Resistant

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

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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

Resistant on Sale!

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

Today is the start to a new week. I truly hope you are accomplishing something on your to-do list today. It always feels great when that happens! I have some interesting news for you today, so let’s jump on in…

The Faces of the War Collection

Cover_front

First off, I would like to announce that my debut book Resistant will be going on sale this week into next week, October 21-28, on Amazon. This is another promotional tool I am using in the buildup to the release of my next book in this collection, further explained below. I’ll include a direct link here for your convenience! The print version is also live again, with the distribution issues finally resolved. In case you missed what all went on regarding why Resistant wasn’t in print for some time, you can read the article here. If you haven’t read my book yet, I do encourage you to check it out. Maybe it’ll be something you’d like!

Now on to news related to Unguarded.

Unguarded_sneakpeak

This week should be an interesting one for me, mostly because it is the last full week of October. By that, I mean that it is the last full week I have before the next step in the publishing process for Unguarded takes place: designing my cover on the 1st of November! Unguarded, the second book in the “Faces of the War” collection, will continue to be put through the editing process for about another month or so. At that time I hope to have the cover finalized and the final manuscript ready for conversion, which I am doing on my own for this book.

I am excited that the draft manuscript is going through changes. Despite the satisfaction of completing the writing part rather quickly, I knew I would want to go back through and rework the text where appropriate. It feels good and right to go back and make some changes and additions; that is something crucial in making a good story, I believe. This time around, I worked with the editor of my first book (my friend Angela), but also picked up another editor. The primary reason for this was simply scheduling conflicts and lack of time on the schedules of all involved. The manuscript will go through a third editor, one who works for the author resources company BookFuel (who helped with my first book), in November. I am really looking forward to this change-up in routine from my last book, ready to experience something a little different and new this time.

As these next 4-6 weeks come and go, I will be releasing more details related the release of Unguarded, both on this blog as well as through my newsletter. If you have not joined my mailing list–where you receive VIP details and updates before the general public–I strongly encourage you to do so. It’s very easy! I’ll include the link here. The process for subscribing is pretty straightforward. Once you’re a part of the Eli Kale community, you’ll receive a bi-weekly newsletter with details and behind-the-scenes information on what I am doing, especially Unguarded. It’s really a great way for me to connect with you, my readers!

The Short Story Collection

Volume 1 of my short story collection has been available for the Kindle for a few weeks now, and so far I’ve heard from a few readers that they like the material. I am trying to provide my readership with different story material that they can easily read through between the publication of my larger projects. The first volume went live in September, and the second volume should go live sometime shortly after the New Year. You can find more information on the collection here.

Volume 1 - Cover

That is basically all the big news I have for you right now. I look forward to releasing more details in the coming weeks, and I do hope you’ll keep up with me as the release of Unguarded approaches! Remember to check out Resistant on sale this week!

Until next time,

-Eli

Resistant Is In Print (Again)

/ Eli Kale / 1 Comment

Friends,

Another week, another blog! I am happy to inform you that the print version of Resistant is once again live on Amazon. After some minor delays in rebooting the book solely under my distribution and marketing efforts, the process is finally complete. If you’d like to check out the book’s Amazon page, click here. I can now say that everything is back to “normal”…or at least as normal as things usually are.

As the month of October progresses, I accomplish a little more of what is currently on my to-do list. Each day brings me closer to the release of my next book, Unguarded, and to the start of other projects. I am excited that Resistant is back up and running in print, but I am even more excited to bring Book Two of my “Faces of the War” collection to you, probably by Christmas (that’s the idea). I won’t go into detail now with regards to the aforementioned “other projects” but rather save that for another time.

This past weekend, I ran a free promotion deal through Amazon for Volume 1 of my “Short Story” collection. I won’t know how many copies were downloaded (that sales report will take a couple weeks for me to see it), but I hope that many readers took advantage of it. If you missed it, it’s only $0.99, so check it out!

There will be another free ebook giveaway for Resistant in November, beginning sometime around Thanksgiving. This time, though, there will be more than one winner selected! I’ll post information about that on my website as the time gets closer. Next Tuesday, October 21 begins a week-long Countdown Deal through Amazon for Resistant. It will end on the 28th so make sure you drop by the book’s sales page to get your copy! All of these promotions are in preparation for the release of Unguarded in December (hopefully), so the idea is to get you my books at a discounted rate so you can have some reading material for the holidays. There may be a pre-order set up for Unguarded, but I will release more details on that when I have more of a concrete idea on the matter.

