Tags
Black Wolf Books, Jewel thieves, Never giving up or in, Newbook, re-released book, Splendor, Starkadder Sisterhood, writing
I woke up on with pneumonia and flu on New Year’s Day to discover that, contrary to having six books out, I now only had two, after one of my publishers had removed the books of all us foreign authors, without actually telling us.
The first thing in order for me to have any hope of seeing these books, which represented hours of work, out there again was to get my rights back. Even as I fought that corner I was busy planning on setting up my own wee publishing house, Black Wolf Books, to publish these books, that of Mr Shey and any other authors I saw getting a raw deal. Oh.. and recovering from pneumonia and flu.
Plans took a step back when these backlist books had an invite to a new home–oh and did I mention there was the broken rib and the eye haemorrhage? AND let’s not forget the Mr’s play which I directed– Anyway, I was dancing on air to feel wanted, that my books were worth something, after New Year’s bombshell NOT to mention the fact that backlist books can be notoriously hard to find a new home for unless you DIY them. Or you’re some mega huge, rich best seller, in which case, you’d be better off DIY’ing them frankly so you’d be even richer. And I concentrated instead on using that steep learning curve of formatting, cover size, cover designers and the world of Fiverr, you name it, to put out my Mr’s book. Oh and finish my seventh one, O’Roarke’s Destiny.
But feeling nice and wanted and being able to ‘swank’ doesn’t sell books. Two weeks ago, I made a decision regarding the four backlist or orphaned books and my present unpublished book. That was to let no more grass grow and revert to my original plan certainly for the four backlist books…
Yep…. AND Basically having sworn this
My new cover for Splendor arrived on Friday, after I bought the license half price in a Labor Day sale and gave it to a Fiverr designer at a damned good price, the next. A cover I feel represents the actual book. Any expected hiccups–delays rather– re me being the copyright owner did not materialize when I uploaded the final formatted book to KDP, later that day. My advice there is to make sure your license and copyright page is correct when a book has been with a publishing house.
I can now announce that as of yesterday Splendor is on ebook preorder for a pretty good price 99p and 1.29c. AND she will also be available for the first time in print–October 1st. (Handing that to Fiverr formatter this week…) I’m hoping that Starkadder Sister, Sapphire, will be joining her on the 1st, that they will be partying together. And that I have very good reason to clear the decks on these four books right now. If I don’t, I don’t. Its certainly made me focus on this decision.
So sorry for interrupting the dudes’ service…
What can I say about this writing business? Mainly? That even when you’re there as I thought I was in 2012 when I landed my first contract and entered the world of websites and twitter, signing contracts electronically and burning oil till 4 am to finish edits on time because your publisher is breathing down your neck for them, while writing your next book, you’re not. Once the happy dance dies down you’re on a pretty rickety ride. The important thing? Even when you hit all kinds of obstacles and brick walls, stay on the bike, adapt, change, whatever it takes. Just don’t ever give up. Not if you want to get there. Oh…AND Mr will be here next post I promise.
I even get a blurb that reflects the book….
He hates to lose. Especially to a man who’s not.
One move to win ten thousand guineas in a chess competition. One move to marry her fiancé. Another to face the most merciless man in London across a pair of duelling pistols. For Splendor, former skivvy to the London’s premiere jewel thieves, it’s all in a day’s work. But when one wrong move leads to another, can she win and keep her heart intact against the one man in London with the potential to bring her down? Especially in a chess game where the new wager is ten thousand guineas against one night with her.
The Endgame to end all Endgames
One move to pay back his ex-mistress. One move to show the world he doesn’t give a damn he’s been beaten in every way. The ton’s most ruthless heartbreaker, bitter, divorcee, Kendall Winterborne, Earl of Stillmore’s, pet hates are kitchen maids, marriage and losing. Knowing Splendor has entered a male chess competition under false pretences, he’s in the perfect position to extort her help, regardless of the fact she’s engaged to someone else. He just doesn’t bank on having to face up to his pet hates. Certainly not over the kind of skivvy who ruined his father and set him on this course.
