Projects

Countdown to Unguarded

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

As I began today working out (as part of a modest goal I set for myself), I thought of what you all might be doing to help improve your lives in the new year, if that is something you’re aiming to do. For some time I have wanted to get back into the shape I was in during my early college years, so that is what I am focusing on for the next handful of months. I wish you luck and would like to encourage you to persevere through whatever it is that you want to accomplish! Now, on to the blog post…

The Faces of the War Collection

This week marks the time of “zero hour” for the Kindle version of Unguarded. By this, I mean that I have to submit the final version of the manuscript to Amazon by Wednesday so that the book will be ready to launch when the pre-order finishes on January 24th (the release date). I will spend today and tomorrow doing one final read-through of the MS, in which I’ll simply look for grammatical errors and other minor things like that. Nothing in the story can change at this point.

My aim for funneling readers (current and potential) to my books is to do it through my website so they can see my other content, but this link will send you directly to the Amazon page. I am getting very excited to launch this book, the second in my WWII collection. If you haven’t yet read my first book, Resistant, I encourage you to check it out. Remember that you don’t have to read the first book in order to understand the second one, as they are separate stories.

Cover_front      Cover - Round 2

Covers for Resistant and Unguarded

I wrote a post in December about my writing process, and in that post I mentioned that I want to write a post on my self-publishing experiences so far. I am thinking, at least at this point, that that post will be written sometime in the weeks immediately following Unguarded‘s launch. I want to devote time to finishing that project, and then I can spend time pouring out some information about my experience. Another reason I’d like to wait until then is because part of that post will include more details on the editing/refining part of the publishing process, and I’d like to include some things about Unguarded‘s editing/refining process in there. You can probably expect that post to come sometime in February.

Again, the release date for Unguarded is Saturday, January 24, so be sure to pre-order the Kindle version in order to save a buck. The print version’s release should coincide with that of the Kindle. I’ll post another big reminder in next week’s blog post.

Thank you for all your encouragement and support as I trek through the journey of writing and self-publishing. I truly enjoy it, and I want to help others who have a passion for it to enjoy it as well in their own way. If you are a fellow author, feel free to contact me whenever you please – I always enjoy networking with other authors!

Until next time,

-Eli

Happy New Year!

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I hope this post finds you well and ready to begin a brand new year full of potential to achieve your goals! I have some things I want to tell you, so let’s get right into today’s post…

The Faces of the War Collection

I spoke with my editor last night and he said he will email the edited manuscript of Unguarded to me by this evening. That means I will work on amending the story where needed over the next handful of days. I must submit the final MS to Amazon on Tuesday evening to meet the pre-order deadline of ten days prior to release. Once that happens, I’ll send out more details about the release itself.

As for the story, I anticipate that my editor will send back some great feedback from which I can grow in my writing, ultimately striving to be better with each project. If you are new to writing, I strongly encourage you to have a few friends or colleagues that can read your work (or parts of your work) and provide feedback. You can’t expect to improve your craft if you don’t know what to improve, right?

For the time being, the book is in its final stage of publication, and I couldn’t be more excited about it! Once I get Unguarded launched, I will continue writing in my Short Story collection as well as bits and pieces of the next book in the Faces of the War collection. I truly enjoy doing this, and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.

While you await the release of my second book, please check out the pre-order page on Amazon. The book is available for the pre-order price of $3.99 but will go up to $4.99 on or around the release date, so I suggest you pre-order your copy now! Once you do, the book will automatically be sent to your Kindle on January 24th when the book goes live.

I’ll have more details about the publication process in next week’s blog post.

Europe Trip 2014-15

As I’m sure you’re aware, I just returned from a trip to Europe. My wife and I were chaperones on a high school trip that lasted ten days, with stops in Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. It was a very good trip, with only minor problems along the way. The students enjoyed themselves, as did the other adults who went. I have already seen much of what was to be seen, but it was definitely worth the time to further explore the cities and sights of our destination.

My favorite city on this trip was Munich. Having been there twice before, I was familiar enough with the area to feel comfortable walking around. My wife and I bought some souvenirs to bring home as gifts to our family members, had lunch at a nice little restaurant, and got to tour the BMW museum. It was a very fun and enjoyable day, and I’m glad we got to be there.

The rest of the trip was enjoyable as well. We made stops in Rothenburg, Salzburg, Venice/Padua, Verona, Lucerne, and Heidelberg. Much to my surprise, I bought an Italian-made scarf in a Verona market. I say “surprise” because I never saw myself as a guy who could pull off wearing a scarf. But my wife encouraged me to get one, and I ended up really liking it, not to mention that it helped ward off the cold temperatures we experienced while there. It was definitely a great way to bring in the new year!

