It’s been nine months since The Woodcarver’s Model came out. This is a time where the sales generated from marketing and promotion have tapered off, but other forms of sales take hold. Since the book has been on the market for some time, there is now a body of reviews and ratings that create credibility for the book. As a result, other groups start to take an interest in the novel, including book clubs and libraries.
As of this writing, The Woodcarver’s Model is now being carried in libraries in Canada from coast to coast and is slowly being discovered by American libraries. Book clubs are starting to enquire about autographed copies of books, and if they are local, they are interested in having me attend their book club meeting (which I am delighted to do).
The general window of ebb and flow for a single release is two years and then sales on the book may become reanimated if a new book is released (because readers want to find out what else the author has written), or a new version of the book comes out.
In my case, this August, my next novel will come out, and a matter of months later, the audio version of The Woodcarver’s Model will be released ensuring that there are always ways to keep fans interested.
So what about that next novel? What stage is it at right now?
Mann Hunt was signed to a contract at the end of 2022. The manuscript draft was reviewed not only by the publisher, but also the lead editor to ensure it met their needs, was well-written and held the promise for sales. In the case of Mann Hunt the book is part of a series, which means that by the end of 2023, I will be submitting the manuscript for the second novel in the series, and by the end of 2024, the final novel in the series will be in.
At present, the manuscript for the first novel is with the chief editor who is making notes and checking for errors, commenting on structure, looking for slips in point of view, and ensuring that it is clear who is speaking which line of dialogue. The process is a detailed one, and only the first of several steps of editing. At some point in the upcoming few months, the editor’s notes will come back to allow me to make the appropriate revisions. The cover art for the novel will also soon be coming my way with options to choose from and the opportunity to give feedback. A cover is important, as the right image can make a big difference in the level of interest in a book.
So while I await my edits on Mann Hunt, there is time for writing on the second book in the series. But there is another project that is also taking up some time.
Around the other writing, I have been working on a youth novel called Not Not Normal. I finished a draft close to the end of 2022, but I wanted to do a full revision on it before submitting it to the publisher. I am in the process of completing that revision (in the hopes that I can submit it for approval before the editor’s notes on Mann Hunt come back).
So the process of writing is a continuous one. And the cycle of getting a book out to the public ebbs and flows with each new release. And each time a new book is released, there are more opportunities to reanimate interest in previous novels.
If you want to become more involved in the journey of any of these books, there are several ways to participate and interact!
If you have a book club (especially if you are in Toronto) reach out and I will see if there are ways to make the experience more interactive for your members.
If you are interested in finding the book at your local library, make a request, which will allow members of the book club to access the work for free. Don’t know where to start? Reach out to me, and I will help you find the appropriate way to contact your local library.
And if you have read the book and enjoyed it, please take a moment to review the book. Reviews make a huge difference in how many libraries and book clubs take an interest in my work.
I look forward to sharing progress on all of these books, and next month I’m going to start profiling other authors. In March I’m excited to interview author Kristian Parker (who has 13 books to his credit). You can find out more about him by clicking here.
Until next time, thanks for reading, and I can’t wait to share more of my writing with you in the upcoming year.
Warmest Regards,
The Woodcarver’s Model is published through Pride Publishing.
To buy a copy click below
Peter E. Fenton 