As one move leads to another, one thing’s for certain though. His next move better be fast if he wants to keep the Cinderella he’s fallen for. But the clock is ticking. When it strikes twelve, which man will she choose?
shehanne moore 
I admire your energy and great advice! ♥️
Holly, thank you. xxxxxxxxx
Full steam ahead and friendly wind in your publishing sails, Shey!
Dolly xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Yeah. Lol… Indeed even if I may be the Titanic.. I’ll go down fighting. x
Same here – that’s why I love you!
Bless you Dolly. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
celebrating your every success
Annette thank you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You are queen. 👏💗
Ka..,my lovely Ka, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Not as queen as you x)
Just a big big hug because you rock the house and inspire me bunches!
Gotta keep standing up in life Ka xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
So glad for you!
Ki Pha! Great to see you. Thank you. The time has come!!!
Love your enthusiasm and the fact you didn’t give up…Well Done 🙂
Well Carol, you’d need a crowbar to dig me out of certain situations that way!! Thank you . Really xxxxxxxxxxx
You have great stamina!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx you. x Never give in. Never give up is my motto…alas at times x
Oh, we ALL have …. those times! 🙂
I see that from your blog. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wow! Well done. I shall get off and order mine now xxx
Cat you are a gem. You don’t have to. It’s just been a busy fortnight. Week especially. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I’m so impressed… and there’s a gown on the cover!
It sounds like the publishing world is the exact Rat Race I’ve always thought it was. Nonetheless, YOU GO! I’m boycotting Amazon. How else can I read this book?
Resa
You know what? When I saw that gown I thought of you. I thought Resa will be impressed I chose a gown. It was one of these moments and believe me I have been looking when I thought that image gives me the book title best cos I had waded all the scenarios in the book at this point, the chess, the duelling, the cross dressing, the Cinderella aspect, the lot. But I also want an overall look for the series which I will finish now, instead of what I had before and that’s the book heroine with the jewel thieves banner. Indeed the publishing world is awful in many respects and not for the faint hearted. These books had a pick up but that was months ago. I was pleased at the time but this is now and now I’m done waiting. Fortunately I signed nothing. As for how you can read this book. Check your submissions email x
Holy cow! You have certainly been through the ringer, but what a fighter you are! You inspire!
Did anyone ever tell you, you are an angel? My only annoyance with myself, was going down the blind alley earlier this year re these books, or they’d have been out ages ago! So yeah time to fight back xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Damned straight. On another note, I had pneumonia several years ago. Thought I was going to die. It can make a comeback, too, if you don’t take care of yourself.
I grew up on it Leslie…damp house, dad who smoked, shitty lungs… Yeah it’s not a nice thing x
Just pre-ordered Splendor.
See… two weeks back I just couldn’t imagine Scarlett O’Hara still standing in that field swearing I’ll never be something again,’ eight months after she swore it!!!
😁
Hungry. As God is my witness I’ll never (go or be) hungry again! 🤪
HEE HEE yep… I swore it on New Year’s Day re these books… And I should have stuck to it but hey, I thought at the time that will take care of these four while I put out Destiny, direct the MR’s ply and put his book out. LOL. Just seeing Hamstah Dickens munching everything in sight. I’ll never be hungry again….
What a roller coaster you’ve been on. Just proves that old saying about life being stranger than fiction. So many hurdles would never have worked in a novel, but here you are striding through the lot of them. Well done, and good luck.