That’s all the big news I have right now, but I will keep you informed in next week’s post. I truly hope the year is off to a great start for you, and that you find yourself accomplishing something you set out to do.

Until next time,

-Eli

Unguarded Cover Reveal & Pre-Order

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Friends,

I truly hope that this post finds you well and excited for the week ahead! I have a few items of which to inform you, so let’s get started…

The Faces of the War Collection

Last Wednesday, I revealed the cover of Unguarded to those readers on my mailing list. Seeing the cover reveal first (and earlier) is just one of the many perks of subscribing to my mailing list. So if you haven’t done so yet, I encourage you to email me at “elikale.author@gmail.com” or click this link to join the list – it’s very easy and only takes a moment!

Now, on to the cover reveal…

Cover - Round 2

I used the design services of the same person who created the cover for Resistant, mostly because I liked his work and I wanted some sense of continuity and symmetry between covers. What do you think?

In other Unguarded news, I just set up the pre-order for the book. Please be aware that it is only for the Kindle version of the book, not the print version. The release date is set for January 24, 2015, and the pre-order price is $3.99. Once the pre-order is complete and the book is live, the price will go up to $4.99, so be sure to save a dollar and pre-order!

The link to the book’s pre-order page can be found here.

This is a very exciting time for me, and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out this time around!

As a reminder, I will be out of the country for a little while, so there will be no blog post or newsletter next week. My goal is to get right back to the grind the Monday morning after I return home. In the meantime, I will have some automated posts go out with links to Unguarded on my website and on Amazon.

That’s about all the information I have for you today. With that being said, I would like to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and I’ll catch ya on the flipside!

Until next time,

-Eli

Unguarded Details

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I hope you are well as you read this, and well on your way to accomplishing something on your to-do list this week! Let’s get into the blog post for today…

The Faces of the War Collection

The Unguarded manuscript is entering its fifth and final read-through today, as it will be handed over to my editor on Friday afternoon. I have polished parts of it here and there, and will hopefully find any remaining issues and fix them this week. Like I said before, the biggest issue for me is the dialogue, so my focus is to make it crisp yet still within the confines of each character and situation they face. Along with a few other minor things, that is all that is left to do for my part. I’ll hand the manuscript over and revisit it upon my return from Germany in January.

The tentative release date is January 24th. Details about the release and the book’s pre-order will be included in next week’s blog post. At this point, my goal is to have the pre-order set up early next week. Keep in mind that it is only for the ebook version. I have never set up a pre-order before, so hopefully it goes over well and it actually works when readers order the book. Keep your eyes peeled for the details in next week’s blog post!

The Short Story Collection

I have yet to receive the first review for my short story ebook Volume 1, but I am not letting it get me down. Reviews will come when they come – that’s just a part of writing that I have to get used to. After launching Unguarded in January, I will work more on the short stories in the next ebook, Volume 2, which I’m aiming to release sometime in the spring. I would like to release it before really getting into the writing of my next book, but only time will tell what is to happen. More details about that in the coming blog posts.

Mailing List

If you haven’t done so already, I strongly encourage you to join my mailing list. It is very easy to do and will be well worth your time. I send out bi-weekly newsletters via email to my followers, where I reveal details about my upcoming projects, as well as give updates on currently published books. Not only that, I also am more personal and informal here because I want it to be a place where my readers can connect with me on a more personal level than through social media. So if you have a minute, click the link above and send me a message – I’ll gladly add you to the list and you’ll be all set. The next newsletter goes out this Wednesday, so do it now in order to receive it on time!

Thank you to all my readers, family, and friends – without your support and encouragement, I couldn’t do what I love to do.

Until next time,

-Eli

Unguarded Update

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

Another week gone, a new week ahead. I hope this post finds you well and raring to accomplish a goal this week! There has been a development in the past week, so let’s get right into the blog…

The Faces of the War Collection

The third read-through of the Unguarded manuscript was completed on Thursday of last week. I feel that this read-through has improved the dialogue, but I will continue to focus on that aspect of the story in my next read-through this week.

After I posted to the blog last Monday, I was in contact with a friend who has expressed interested in collaborating together on a project. Given the circumstances surrounding the professional editor and how not purchasing those services at this time has affected the publishing timeline, I asked if he’d want to work on this project. He said yes! So, I will be submitting the manuscript to him the week before Christmas, over which time he’ll edit it. Upon my return from Europe, I’ll get the edited manuscript back and make the necessary changes that need made. I’ll then do one final read-through before sending it through to Amazon for their final preview before it launches in print and ebook form. My hope is that it will be no later than mid-January when the book goes live. It is definitely a very exciting development for me! I will have more details on the release as the date nears.

