The Secret of the Codex Release Update

Happy Friday! Who's ready for the weekend? (ME! ME!)My weekend (as with most weekends lately) will be filled with prep for this book release. It's so exciting! But it's also a LOT.*****

So here's an update.

*****Here are some of the things I've worked on so far: 

THE ROAD SO FAR

1. Revealed the book cover (to my email list and then to the world!)

ICYMI, here it is again, officially on my blog this time! Isn't it AWESOME?? My designer (@erinnnoneill) is amazing!! And it totally just screams "Mayan Archaeological Thriller," right? Good. That's what I was going for. :) 

2. Submitted my book to TWO printers and am in the approval process

So here's the short version of self-publishing: you have to find someone who will print your book (if you want a physical copy, which nearly every author does—I mean, the dream is to hold your book in your hands!). There are 2 major places to do this: Createspace (Amazon's company) and Ingramspark. Createspace is easy to use, and it's of course AMAZON, so it's good to do. And free! Ingramspark is a little more complicated, but its distribution options are much more robust. Ingramspark also makes it possible for bookstores to order your book (and even stock it if they choose!) as well as making preorders possible. (My book will be available to Barnes and Noble, y'all!)Which brings me to my next point...preorders will be up soon! Ahhh! The release date is getting so close! More info to follow, so keep your ears open!Oh—and guess what? I've ordered my proofs! This basically means that in a *hopefully* short time, I will actually be holding my book in my hands! AHHHHHHH!!!!! Check out my feed on Instagram (my handle is @melissafreyauthor) to keep up-to-date—I doubt I'll be able to contain my excitement when I finally receive them! 

3. Wrote a BUNCH of "copy" for my book and related things ("copy" is short for "sales copy", the industry term for anything that helps sell the book—at least I hope it does!)

Basically, when you self-publish, you write literally EVERYTHING yourself. That synopsis that goes on the back cover? I wrote that. The acknowledgements? Wrote those, too. Copyright page? (The page you probably have never noticed but me, as a book nerd, have at least looked at in nearly every book I've read. It's the page with lots of technical information about the book, including the date, disclaimers, info about the book, etc.) Yup, I wrote that too. Fortunately I had a template to follow, but that was me too. The author bio? You know, that part at the end of the book that talks about the author in third person? Wrote that too. In the third person. It was a little weird.(And I'll be writing more stuff, too! See below for a list of the things coming very very soon!) 

4. Working on getting the book on Kindle

This one's proving a little difficult, as the formatting's not quite right. Andrew's a formatting SUPERSTAR (I mean, LITERALLY a lifesaver) so I'm sure he'll offer his services to make it as awesome as the printed version. (Because he made the printed version look AWESOME.) Once we get that worked out, the preorders for the ebook will go live! :D 

5. Worked on my author platform

Yeah, this isn't as exciting, I know, but I'm really having an amazing time connecting with the writing community on Instagram. Ever feel like social media is negative and critical? Not the writing community, at least on Instagram. Everyone's positive, supportive, and kind.Want to follow along? Check out some of my favorite hashtags and learn about some amazing indie authors!#julylitwrit#campinstawrimo#booknerdigans#writerscommunity#bookstagram#bibliophile#amwritingThese are just a few! I use several more in my posts, so feel free to branch out and even join in the conversation! (Just use the hashtags when you post.)But, since I've been actively trying to build my author platform (since about mid-April), I've nearly DOUBLED my number of followers. I don't do it to feel popular—but more followers mean more people can find out about my book. God gave me this story; it's my job to get it out to the people who need to hear about it. And how will they hear about it if I'm not telling them? Want to know what's coming next? Here's what I've got coming VERY SOON!!! 

COMING SOON

1. Preorders!

I'm hoping to have the ebook preorder listing up in the next few weeks (maybe even sooner!) and the print book listing not long after! 

2. Guest posts!

I've been accepted by two blogs for guest posts (blogs with a pretty big following—I'm super excited!) and have two other blogs that have shown interest! I can't wait! 

3. Kickstarter!

I'm hoping to get a Kickstarter up for my book in the next week or so! Since I'm funding this whole book project myself, I realized I could do so much more with a little help. So I hope to have all sorts of fun bookish extras as well as offering copies of my book, so stay tuned! 

4. More blog posts!

I'll continue to blog about the release here, including excerpts from the book, updates on the second book (I have over 80,000 words so far!), more character profiles, insights into the publishing and writing process, and anything else I can think of! I want you all to be among the first to know about everything The Secret of the Codex, since many of you have been following me since the beginning. You know, back when I wrote about random things and was trying to find my voice. 

5. THE LAUNCH!!

AUGUST 28, 2018. Mark your calendars, people.HAHAHAHAHAI'm hoping to do an online launch party that day, but I haven't worked out the details yet. When I do, you'll be among the first to know! 

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

 There are a few things that you, as the friend of an indie author, could do to help out, if you choose. You are by no means required to, but in case you've been wondering what you can do to help, I wanted to give you an easy list of things to pick from!

1. Preorder the book

OR

2. Support the book on Kickstarter

(Details coming soon!)

3. Once you read the book, consider leaving a review on Amazon!

It's one of the BEST ways to help an indie author (you know, like me) get her name out there.

4. Share on social media

If you like a post, I'd appreciate it if you'd share it with your friends! But if you don't love each and every post, that's okay, too. I'm not sure I love each and every post...haha

5. Talk about it

People in your community might like to hear about a new novel coming out. I mean, don't bring it up awkwardly or anything, but if they start asking you about books, that's your in!

6. Once the book releases, request it at your favorite bookstore, or even the library!

I doubt I'll get there soon, but the more people request my book, the more the bookstores start to consider stocking it!

7. Give me your feedback

This is probably the most important one! Likes and comments on social media posts, comments on blogs, even emails to me help me better connect with you and give you more of what you'd like to see are perfect. You can always reply to an email when you get it (like the one you heard about this blog post from) or message me directly on Instagram or Facebook too! Whether you've been following my blog since I started it way back in 2015 or are new to the party, I am SO GLAD you're here. This writing and publishing journey may seem like a solitary sport, but I couldn't do it without every single one of you.Thank you for following, and let me know what you're most excited about in the comments! Love you all!Melissa