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Rinse and Repeat: Setting up My Next Book
Sharing the process of turning an idea into a published novel.
I’ve been writing books since I was 9 years old. Over the next 44 years, I continued creating new stories, exploring worlds of my own imagination, and seeking ways to share them.
In 2011, I got published for the first time in an anthology called Rum and Runestones. The next year, I had another short story published in a related anthology called Spells and Swashbucklers. This opened my mind to more potential and possibilities, and I started to explore self-publishing as an indie-author/authorpreneur.
My first self-publishing attempt was nonfiction in 2013. Then, having gotten the gist of how to do it, I published my first work of fiction in 2014.
It was exciting to see my books in print and digital format. But I didn’t yet consider myself a true indie-author, let alone an authorpreneur. That wouldn’t be until the pandemic put us in a necessary period of lockdown.
The emerging authorpreneur
For most of my writing career, I was a pantser. That means I’d sit down at the keyboard and type away. This produced several books, including my still-incomplete Source Chronicles fantasy series, Infamy Ascending, and 4/5 of my Void Incursion sci-fi series.
When the initial idea for my Forgotten Fodder clone, crime, and conspiracy sci-fi series popped into my head, I found myself laying out a detailed, intricate world. Rather than write by the seat of my pants as I had previously, I planned the books out chapter by chapter before writing them.
This produced the most cohesive, strongest-plotted series I’d ever written. I also created for myself a world that I could easily revisit (which I’ll get into momentarily).
Writing from a plan, on a more regular, set schedule, my productivity increased. Hence, in 2020, I self-published 3 novels. Then, in 2021, I self-published 6 more books. That mirrored my journey from hobbyist to published indie-author to full-out authorpreneur.
The difference is a mix of intent and approach. A hobbyist does it for pure joy, because creating a book/painting/sculpture/scarf/whatever feels good. The next step, becoming an indie-author, shifts this to a means to an end. I’m not just practicing a hobby but putting it out there in the interest of sharing it and making a living off it.
Authorpreneurship is the full-on business model. To all intents and purposes, this is what Steven Pressfield calls “turning pro.” It involves altering my focus not just to write books, but the process of turning them into a cohesive product you can acquire in paperback, on the screen, or even in the car in audiobook form.
At the end of September, my next book will be out there.
Setting up my next book
In 2021, among the half-dozen books I published were the first 4 Forgotten Fodder novels. These followed the exploits of former infantry clone Jace Rojas. After he witnessed a murder, he wound up joining the marshal assigned to investigate the case, Onima Gwok. Alongside her team, they would uncover a conspiracy to remove the sitting government.
There was a lot of room to continue this story. So, 4 years later, I have. On September 30, Book 5 of Forgotten Fodder, Turncoat’s Gambit, will be published for paperback, eBook, and audiobook across multiple distributors.
This next book takes place a little more than a year after the first series ends.
“Rats have a way of finding their way back home.
When the war between the colonies ended, the clones who had fought it were discarded, forgotten cannon fodder relegated to second-class citizens of the new Confederation. After uncovering a plot to topple the Confederation, infantry clone Jace Rojas joined Marshal Onima Gwok’s team and helped bring down the conspirators. For his selfless service, Jace was made the first clone deputy marshal in the CBI.
Now the turncoat cryptanalyst who betrayed his team is back, threatening the very existence of the Confederation with another convoluted conspiracy to overthrow it. Onima, Jace, and the team must find the traitor before his hacks irreparably harm the hard-won credibility of the Confederation.
What is the turncoat’s gambit? Will this undo clonekind’s gains for greater acceptance? Most importantly, are they already too late to stop the rat and his associates from destroying everything they hold dear and have sworn to defend and protect? “
Four total books are forthcoming (subtitled The Turncoat Conspiracy). The rest will be published on November 25th, then in January and March of 2026.
Publishing and marketing my next book
With pre-publishing underway, I start the marketing this week. I hope that adding to this series will draw in a new audience and help me grow my business. One of the hallmarks of being an authorpreneur is that I’m not just a writer, I’m an enterprise.
I will be setting up my campaign on the Meta platforms in the coming days. I’m using the click-testing method I learned in a webinar from Steve Pieper. My hope is that using this on a more established series will build up more sales.
To that end, I decided to price Book 1 – Unexpected Witness – at $.99 That will hopefully draw new readers into my world and lead them to my other books and series.
I’m giving myself way more time than I did when I released my Savagespace sci-fi series. When I put those out in 2024, I released a book a month from September to November. That proved unsustainable. Now I’m eyeing a far more reasonable 3 books a year for 2025, 2026, and 2027.
Even as I put the rest of the Forgotten Fodder books out in the world, I’m plotting my next series. I’m nearly done plotting, so I will start writing book 1 of The Gentleman Space Pirate Saga probably around the end of September.
That’s where I’m at, getting my next book out into the world. Today, my birthday, seemed a great time to share that with you.
Thanks for reading. As I share my creative journey with you every week, please consider this: How are you inspired and empowered to be your own creator, whatever form that takes?
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