In the lead-up to the holidays, I am going to attempt to set up a pre-order deal through Amazon for Unguarded, which will begin just before Christmas Day and last until the book is released (so roughly a month). I plan on making the print book $5.99 or $6.99 for the pre-order, then reset the price to the usual $7.99 after it’s been live for a week or so. My advice: pre-order the book when it goes live, just so you can save yourself a couple of bucks! I’ll also have more details about that on my blog as well as through social media.

Also regarding my WWII books, the cover reveal for Unguarded will be held first through my newsletter, then a few days later on my blog. If you haven’t joined my mailing list yet, I encourage you to do so in order to receive in-depth updates before the general public. It’s well worth the time, and it’s easy to do!

That’s really all the big news for this week. If you’re a regular follower then I thank you for your continued support of my work. And if you’re new to this site or to my work, then I say “Welcome aboard!” and I hope you enjoy what I write and put out to you. Writing has truly become a passion of mine, and I’m very grateful that I have the opportunity to do it.

Until next time,

-Eli

Giving Thanks

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I truly hope this post finds you well and in good spirits! For many of my readers, though not all by any means, this week is a week to take a moment out of our busy lives to be thankful for all that we possess. Thanksgiving is always toward the end of November, but I think it best not to allocate all our thankfulness on this one day. Giving thanks is something that should be done regularly, for we do not know when a favorite appliance may break, or when a loved one may pass, or even when our own time arrives.

My challenge to you, in this world of uncertainty, is this: when you wake up in the morning (or perhaps in the evening if you work the night shift), take a brief moment to find someone or something in your life for which you are truly and genuinely thankful. Think of what that person or thing means to you and how it shapes you, whether for better or worse, and use that to start your day off on a positive note! I can say with confidence that beginning your day in that kind of mood will help steer you farther down the road of optimism as you go about your routine. And just think what that would do in the long run, over weeks or months, or even years. I’m sure you’d be surprised.

That’s my little spiel on being thankful, so let’s dive on into the blog…

The Faces of the War Collection

At the moment, the third read-through of the Unguarded manuscript is underway. As I have said before, I am focusing on polishing up the dialogue, hoping to make it more concise, dynamic, and realistic. I am going through the text and am all the while thinking of how exciting this process is for me. I mean, this is the time when what I have worked on for many months starts coming together in what could be its final state. I am very excited to deliver this story to you when the time comes.

The word count at the moment is almost 47K, which is actually closer to my original goal word count than what I thought I’d get. The first draft came in at around 42K words, but in going through it here and there, I ended up adding enough to bring out more detail in the story. I have already clued in those of you on the mailing list as to some story details, but I will share them here as well. Before I do, I encourage you to join my mailing list if you haven’t already – it’s a great way to connect with me and get in-depth details regarding my projects before the general public hears it (usually on this blog or through Twitter). You can find the link here.

Unguarded is a story set during the Second World War, following the character of Oliver – a young college boy living in London. In this book, as opposed to Resistant, there will be an Epilogue, which has lent itself to helping expand the word count this time around. This story is very much different from Book One, yet it still captures a lot of the feeling and emotion, as well as action, experienced in the first story.

Though there is no specific release date set, I can assure you that Unguarded will be released in January 2015. Throughout this entire process, I’ve experienced a few minor setbacks that, together, have been enough to set me back in my timeline for a release in the New Year rather than before Christmas. I do hope you can bear with me as I finish this project, and I also hope that you will read it and be entertained by it.

The Short Story Collection

My first ebook of short stories, entitled Volume 1, is currently available for the Kindle for only $0.99! The next ebook, which is aptly entitled Volume 2, will be released in the spring. I will resume work on those stories after I launch Unguarded. All three stories are roughed out, with one of them actually begun. I look forward to bringing those to you!

Until next time,

-Eli

Unguarded Details

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I hope this post finds you well and ready to face a new week! The main bit of news I have for you today is related to the publication and release of Unguarded, my upcoming WWII book, so let’s dive right in…

The Faces of the War Collection

As I’m sure you’re aware by now, the release date for Unguarded has been pushed back to its original tentative date of early January. Though I don’t yet have a specific date set for sure, I can tell you that the end of the editing process shouldn’t make publication go much later into January than the third week. That is the hope, at least. This being the first time I’ve used a professional editor, I can’t say with 100% confidence whether or not I can release the book by any given date. That is all I can give you on that aspect of things at this time.

