April 27, 2023: Tides of Acerba Publication Schedule of Tasks

Daily Diary, Day 968:

This post is definitely for authors and will get put in my Authors Corner tab, but I suspect that it will be of passing interest to readers as well. While some of the list of things I need to do are probably unique to someone like myself who is a self-published author, they also include actions that a traditionally published author should do (such as update their websites and notify fans) and a good many actions they wished their publishers would do (but probably don’t do, like update the back matter of their previously published books.)

I have broken up the process into 3 stages: Pre-publication, Publication, and Post-publication tasks. Since I should get the proofed copy of the manuscript within the next week, I need to work on getting the pre-publication tasks done. I have crossed out those tasks I have already accomplished, and none of the rest of the tasks listed here have to be accomplished prior to publication, but it would be nice if they were.

Interestingly, the actual publication tasks shouldn’t take more than a day.

The development of software and distribution channels to aid indie authors has made this process really quite simple. I use Scrivener to write my manuscripts. It combines basic word processing with very robust method of organizing research materials, and then it formats and exports the manuscript in different styles. I used it to produce the documents I sent to beta readers (some wanted word documents to read online, others epubs to upload into their ereaders), and it produced the word document that my proof reader is using. I will correct the proofed manuscript on Scrivener, and then I will export a word document specifically formatted to upload into Vellum, another software developed for indie authors.

Once I am happy with the Vellum version, I will generate files specifically formatted to upload to Kindle, Kobo, GooglePlay, and Draft2Digital (which I use to upload to AppleBooks, Nook, and various other entities, like Scribd, and a couple of distributors to libraries.) This takes literally seconds to generate these files.

Uploading to Kindle, Kobo, GooglePlay, and D2D will each take maybe 20-30 minutes if I include doing a quick preview of the interior that is being produced. Then I wait for the manuscript to be reviewed and if there are no problems, to go live. This can happen anywhere between a couple of hours to two to three days.

Vellum is also where I will go to make changes to the backmatter of previously published books, in order to generate new updated manuscripts to upload (see post publication update tasks.)

And then there is marketing, which I won’t want to start until the ebook editions are live. There is nothing more frustrating for a reader who is told a book is published, but then can’t get the version they want for their own particular mechanism for reading books.

OK, enough background. Below is the actual list of tasks. This is pretty much what I do for every novel, novella, and short story (and with this book, if you count collections, I will have done this 33 times!)

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Pre-Publication Tasks

Miscellaneous tasks:

1. D2D print editions of Books 1-3

2. Check prices and editions for all books

3. Check back matter for all books (including short story)

4. Update Books2Read link for audio and print editions

5. Ask Findaway to get rid of extra Apple/Audible link for Boxed Set

6. Update Website to prepare for new book

7. Create graphics for Facebook/possible BookBub ads

8. Decide on categories

Pre-pare Tides of Acerba manuscript for Publication:

1. Make final corrections from Proof-reader

2. Import word document to Vellum

3. Add additional Back Matter

4. Add Excerpt from Stars are Red Tonight

5. Proof read Vellum

6. Generate files for ebook and print editions

Publication Tasks:

1. Upload to Kindle

2. Upload to D2D, ebook edition

3. Upload to Kobo

4. Upload to GooglePlay

5. Upload Print edition through D2D

Post Publication Tasks:

Updates:

1. Set up Books2Read Link for Tides of Acerba

2. Ask for additional categories for Kindle edition

3. Update Through Ddaera’s Touch with this link and Excerpt from Tides of Acerba

4. Update Boxed Set with this link and Excerpt from Tides of Acerba

5. Update Aelwyd, Between Mountain and Sea, Under Two Moons, with Books2Read link

6. Update Webpage, Substack Page, Amazon Author Page with new book information

7. Eventually update back matter for books in my Victorian San Francisco Mystery series

Marketing:

1. Once live on Kindle, claim on Bookbub for new release email

2. Announce on Facebook and substack

3. Send out webpage blog post (with reminder to shift to substack newsletter)

4. Send out Special Newsletter once live on all major retailers

5. Request for Bookbub Free Featured Deal for Between Mountain and Sea for June

6. Regular May Newsletter later in month reminding people of its publication

7. Set up Facebook ad for Tides of Acerba? Caelestis Series?

8. If don’t get Bookbub, then plan a stacked promotion on other smaller sites for Between

9. Start to work on Book 5 in the series