Building First of Their Kind took more than just me
First of Their Kind can now be read by anyone, anywhere!
Numerous thanks are in order, and it’s a long list. But it’s important to emphasize all the pieces that fell into place to make the book possible. This is the Book Builder’s Blog, after all.
First, I absolutely must thank Kim, my wife, for her countless years of support as we built toward the moment when we knew I could launch this book. I could not have done it without her. She designed the book’s trailer too!
And I must also thank my numerous beta readers. Kristen, Susan, John, Andy, Brian, Will, Laura, I cannot understate the value of your insight into those early drafts.
Next, we’ve got two incredibly important people to highlight and their work to make this book a reality. Meg Trast (https://www.overhaulmynovel.com/), my editor, swooped in at the right time to provide the final line-edits necessary to prepare this book for publication.
I’m looking forward to future collaboration with her on many projects. And she’s not only a great editor, she’s become a good friend and supporter of First of Their Kind!
Similarly, Violeta Nedkova provided a quality book cover for an affordable price. She’s making the cover for the sequel, Their Greatest Game, too! Check out my review of her services.
And my parents, of course my parents, they’ve provided more support for me over my life than I can ever thank them for.
Why am I naming all of these people? Because I want to emphasize the complicated process of building a book from the ground up. Let’s look at everyone I’ve named:
Support of Friends and Family
Editor
Beta readers
Cover artist
And there are plenty of others I’ve not mentioned who have supported me every step of the way. Consider the wonderful authors and readers who are reading Advance Reader Copies of First of Their Kind. Risky, but each of them is going to give a fair and honest review of my novel. I have no control over what they say, so they could all hate the book. But they are a support structure in their own way.
I can’t forget the dozens of authors I’ve connected with via Twitter. Some I now work with as their editor. Others are just great friends. But their words of encouragement drive me forward, giving me hope that First of Their Kind will impact at least a few readers, and that’s what matters.
But I also want to emphasize that I’m super fortunate to have these resources. If you know a writer who’s struggling to write their first novel, give them a call. Check in. Ask about the story. Offer to buy them a cup of coffee. It’s incredibly hard to write, edit, and publish a book on your own. I have mad respect for those who manage to do so.
So here’s the deal. First of Their Kind is my debut novel on Amazon. For every twenty copies sold, whether digital or paperback, I’m buying a paperback copy of another indie author’s book. Forever. I announced that deal yesterday:
But I’ve got a second deal too. As many of you know, I’m a freelance editor. I’ve got a bunch of fantastic authors I work with, and all of their stories deserve to be told. So I’m going to propose something crazy.
If First of Their Kind sells 1000 copies by May 31, 2019, every client I work with between May 1 and December 31, 2019—right now I have about a dozen authors scheduled through November—will receive their edit ABSOLUTELY FREE. They won’t pay a single cent.
Therefore, if you buy a copy of First of Their Kind, you’re directly supporting already-published independent authors AND authors still preparing their first novel.
Publishing takes time. Publishing takes support. Publishing takes money. I’ve received all of those in a variety of ways, and it’s time to give back.