Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Guest Post - Di Toft - Cat Magick

Starting Over...

The end of November will see the publication of my fourth book. Cat Magick will sneak onto Amazon with no fanfare or launch, looking over it’s shoulder craftily, keen to blend in amongst all the ‘proper’ books.

It’s easy being published again, when you’ve done it three times already, right? WRONG!! How naive I was, as I handed my new novel over to wise agent, how eager I was to crack on with my next masterpiece. Two weeks later, wise agent rings, bubbling with good news. Two days later, not so good - the marketing department have put the kibosh on editor’s plans to give Cat a new home. Over the next year, wise agent becomes weary agent and I become not so confident writer.

Damn it, I was going to dedicate Cat Magick to my tiny new grandson Ted and to the memory of two dear friends. This was going to be their book. And what about my characters, whom I had so lovingly crafted? Their friendships and wild adventures would never be shared with anyone else. I couldn’t let that happen!

A couple of authors I know had gone down the Amazon White Glove road, also known as agent-assisted, self-publishing. Weary agent was quite keen, but I couldn’t really see the point. If I was going to self publish, I would do it myself!

‘What about editing, what about a decent cover?’, I hear you cry. That bit was easy. I’d already had my agent and a friendly editor look out for content, plot holes etc. I have another good friend, in the amazing artist Martin Simpson, who was responsible for the eye-catching, child friendly Wolven covers. I am beyond thrilled when I see the Cat Magick cover for the first time.

Now the hard bit. Cat Magick would be published as an ebook, but, more than anything, I wanted to be able to clasp it to my bosom as an ACTUAL paperback. So CreateSpace would also have to be navigated in order for this to happen.

ZZZZZzzzz, I just couldn’t get my head around all the instructions. Enter computer-savvy, pernickety husband, who would spend hours doing all the hard stuff it takes to make everything look good and read well. Thanks Phil.

So, will Cat Magick fly? Will it sell any copies, apart from those I buy myself for school visits, library copies, presents (whether they want them or not)? I don’t know. What’s the worst that can happen? The only cost involved was the cover, which was more than worth it - another first, my first commission! My characters Pye, Suki and Hodge will see the light of day, at least in a few homes. We’ll see...

Thanks Di for writing and sharing this post with us. It is never an easy road to getting published, even if you've already had other books published. Some authors may find themselves facing this future at some point. However, it's great to see platforms such as the White Glove and CreateSpace giving authors the opportunity for their voices to be heard. I will definitely be purchasing Cat Magik to grace my bookshelves and I believe that it will live on.... BUY IT HERE

News: Veronica Roth - E-Stories for 'Divergent' For Fans Awaiting 'Allegiant'

                                  

Divergent fans with a crush on dystopian heartthrob Four are in luck: Veronica Roth is writing four e-short stories about his history, told from his point of view. Swoon.

HarperCollins will release the first one – centring on Four (a.k.a. Tobias) at age 16 – will come out on September 24, just before the October 22 release of the hardcover of Allegiant, the final Instalment of the Divergent trilogy.

Like the other three forthcoming e-short stories, this one – called The Transfer – will be 30 pages and priced at $1.99. The others (The Initiate, The Son, and The Traitor) will come out December 17, January 21, and February 11.

“The e-shorts will address Tobias’s backstory and some of the mysterious things going on in the world before Tris chose Dauntless,” Roth said. “Together, they form a kind of Tobias-centered Divergent prequel, though there is some overlap.”

                            

Veronica Say's

The 10,000-word format for the prequels, which Katherine Tegen suggested, appealed to Roth. “The e-shorts are a way for me to delve into another character’s voice and personality and history, which is fun and exciting for me as a writer,” she said. “And I also wanted a way to kind of ease my way out of the series. The Divergent universe has been my world for a long time, and writing it has changed my life in pretty drastic ways. Now that the third book is nearly finished, the e-shorts are helping me to say good-bye.”

And Four – a fan favourite – makes that farewell easier. “In my mind, he has a distinct history and a complex psychology, so there’s always a lot to draw from when he’s on the page, and it’s an opportunity for me to break from Tris’s sparse, straightforward voice and try to introduce just a little bit more poetic language,” Roth said. “I also know, from many tweets and blog comments and in-person comments, that Divergent readers are interested in hearing more of his voice, which made him an obvious candidate! My readers have given me so much enthusiasm and honesty and wisdom. The opportunity to write something that I knew they wanted to read was really appealing to me.”