I’d have laughed. Actually I think Evo Terra was the first one to suggest that I should publish in text. At that time Lulu was the best choice and I really wasn’t interested.

My how things have changed.

Ten books.
Over 7.5 million audio down loads of the eight books available as free podcasts.
80,000 people have downloaded episode one of Quarter Share.
50,000 people have downloaded the final episode of Owner’s Share.
Seven books in text with tens of thousands of books sold since 2010.

I’m humbled.

Thanks to all of you for making this voyage possible.

Welcome to 2014. Here’s wishing you all a healthy, happy, and prosperous new year.

Enough joviality, on with the news. I realize it’s only been two weeks since I wrote but I neglected to put in the single most important news.

I have zero idea when Owner’s Share will be available. The manuscript is still with the editor. I can’t publish it until it comes back and I have no estimate on how much longer that will take. I have been in touch with her and she’s doing the best she can. Have patience. As soon as I get it back, I’ll get it out. It’s the best I can do.

Trust me when I say, “As soon as I know anything, I’ll post it.”

As per last update, I have all three of my completed books with different editors now and as soon as I get them back, I’ll get them published.

This month – January – is a “writing month” which means I’m working on the next book. Cape Grace is the sequel to South Coast (which is currently with an editor) and I’ll be passing it off to yet another editor at the end of the month. Assuming, of course, that I finish it.

Next month – February – is a “production month” which means I’ll be publishing something. With three books out, I don’t know which one might come back first. Which ever book it is, that’s the one I’ll publish.

In other news:

Audio! Yes. I’m still planning on reading Zypheria’s Call and Hermit of Lammas Wood. It’s a big job and I didn’t get Zypheria’s Call done in December. It’s coming and it’ll be a free podiobook download when I get it.

Paperbacks! Yes. There will be paperbacks. Eventually. It’s a soul sucking process that siphons off my will to live but I’ll get the paperbacks proofed and available for sale in between other projects. My goal is to have every book I’ve written so far available in podcast, ebook, and paperback by year end 2014.

Hardcovers! Yes! I’m still planning on limited edition hardback runs. They have to wait until the paperbacks get finished because the interiors will be the same. I’m not going to start publishing hardcover until I get all the paperbacks done.

New Books! Yes, of course. I’m shooting for six new titles this year. They won’t all get published this year because they’ll all need production work after I’ve finished the manuscripts. That means covers, editors, and reading aloud and all that. I’ve got three books in the pipeline and should have three more in line when they’re out.

So, I think that’s it for news.

Thanks for all your support and I’m really looking forward to getting this ship underway again.