I sincerely thank you for following along with me on this journey through the world of self-publishing. And if this is your first time reading my blog, then I welcome you aboard and encourage you to check out my website to see information about my work and how I got into the self-publishing business. Your support is greatly appreciated. My readers make me who I am, and for that I am grateful. That is pretty much the main points I wanted to get across to you today. I will have more details to reveal as the coming weeks manifest themselves.

Until next time,

-Eli

Resistant Update, Among Other Things

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I hope this blog post finds you well, and that you are on your way to accomplishing whatever it is that you may set out to do this week!

First of all, I would like to apologize for the lack of expedience on my part in fixing the problem surrounding the print version of Resistant on Amazon. If you aren’t aware, I have been in the process of switching the print and ebook versions of Resistant from my initial distributor (WaveCloud, now called BookFuel) over to me. This way, I will have complete control over prices, distribution, etc. of my debut book. The ebook transfer went off without a hitch, but the print version has encountered some hiccups along the way. Again, I do beg your pardon on this matter, and it is my hope to have this problem fixed as soon as I can manage. I will notify my readers when the print version is live again!

In other news, I am working toward the completion of my next project, Unguarded, which is the second book in my “Faces of the War” collection. The book is currently in the editing part of the process, and it is my hope to have it available to you by Christmas. I am on schedule as of today, so that tentative date is to hold until I tell you otherwise.

That being said, I encourage you to keep an eye out for a release date and other promotion in the coming weeks. This book is the second book in my World War II collection, however it is not related to Resistant in any way. So don’t feel that you have to buy the first book to understand the second–they are freestanding! You can find the information about them both here.

I also have a volume of short stories available on Amazon for the Kindle, so feel free to check that out as well. It is only $0.99 and is a really good read, so I’m told.

I hope to have more information for you in the coming weeks as my next project edges closer to completion. Until then, I wish you well on all your endeavors, whether you’re a fellow writer or not. Remember, if you enjoy what you do, then it isn’t work–it is a passion!

Until next time,

-Eli

Bear with Me

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

Welcome to a new week with a fresh start! I hope you are faring well in all your projects, whether it be writing or reading. Remember, you should always try to write a little each day even if it is only a little bit, and reading other authors’ works helps in the creation of your own.

There has been some progress since last week, so let’s get right into it…

The Faces of the War Collection

If you have tried to purchase Resistant in print from Amazon, you will have noticed that there is no stock. That is untrue, however that is what it has to say for now. The reason for that is because I am in the process of switching everything for Resistant from WaveCloud (the company I used to distribute the book upon its release) to me. I wanted to have complete control over it, especially when it came to tracking my earnings and sales rankings. Because of this, WaveCloud had to “unpublish” the book (essentially take it down from Amazon on their end) and then send me the files to upload myself (“republishing” the book). The process can be slow at times, I’m told, so I ask that you please bear with me. Resistant will be made available in print again soon! It is available for the Kindle, so that option is open to you if you’d prefer.

As for the second book in the collection, Unguarded, it is coming along well. The first draft word count came in at just over 43K and I have since added to it while doing slight revisions. I am currently waiting to receive Part I (of III) from my editors, going back through the other two Parts in the meantime. I also mentioned before that there is an Epilogue in this book, which helped in extending the word count past Resistant’s word count of 38K. I am aiming to release the book by Christmas, which is dependent on how quickly and efficiently I can get through the editing process. If not, the book will release shortly after Christmas like I originally intended. Nothing but good news for my readers, as I am ahead of schedule.

The Short Story Collection

If you haven’t checked it out already, I have published the first volume of short stories that will contribute to my short story collection. The idea behind this project is that I would release volumes of short stories (usually containing 3-5 stories each) over time, in between my other larger projects. After a handful of volumes are released, I would have a large enough collection of short stories to offer my readers (especially new readers), which would afford them material to read aside from my WWII collection. I would like to give as much variety to my readers as I can manage, and I figured this would be a good way to it.

The second volume is underway and should be release in early 2015. That’s how it looks at this point!

Other News

Also, if you haven’t already joined my mailing list, I encourage you to do so. There is quite a bit of information that is revealed through my newsletter that comes out about every two weeks, and it contains more details than my blog does here. I’m using it as a means to connect with my readers on a more personal level, because I think it’s great when a person can interact with the author of a book they like. It makes the reading experience more meaningful, in my opinion.

