I came to a hard realization this week: Vaetra Untrained is definitely not going to be released on my intended schedule of “Mid 2012.” As it turns out, Vaetra Untrained (Vaetra Chronicles, #2) is taking as long to write as Vaetra Unveiled (Vaetra Chronicles, #1), so it will be published in about the same time frame, which means it should hit the virtual shelves by January, 2013.
Actually, I’m dedicating more time to writing so I can set a goal of making Untrained available in late December 2012. I believe that goal is achievable. I’m also going to shorten the beta reading schedule to 4 weeks, which will help turn things around faster. The beta program will run through September, beginning August 31 and ending September 28. If you are interested in being a beta reader, please contact me.
What’s the Hold Up?
I figured that my first novel would be the hardest and that subsequent novels would take less time. It took me a year to write Unveiled, so I figured I could get the second and third books done in six months each. Wrong!
Vaetra Untrained is shaping up to be a much more complex novel. It has more characters, a couple more points of view, and a lot more magic. All of this additional character and story development has required a tremendous amount of time. I’m sharing some of my back story development with you here on the blog, so you can get a sense of what’s coming and know I’m not just slacking off.
A Sense of Urgency
A couple of readers recently contacted me through the Vaetra Chronicles web site, asking if there was a way to get notified when Vaetra Untrained becomes available. I was pleased and honored by the request, and as a result, I set up an email list specifically for book release notices. Anyone who follows this blog obviously knows what’s going on with my books, but I understand that some people prefer an email notification.
If you are interested in getting an email message when I release a new book, you can use the subscribe box in the side bar of this blog to do so. Be sure to fill out and submit the form that says Get Book Release Notices, not the one that says “Subscribe via email” (which subscribes you to the blog).
Thanks to the nice reviews I’ve had recently, I also know some of my readers have questions about what happens next in the series, and they are looking forward to getting some answers. I believe Untrained will answer all of the questions left over from Unveiled, but it will, of course, introduce a few new ones. 🙂 I can’t say more without giving away spoilers.
If you have read Vaetra Unveiled, please accept my sincere thanks for sharing some of your reading time with me. I know you have many choices on what to read, and I appreciate that you chose my book.
To me, you’re still a fast writer. I’ve been working on my story for over three years now and I still have a ways to go. If I ever get to the point where I can finish a book in a year, I’ll be ecstatic.
Thanks for commenting, Ken.
My wife is always warning me about falling into "the comparison trap." I see other authors release multiple books per year and get anxious that I’m not doing it too. And then I hear that I need multiple titles in order to get any traction on Kindle, so I put more pressure on myself.
I need to settle down and come to grips with the fact that I write as fast as I write, and I’m happy with what I’m producing. Comparing my progress to other writers isn’t fair to me or to them. Too much goes into influencing how fast one puts out a book for any comparison with another writer to make much sense.
Now I just need to internalize that lesson somehow!
Hopefully, you are doing better than I am with this issue.
I’m releasing more, but that’s mostly because 3/4 of them so far (Corpse King, Sorcerer’s Code and Sorcerer’s Crime) have been short works.
Novels take a whole hell of a lot more time, effort and work at all stages, which is why I’ve only managed to write and release one in the same amount of time that I’ve completed three shorter works.
I can bang out a novelette in a couple of days, edit, revise, get it critiqued, revise again and then release it inside of a month and a half if I’m working on a really good idea. Novels… not so much. =)
Personally, I think you’re doing a fine job. Having only recently completed my own Book 2, I found that it was easier in some ways and much, much more difficult in others. Releasing it in its own time, when it’s done, is much more important than rushing it out to meet someone else’s schedule!
– Chris
Hi Chris! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I’ve been awed by your productivity. I can’t even imagine writing a novelette in a couple of days. It takes me that long to put together a flash story! Thank you for the "fine job" compliment, and I agree that each story should be released in its own time.
I’m going to try at least one short work myself after the first Vaetra Chronicles trilogy is done. I have a few projects percolating away in my mind. One is a prequel about Jaylan during his time as Captain of the Imperial Guard. Another is a story featuring Ru-Rahl and his band of arbolenx. I also have an idea for a dark, urban fantasy that takes place in modern times.
I also have ideas for a second Vaetra Chronicles trilogy. Now, if only I could write the stories as fast as I can think them up!
Thanks for your comment and for visiting my blog, Nikki. It was nice to meet you over on Goodreads.
If I had written all three books of my trilogy in their entirety up front, I suspect it might have been 5 years in the making too. Sometimes I wish I had done that, but so far, the incremental approach is working out okay for me.