With regard to the writing process, I have read through the entire manuscript twice thus far. When I wrote Resistant, I read through the manuscript a total of five times. I may or may not do that this time around…it just depends on how I feel about the book and the timeline of things. I am going to try and focus on polishing up the dialogue in this book, as that has been something of a common issue in feedback comments.

If you are relatively new to writing and self-publishing, let me lend you a bit of advice. In my experience, I have found that the best way to work through the writing/publishing process is to remain flexible in your mind. By this, I mean flexible in your timelines, flexible in your openness to change, and flexible in your creativity. Having taught in a classroom, I can tell you that planning ahead too far and too specifically is a waste of time and energy. Writing and self-publishing are very similar, especially if you employ the services of professional cover designers, editors, etc. You can’t expect everything to fall within your desired timeline, so you must be flexible if you want your work to come out successful on the other end.

As for being open to change, I stress this because I have a slight fear of complacency. With storytelling, especially in a series or collection like what I am producing, you can’t (or at least shouldn’t) expect to capture a reader’s attention over and over if you write in the same way, use the same methods, or revert to what you know every time an obstacle appears in your writing path. Embrace challenge and use those obstacles to explore the writing ability within yourself. Sure, you may want to keep some aspects similar for the sake of continuity and commonality, especially in a series or collection, but changing up other aspects of your writing lends itself to better engaging your readers.

This leads to what I mentioned about being flexible in creativity. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but I’ll reiterate it: good writers are good readers. All that means is that as a writer, it will help expand your creative side if you read works by other writers, especially ones in your genre. For example, in my writing (mostly historical fiction) I couch my plot in historical fact, using accurate facts and known truths to support my characters and what they experience. So to accomplish that, I read historical non-fiction works from credible authors in order to give an authentic feel to my stories. It works differently for different authors in different genres, but you get the idea.

Now I’m not saying that I know everything about writing, because I don’t, but I am saying that those three aspects of the writing and publishing process are important things to consider…so I encourage you to do so!

Regarding my other projects, I can tell you that I’ve taken a small break from my Short Story collection in order to focus on delivering Unguarded to you. On the plus side, brainstorming and planning for other books and projects are underway!

If you are new to this blog, I encourage you to join my mailing list so you can receive in-depth updates directly from me regarding my projects. There is more information included there than here, so it’d be the best way to get the inside scoop on what I’m doing. And lastly, I encourage you to tell a friend about my work. One of the most powerful marketing tools for authors is word of mouth. To those who have been following along with me for some time, I thank you for all the support and encouragement you’ve given. It is truly appreciated!

Until next time,

-Eli

New Release Date

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I hope this post finds you well and ready for a new week ahead! I have some news for you, so let’s jump right into the blog…

The Faces of the War Collection

As you may know, I have been dealing with a publishing timeline dilemma over the past couple of weeks. The main issue is that I want to be sure to give Unguarded, my current project, the attention it needs and deserves without sacrificing it to meet a release date. I don’t think that is fair to me and the vision I have for this book and the collection, but it’s especially not fair to my readers. And so, I have decided that I will push the release date back to January, which actually was the initial date I had tentatively set when I began writing. So all in all, there’s no loss in timeline terms.

To elaborate a bit more on the publishing process, here’s how it will go:

1) From now until December 12, I will tend to my manuscript to polish up the dialogue (the main concern based on beta reading feedback) and fix any minor things that I feel should be fixed.

2) On December 12, I will send my completed manuscript to my editor in Colorado, who will then take up to three weeks to do a substantive edit of the roughly 47K words I have written since beginning in June.

3) During those three weeks, I will relax and let my brain recharge. The crisp air of the Alps should do me well!

4) Sometime during the first week of January, I should receive the completed proof from my editor, and will then take to fixing or changing the manuscript based on her suggestions and comments. My hope is that it will take me no longer than a week, but we shall see.

5) Once the manuscript is amended and I believe it to be fit for publication, I will submit the appropriate files to Kindle Direct Publishing and Createspace, the Amazon subsidiaries used by self-publishers. After a few days of processing, and barring any formatting issues that need my attention, the book will go live and be available in both ebook and print form. As the time nears, I will release more information about a release date and other juicy details.

The entire process for this book has been different for the most part in comparison to my first book, but I welcome the change with an open mind and a happy heart. I am doing something I love and bringing it to you for your entertainment.