All of the links needed to check out my upcoming books, as well as to join my mailing list, are located on this website by using the tabs at the top of the page. So please take a moment to browse my site–it is laid out very practically and can be easily navigated and accessed.

That is all I have for now. I hope to get to work on some more revisions this week and planning ahead for my upcoming projects after Unguarded is released. If you want the real scoop on it, join my mailing list!

Until next time,

-Eli

Baby Steps

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Friends,

There is much to tell you, so let’s dive right into today’s blog…

The Faces of the War Collection

In case you haven’t seen or heard, I finished the first draft of manuscript for Unguarded, the second book in the collection, last week. I am ahead of schedule in the writing/editing/publishing process, so there is now a chance that the book will release before New Year’s of 2015. Follow along in this blog to stay up-to-date on the process. If you want more of an inside scoop on things, join my mailing list here for those juicy details.

I am beginning to really get into the editing of the first part, so needless to say I am excited to be moving along! As I mentioned before, the word count in the first draft was just over 43K, so it will be longer than Resistant (which was just shy of 38K). I believe the story was told very well in 43,000 words, so I don’t want to force more words onto the page and risk the quality of the story. I hope you will take to it well upon its release!

During the writing process of Unguarded, I experienced quite a bit in terms of emotion and writing application. I couldn’t believe that I had written the amount that I did in the span of time that had passed. I began writing in earnest around June 23 and finished in mid-September — a whole month ahead of my tentative writing schedule. I was overwhelmed with satisfaction and joy at my accomplishment, but I know that I can’t hold on to that as rewrites and edits are now on my plate.

If you are a new author, you will find that working on your first project can be daunting. Even just thinking of what all you’d like to accomplish and what lies ahead of you can sometimes thwart your motivation, leaving you fatigued before you even get out of the gate.

My advice to you is this: baby steps. If you’ve ever seen the movie “What About Bob?” then you know what I am talking about. If you haven’t seen that movie, then you need to go buy because it is a classic! The point is, just tackle your aspirations a little bit at a time.

For example, if you want to write a book that is 50K words and has a complex plot, then break your tasks down so they fall into chapter format. You wouldn’t try to write the tense climax in Chapter Eight if you haven’t even introduced your characters and the problems she/he will face along their journey in the first seven chapters. So don’t do that! Rather, start out in baby steps, tackling the first chapter and putting your efforts and focus on that. Then move on from there.

Granted, you may have planned out your book in rough skeleton format, like I did with my debut book Resistant, but it is still wisest to start at the beginning. I am not saying it is unwise to plan out your book.

If you ever find yourself overwhelmed with tasks to be completed, just stop, take a breath, and remember “baby steps!”

The Short Story Collection

Over the past week and a half, Volume 1 of my short stories has been live on Amazon. It is available for the Kindle and is only $0.99. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free! If you do read it, please consider leaving me a review on the book’s Amazon page. I greatly appreciate the feedback I receive from my readers.

The next volume in this collection has already been started, but I don’t yet have a date set for publication. I will keep you informed in my blog as well as on the “Short Story” tab of this website.

Until next time,

-Eli

Much More News!

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I have much to tell you today, so let us jump right into it, shall we?

The Short Story Collection

I mentioned in last week’s blog that I would be releasing the first of many volumes (hopefully) that will come to comprise my Short Story Collection soon, as in sometime by last Friday. To my surprise, and a welcomed one at that, the publishing process through Amazon KDP was very easy and much faster than I thought it would be. I submitted my story Monday night and by Tuesday morning it was live. Since then, I have made a few changes here and there–mostly formatting and aesthetic changes–but I still got it “out there” long before I thought I could. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can go to the tab on my website that says “The Short Story Collection” and find information there as well as the sales page. Note that it is only available for the Kindle.

Volume 1 - Cover

I am very satisfied with the effort and work put into this first volume, and I can safely tell you that I already have a handful of more stories in the works for upcoming volumes. So stay tuned!

The Faces of the War Collection

Last week, I began Monday morning with ZERO words typed for Part III of Unguarded, the second book in the collection. By Friday, I had nearly reached 10K words. For me, that is an incredible accomplishment. I have never written that many words in such a short amount of time. I am in no way meaning to boast, but rather to use it as encouragement for others, especially if they are experiencing a rut or bump in their own writing path.

If ever you find yourself encountering an obstacle in your writing, do not give up. I repeat…DO NOT GIVE UP. Find a way around that obstacle. In most cases, or at least in my experience, the best first option to take is to give yourself a break. Even if it is only for 5-10 minutes, that little bit of time away from a project can work wonders. There is more I can tell you, but I am putting together material and ideas for a blog post related to this topic, so keep an eye out in the coming weeks for it!