Thank you Cath. it’s been quite a year but the bit is between my teeth xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shey, your perseverance is inspiring and I’m happy you’ve recovered from this huge setback. The cover is superb and striking – I’ve heard a lot about Fiverr and am considering them for a project. Good luck with the relaunch! hugs xx
Well I got Mr Shey’s cover from there at a very reasonable price, so I kept them in mind having set a deadline on things. They are very quick and extremely reasonably priced. You can rake about too to find exactly a price that suits. I have a print formatter bookmarked and will contact them on Wed. I could do the print editions but it’s way too time consuming right now when I just want these books off my plate. I was really pleased with what the guy did with the image and the print spread for me. Thing is I just feel there are things you can do for yourself in this biz and things you could but shouldn’t. I see way too many badly designed covers many bought from cover designers…premade too. My last one for Splendor was awful. I can say it now. I was busy proofing at 4 am cos these had to be by return that last cover came in. Sufficient to say I had to pack it in for the night at that point. I was utterly speechless, I mean you fill in cover art forms and get this thing back? I am always saying to artists I know–you know picture artists who do crummy jobs to keep themselves and pay for their wee studio while they sell one picture every year…why don’t you get into book cover design for your bread and butter and make painting your jam, cos what is out there is banditry in some instances and you could just do a series of premades. I was prepared to pay good money for a good cover but ….
The cover looks amazing, well done for sticking to your guns and good luck with everything else. And hi to the dudes. xxx
I ain’t had a cover I’ve liked since my first book Adele and I’ve been saddled with a few foot shooters I tell you, where I’ve thought….God, now I have to get out there and sell this book with a cover that bears no resemblance to the contents? I got this really cheap off Period Images ..they were having a one day sale and paid what probably amounted to a pittance to get it turned into the ‘full’ McCoy through Fiverr. I like it. It gives me the title I feel AND since this is part of a series the idea for continuity which again was lacking previously. As for everything else, I know places are busy but I returned that work in April. Every one else I know who got their books removed by Etopia has been back out there for months.
So happy for you Shey. What a nightmare! Well the cover is beautiful. Welcome to the world of self-publishing where there aren’t enough hours in our days, lol. You know the old saying – “If you want something done right,. do it yourself.” Rock on weapon woman!!!! 🙂 xxx
There was never enough hours in my day whatever. LOL. Yeah, the cover. Well something of an indictment on these cover art forms you faithfully fill in that out of what I would not term seven covers, I have two I like and feel reflect the title and if I boil down everything the book. I have twice been saddled with covers that so little reflect the book I’ve struggled to show them. The original of this was one. I actually had to go away and lie down in a darkened room at 4 am that morning. I couldn’t finish the proofing…I thought why bother, it’s plainly for some different book, one where the heroine is a glaik and the hero a letch. I get where clothes don’t aye reflect the period of a book… it’s a bit of fantasy that way… but I had no idea I had written a book set in the early 17 hundreds. And the type of things she wore were very cleary described as it was one of the things he notices about her, how classily and simply she dresses, when she dresses as a woman. Anyway I got the image and license off a sale on a site very very cheaply. The whole thing came in at roughly 20 quid and I am so very happy with it. I am away to use the same designer for the other book in that series. Now I was initially happy to accept going with a publisher for these four backlisters and take this work off my plate etc. but I’m done waiting x
Live and learn my friend. Look at the benefits that come with the hard work! I can’t even imagine someone else deciding my book covers without my input. You are so right. The costume in this cover gives a totally different feel for the period of the book. And who knows our work better than ourselves! You aren’t called weapon for nothing girlfriend!!!!! ❤ xx
Well I have worked hard since 2012 and I’ve been looking hard for these benefits. LOL! But I live in hope! What always entertained me is that my publishers get authors input re covers. You fill in this great long form. I think they then file it away. They don’t look at it. You know with one cover which I hated…it bore abso no resemblance to the book, I never even saw it till it was live. Folks thought I was joking when I said I don’t have it. I wasn’t. When I saw it I felt sick. Yep, my reckoning is nowt can be worse than that. I already have the cover image for the other book in this series and I am going for just the jewel thief in question on the cover. Now I have the rights to the series I will finish it too.
The cover is great and you’re going to crush this book publishing thing by sheer force of will! You’re a Titan, Ms. Shey (or whatever the female version of Titan is)! oxoxo
Lol..probably a Titanic you know… Sink… But hey.. I sure am willing and determined…did I mention determined xxxxx
Stand back world! 🌍 😳😻
LOL!!
