Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
Well, it’s halfway through January already. I guess now is as good a time as any to put my 2015 goals out there for public consumption. So here goes.
Re-release existing Hero’s Sword books
By now, you are all probably aware that the former publisher for the Hero’s Sword series has returned all rights to me. I’d like to get all the existing books – Power Play, Storm Clouds, and Wedding Bliss – re-issued. Target date is mid-February. Power Play is already out there and Storm Clouds is up for pre-order. At least in digital format. I’m still working through some issues with the print copies, but rest assured they will be available shortly. Watch this space, Twitter, or my Facebook page. Better yet, subscribe to my newsletter.
Release Snake in the Grass: Hero’s Sword Vol. 4
The manuscript for this has been completed for a while. I’ve been working with the artist on the cover and the print version is complete. She just needs to finish the ebook cover. So look for this to go up for pre-order by early March.
Create a digital boxed set of the first three Hero’s Sword books
Everybody likes a deal, right? While this won’t be done in print, I do plan on releasing a digital “boxed set” of volumes 1-3 for Hero’s Sword. I’ve already started the process for cover art and I need to create the ebook file. I’d like to have this done by the end of February, ahead of the release of Snake in the Grass.
Release Hero’s Sword books 5 and 6
These manuscripts are also already written. Tentatively titled Fire Storm and Shadow Dance, They start the second third of the series arc and will take Jaycee/Lyla and crew into new territory. I’ve already booked an editor for March for Fire Storm and I’ll be starting to work on cover art shortly. I’d like to release a book a quarter. So if Snake in the Grass debuts in March, you can look for Fire Storm in June and Shadow Dance in September. In theory. Stay tuned.
Draft Hero’s Sword book 7
Once the re-release process is complete, and I’ve oiled the gears in the production cycle, I’ll need to keep completing manuscripts to keep the momentum going. I’ve got the synopsis for book 7 and a rough synopsis for book 8, so I’m in a good position. Target completion date (ready for the editor) for book 7 would be October. I think that is completely do-able. Hopefully by the time I’m done writing, I’ll have a title.
Finish current draft for Fallen
This is my rewritten Black Orchid project. Right now, I’m taking it through critique group and I’m getting some great feedback (as my friend Annette said, it takes a village to write a novel and I’ve got a terrific village). I think this should be done in a June timeframe.
Write synopsis for Every Other Monday
Ah, the dreaded synopsis. It’s time. It’s more than time, actually. Every Other Monday is Murder is being proofread right now and it’s ready to start seeking a home. So I need to learn how to write a synopsis. I want to have that done, or at least have a draft I can seek assistance with, by the end of February. So I can…
Query Every Other Monday
I plan to do a couple of Twitter party pitches in the coming months. For that, I also need a synopsis (I think), but a lot of times agents and editors ask for pages. Those I have. If these activities don’t result in offers, I’ll start querying agents and small presses. Target completion for this is end of March (as in, I’ve started querying in the end of March). I will also be attending the Pennwriters conference in May, where I intend to meet with agents and query.
Start revisions on A Matter of Trust
This is the working title for the sequel to Every Other Monday and last year’s NaNoWriMo project. It’s currently in sloppy first draft (SFD) form. Given how long it took me to get Every Other Monday ready, I’m looking to have this ready for other eyes by late summer.