The point is, a vast majority of beginning writers–and sometimes even not-so-new writers, quit writing even for a time because of the obstacles they face. That is part of the whole process. Writing is not meant to be easy…not good writing, anyway. It takes time and practice to come close to reaching whatever it is that you consider “perfection” for your own process and purpose. I am by no means “perfect” myself–not by anyone else’s standards or my own–but I accomplish most of what I set out to do because I make it work. I don’t give up on myself or what I am aspiring to do.

In Other News…

I’m sure you’ve noticed that I revamped my website. I also mentioned that in last week’s blog as something that would probably happen in the coming weeks. I felt compelled to do it sooner, apparently. I’m sure you don’t mind, as it is hopefully a pleasant surprise for you. I feel that it is more streamlined and better looking than the old website.

As for the mailing list, it is slowly growing! I am very pleased that I have gained some readers in my “inner circle” if you will. That is, after all, the intention of the mailing list: to reach readers on a more personal level. I think it is great when readers can connect with authors whose work they enjoy. It helps you appreciate their work more, I believe. If you haven’t joined yet yourself, or if you know someone who you think would like to join, you can find the (free) subscription form under the “About” tab on the website.

The last thing I wanted to touch on today is regarding ratings and reviews. I recently reviewed a memoir on mental illness (something I don’t usually read about), which turned out to be a very interesting read. It is entitled, “Please Save Me From Myself” and is written by Sebastian Aiden Daniels. Afterward, he told me he was very appreciative of me for leaving him a review. If you aren’t aware, ratings and reviews really help spread the word about someone’s work. Not just of any one particular book, but of all the work of an author in general. Writing a review literally takes no longer than fifteen minutes, tops. And it goes a long way, let me tell you. So to close this spiel, I encourage you to leave a review for books you read. If you didn’t like the book, that’s one thing. But it really encourages an author when he/she sees a new review, and it inspires them to keep on doing what they love. So please, think of that the next time you finish a book!

Until next time,

-Eli

Book Giveaway & Unguarded

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

Happy Labor Day to everyone! Hopefully you are in a place with family and friends, and hopefully life is treating you well.

Today marked the end of the first of three book giveaways that I am hosting on this website. The giveaways, which feature my debut book “Resistant,” are part of the lead-up promotion for my second book, “Unguarded,” which is due to release shortly after the New Year. You can follow my blog for details about it as I go through the writing process!

Book Giveaway

Progress of “Unguarded“

I am currently slowing down a tad in my writing of Book Two in the Faces of the War collection because I am playing around with a few different ideas in my head. In order to see what ideas pan out the best, I have to do a little legwork before I continue writing. I don’t want to waste my time (and yours) by producing writing that won’t fit well with the rest of the story.

In terms of word count, I recently exceeded the 21K mark, which puts me a few thousand words shy of halfway to my goal count of 49K. As I have said before, I am expanding the size of the second book as per the reviews of “Resistant” stating that a longer book would have been great. Though the story is what I want it and make it to be, I want to adjust things when and where I can to include my readers in my process and final product.

I am very excited about this story line, and I truly hope you will be too once it goes live in January. If things go really well, there may be a chance to release the book in December, but that may be pushing the envelope just a little. 

If you are a newer writer, that is something I stress to you: don’t push the envelope. Depending on your process, you may like to be under pressure or prefer to get things done with a little craziness along the way. But in a general sense, it is best to let things play out as naturally as possible so as to help produce something of a better quality.

What I mean by this is that, for example, it is best not to set strict guidelines or due dates in your process. This is because it will most likely force words onto the page that may not necessarily need to be there; likewise, it might take up too much room on the page, thus leaving out what could be important material. In my experience, if you don’t write as the words naturally come to you, then you leave yourself little option other than writing just to write. 

That is why I want to approach the material of “Unguarded” very carefully so I’m not rushing to get the words down, nor taking too much time and letting the material go stale. I will sort out my ideas this week, and hit the writing hard!

I am very grateful for your following, and I hope that I am reaching you with my writing in one way or another. Please tell a friend about my work. Word of mouth is a surprisingly powerful tool. I also encourage you to check out my Twitter and Facebook pages, as well as my Goodreads and Independent Author Network pages. Links to those sites are on this website, on the ABOUT page!

Until next time,

-Eli