Oh wow, did I need your words here. Rickety ride is right. But for all the world I ain’t getting off. I may end up going down the wrong road, I may have to change vehicles, but I ain’t leaving this ride for nuthin’. 🙂 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hold tight my darling xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shall. 🙂 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Great post Shey. A fascinating insight in to the world of publishing and a warning that thought many of us see getting a publisher as the end of the journey in reality it is only the start of another if not the same. Plus living proof there is a lot to be said for the old maxim that if you want something doing do it yourself. Px
Lol…in reality it is but the start. All you’ve done is gotten onto a new bit of road. The one you’ve been peddling alongside shouting..hey lemme in there, pitching headfirst over a variety of diff obstacles. And yeah there is a lot of truth in that saying, if you want something done do it yourself, so I have….
Oh, my!
You certainly are a brave fighter, to keep going, despite all your troubles.
Best wishes, Shey. 🙂
That is so kind of you. Thank you for the good wishes. Never give up, never give in is my motto xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Best greetings and wishes, Shehanne! You are really fighter, and i a sure you will win the whole battle. Sorry for the delay in re-visit! Wish you a great, sunny weekend. Michael
Michael, you’re a fighter too. Wishing you the best. My home city has a very big day today and we are going along to join in the street festival. Sun is shining, it’s all good.
This is the most positive, sparkling of posts. In the depths of your illness you took back the power over your books, you forged ahead with your plans, you made things happen. You really do have some serious sparkle, you go girl!!! xxx
Lol.. I just had enough and decided if you want something doing…do it yourself. That has even applied to formatting for print. One step at a time. (One ass kicking step.) Thank you my lovely Sparkles, I know how many steps you are taking right now. We will both get there x
We will, even taking baby steps, progress is being made. We are determined women, must be that Celtic blood of ours!
Is Mr Shey’s book coming out in print? I tried to order on Amazon but only available as kindle at the moment xxx
Indeed we are determined and indeed it will be in print. I got a formatter for Splendor but the result was a pig’s breakfast I would not shoot BWB in the foot with, myself either. I wasn’t demanding revisions cos frankly the whole thing needed redone and the formatter had proved supremely incapable of reading and following the instructions. I used to hand up print ready files when I did a magazine way back so I told myself off on Friday about it all, downloaded the templates from Amazon and had another go and Splendor is nearly done. Grace would have been first here but Amazon kind of lead you to believe you can use the kindle copy for print just add the page numbers etc. You can’t. nd I never corrected some of the proofing errors in the original copy cos I thought I could use the Kindle one . So the Mr got handed it to reproof cos I am just too busy with all this to redo it. That is the reason for the delay.
Whoops, I don’t know how this post slipped past me but it’s great to read about your journey to self pub. Huge congratulations! I admire your guts. Despite having read Splendour last time round, I have pre-ordered the new cover. Couldn’t resist it!
Kate, you are an angel. I just got fed up waiting. So I took matters into my own hands. I am thrilled you like the cover. For me it said Splendor. I managed to get the image and licence in a half price sale and the whole thing done for an abso snip too. Learning the ropes as they say. learning the ropes . xxxxxxxxxxxxx
All wonderful. I’m so proud of you, Shey, and admire your determination 🙂 Sorry, I’m so behind with reading your posts. Have been in a long slump, doing nothing of note on the writing front and very little on the blogging one either. Am taking an official month off, starting October 1st, to get my head in order and do some proper focused editing of my stuff. I will look to you as my inspiration and main example of how things should be done! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Oh my Sarah, dinnae you be silly. While Amazon nearly felled me, your quote for the print version of Splendor,which I ended up formatting myself–have worked in magazines–where have I no worked?– can do this, just hoped not to–your quote is there. We all have times. As the song ses..to everything there is a season. And just sometimes there is a time to get your head where you want it to be. And it will xxx
Thank you for your sweet and wise words, dear Shey xxxxxxx
my darling, I have just found this true in life. I absolutely believe that when the time is right you do whatever it is you felt you couldn’t or were never going to do. Call it my mountain climbing philosophy. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks for the encouragement about the “rickety ride.”
You just have to keep on it. Truly.
Ps . Do you have a blog so I can follow you back?
Best wishes!
To you too. Enjoy your weekend.