As always, I encourage you to join my mailing list if you haven’t done so already, mostly because that’s where I reveal the really juicy details about my work, and it’s also revealed there before the general public sees it. You can think of it like a VIP club. And if you already are subscribed, then tell a friend. Word of mouth is a powerful tool!

I hope that you can appreciate and understand my decision to push the release date back for Unguarded, and that you are as excited as I am for its release. Like I said, I want to be sure to bring you a good quality book, and this is the best way to do that as far as I can see.

Until next time,

-Eli

Decisions, Decisions

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

Something has been weighing on me for the past handful of days, and I want to use this space to get it off my shoulders. I have received the preliminary edits from two of my editors, and one of the main issues that sticks out is that my characters’ dialogue comes across as inorganic and stiff at times. I received similar feedback from a few readers about this same issue after the release of my first book. So in thinking about where my weaknesses lie in terms of writing, I can say with a fair amount of confidence that dialogue is one of those areas.

So here is my dilemma…how to go about editing Unguarded to bring it to publication. The turnaround time for the professional editor is 2-3 weeks, which I originally thought would be the time span from early November until Thanksgiving. It would be at that time that I would begin fixing the editing suggestions in the text, which could take up to 1-2 weeks. After finalizing the manuscript and converting it, the date would be roughly around December 10-12, at which time I would submit my manuscript to Amazon for formatting review before it would be available for purchase.

However, I want to make sure that this book is a step further than the last in terms of writing progression and development. I don’t want to become complacent and end up with a handful of books with stale stories when it’s all said and done. I think I would rather put in some extra time polishing the dialogue and anything other things that might need tending to, than put out a bad book too soon.

So here is what I am considering and will hopefully decide on by the end of the week: I will use the time from now until Thanksgiving (or maybe all of November for that matter) to tweak the dialogue and other issues, and then submit my manuscript for editing in early December. I would then hopefully get it back around Christmas or so, which would then put the final manuscript up for final submission around the first week of January. I don’t feel as bad in this thinking because my original tentative release date was January 12. So it all comes back to quality versus quick release, for me at least.

As I ponder this thought throughout the week, I welcome any comment or suggestion (and even encouragement) from you, my readers, that may help guide me through the mire that is tough decision-making.

As for general news that usually occurs in my blogs, here are some small points:

– the cover for Unguarded is complete and will be revealed at a later date

– there is a development regarding Resistant (related to an updated edition) that I will discuss further in the coming weeks

Again, I thank you all for your support and the fact that you follow along with me on the journey through the world of self-publishing. It truly means a lot, and I don’t say that lightly.

Until next time,

-Eli

Unguarded Update

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

Welcome to a new week of possibilities, a new opportunity for success! I have a bit of information that I think you will like, so let’s get right into it…

The Faces of the War Collection

Last week, I spoke with a colleague about getting the cover for Unguarded designed soon. The word was passed along, a quote was sent to me, and I accepted it. So, work will begin this week on the cover for Book Two, and will be revealed at a later date.

Also related to Unguarded is this bit of news: I have lined up a professional editor. Working with the same colleague from BookFuel (formerly WaveCloud), he gave my draft manuscript to one of the editors there and she has decided to come on-board my project. Though the manuscript I will ultimately give her will be much better polished than the one she was initially given, she said that she likes the story overall and is looking forward to working with me.

With those two bits of information, I hope you are becoming as excited as I am about what lies ahead in the coming weeks! If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to join my mailing list so you can receive important details and updates before the general public. It’s also a great way for me to connect with you, my readers. Keep an eye out over the coming weeks for information released through my blog, mailing list, and other social media. I plan to release as many details as I can without spoiling the story!

As for my first book, Resistant, the sale through Amazon will soon come to a close. I should be able to see a sales report in a couple of days to get an idea of how well the book did over the past week. I am looking forward to it! If you haven’t picked up a copy of it yet, I encourage you to check it out. There are 4- and 5-star reviews on Amazon that can help you get an idea of the story, which should help you decide if you’d like to purchase a copy. It is available in both ebook and print form.

The Short Story Collection

I am excited to say that there have been quite a few downloads of Volume 1 over the last month or so that it has been available. I hope to see that number increase! I am currently working mostly on my Faces stories, but in my spare time I’m giving some attention to the next installment of short stories. I have said before–and I’m sticking to it for now–that I aim to release the next volume sometime after New Year’s, so keep an eye for it.

That’s basically all I have for you today, as I am getting back to work editing and proofing Unguarded myself before handing it over to the editor.

Thank you for all the encouragement and support you’ve all given over the past year, and especially over the past five months since beginning this second book. It truly means a lot to me!

Until next time,

-Eli