Shadowbound: Announcement & Release Date
It's time to face the future head on
Wait, hang on a minute? It’s Friday! Where’s my fiction?
Your fiction has been put on hold for this week. In the meantime, have I told you about my book?
Aside from the first chapter sneak peek, I’ve not really discussed Shadowbound on my Substack. Frankly, I’ve been so caught up in everything else lately - doing YouTube, preparing all the paperwork for the novel itself, promoting on other social media sites, and more - that I’ve neglected to mention anything about it here. Sorry!
Shadowbound is a young adult fantasy novel about magic, mystery, and marvels. Powerful friendships are forged as the world of Astria is under threat from a terrible darkness that seeks to consume everything in its path. Reveal secrets, dispell lies, and find your inner-strength in this wonderous new tale written by yours truly with cover art skillfully drawn by Eco.
If you’d like to learn more about Shadowbound, you can read the full blurb by clicking on this post:
Shadowbound: First Chapter Sneak Peek
Amber is a young wizard at the beginning of her educational journey to become a Healer, yet she is unsuspectingly roped into a nefarious plot put together by two of the most notorious students at her school. However, when this secret plan suddenly crumbles amidst students falling mysteriously “ill”, Amber finds herself left with no other choice but to help fellow student Ethan Nightshade with his quest to save the entire world.
For those that subscribe to my Substack for $5/month or more, you can even read the full first chapter before the book’s official publication!
Some Thoughts About Preparing for Self-Publishing
Living in this digital age, thankfully all the forms are well laid out and clear to follow, with little “Help” buttons along the way to explain what exactly is being asked for. Though much of the finer details are still mostly unexplained to me, despite asking for help and using Google to its fullest extent.
This is why going through a publishing house is much more headache-free; once you sign the contract, a lot of what you must do for self-publishing is handled by the publishing house in your stead.
I cannot speak to which publishing pathway I prefer just yet. Not only has this book not officially released yet (at the time of writing), but I’ve also not gone through the traditional system yet (which I intend to try and do later on). But I see now why not many people actually publish books to begin with.
The amount of red tape one must wade through to be fully prepared for any given situation is a nightmare. Each format - hardcover, paperback, and eBook - basically has their own sets of rules. Physical prints need things that digital prints do not, with each individual type of print being special in its own little way. You must have certain things verified by certain dates or else you’ll run into a load of trouble, made all the worse if you’re still on the fence about anything.
At some point, you simply have to sit down and make a decision. Like me.
Once Shadowbound is finally released and selling, I fully intend to write a retrospective about this entire process, highlight things I learned along the way, and include other bits of information I feel like first-time self-publishing writers need to know beforehand.
Not only can the entire process seem lengthy and convoluted, but it’s also a very lonely and confusing and anxiety-riddled period of time to go through as well. Explaining all of the details to the average person is difficult - I’ve tried with my own family to no avail - and not all writers have the luxury of being in contact with an author who’s been down this same road. After a while, one might feel like they’re going insane.
But, for right now, my top priority is making sure everything is as ready as it’ll ever be by November. So get excited! I can’t wait to share this story with the world!