Introduction to the Accountability Post 2021 Week 36
I stepped up preparations for Book 1: 61 Cygni this week. The developmental edit is still starting in a few weeks, and I’m still wondering if I should push the manuscript through one more draft. I’m inclined against doing that, because I think I want to wait for the results of the developmental edit, because I think it likely I’ll need to make a lot of changes as a result. If you’ve gone through this process, I’d love to hear about your experience!
I also started researching covers. I’ll talk about my search so far, along with the impact it’s having on my sanity, after we talk about my progress this week.
Accountability Post 2021 Week 36 By the Numbers
During week 35, I wrote 8,953 words to bring the total to 79,575 words. Here’s what the numbers looked like during week 36:
I felt a little surprised that I’m still creating characters! These were minor characters, but their impact on the main character needed to feel real. So I had to take the time to get them right.
During week 36, I wrote 6,919 words to push the total to 86,494 words. Not a terrible week, given that I took one night off the prevent complete burn out. Well, more accurately, I was burned out, so I needed a recharge cycle. Writing didn’t burn me out. A combination of real life concerns had worn me down, so I needed to visit the Zone via STALKER Anomaly. It might actually be the best mod I’ve ever played for STALKER, and that’s saying a lot.
The important point is that I’ve continued forward momentum. Most of the arcs feel like they’re falling into place. However, I’m still fighting to refine Melchizedek “Dek” Conrad’s arc. He’s the main character, and he’s part of the thread that’ll tie the books together. I think I’ve been hesitating because he’s too much like me. It’s like I’m subconsciously afraid of saying what I want to say.
That’s a weird sensation for me.
But while I fed the cat the other night, my subconscious threw some ideas at me. I got the concept from Elizabeth Moon’s Serano series. I really enjoyed that series, along with everything of hers that I’ve read, and it matches some suspicions I’ve had over the years but lacked the breadth of experience to confirm. I think the idea will be interesting to readers. At least, I hope so!
The Search for Covers during Accountability Post 2021 Week 36
After the developmental edit, assuming the manuscript survives in any usable form, I’ll need to incorporate the feedback into the draft. Then, I’ll need to figure out how to do the other edits, especially copy editing and line editing. While that’s underway, I’ll need to decide what to do about the covers for the first three books.
Pricing on Reedsy seems to cruise around $2,000, with starting prices around $650. Given how much I’m paying for the developmental edit, which I know I need given where I am in my writing career, I don’t think I want to invest that much in a cover. Yet, I know I need a good cover.
I checked several Facebook groups, but it’s tough to judge the experience of commenters. I looked at Fiverr, but lacking familiarity with the service and its various offerings, I didn’t have a frame of reference to decide if they had anything for me. I had begun to wonder if I needed to risk taking a chance on an outlet that I didn’t really understand, and that was eroding my sanity points!
I found a YouTube video by Self-Publishing with Dale called “I Paid 5 Designers On Fiverr To Design The Same Cover.” The video covered non-fiction covers, which I know are very different from science fiction or thriller/technothrillers. Despite that, the video introduced me to how Fiverr works and what kinds of things I should look for. I highly recommend this video if you’re wondering about how Fiverr works. Dale seems to know his stuff. Right now, I’m inclined to use Fiverr for my covers, but we’ll see. I’ll share what I learn here.
Scorecard: Goals
Previous Week’s Goals
These were the goals I had set for week 36:
- Finish Jack Booth’s Midpoint: Done!
- Finish Melchizedek Conrad’s Midpoint: Started!
- Start Atticus Porter’s Midpoint: Incomplete
Sadly, I underperformed this week. In my defense, I needed to cast some new characters for Conrad’s arc. I kept referring to one character as “the attendant,” but her role had gotten to the point where I needed to give her a name. Then, I needed to establish her report structure up to Matsushita Sachi, because that structure played an important role. It made the story stronger, so I don’t begrudge the time.
Next Week’s Goals
Reviewing last week’s progress and checking the plot braiding worksheet, these are the goals that make sense for the coming week:
- Complete Melchizedek Conrad’s Midpoint
- Finish Atticus Porter’s Midpoint
- Start Liam Martin’s Midpoint
What Do You Think?
Have you worked with Fiverr before? Have you worked with other cover providers? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
You can pay pretty much anything for a cover. Have you looked at premades to see if there is anything that will work?
I’d also recommend having a look at the site – https://www.thecoverdesigner.com/. Ryan is in a writing group I’ve been in for years and he does amazing covers.
“You can pay pretty much anything for a cover.”
Can confirm! I mean, I’ve seen prices from $0.00 (do it myself) and, so far, $3,500.00. I’m pretty sure I’ve only gotten as high as $3,500 because I tended to look for more economical covers.
“Have you looked at premades to see if there is anything that will work?”
Yes. At this point, I know enough to know I don’t know how to choose covers. There’s an art and a science to it. I might be able to do it after I get a few titles under my belt, but until then, I want an experienced artist to give me advice.
“I’d also recommend having a look at the site – https://www.thecoverdesigner.com/. Ryan is in a writing group I’ve been in for years and he does amazing covers.”
I checked out that site, and I really like what I saw! It’s only my short list. Literally, it’s a very short list — 3 entries so far!
I need to figure out beta readers. I’m going into the developmental edit pretty much blind. Well, I’m crazy if I expect everything to be in place before I’m published!
Thanks for the ideas!
No worries. Also, don’t sell yourself short. You haven’t watched and reviewed that much anime without taking a lot of it in, even if it’s subconsciously. You probably did a much better job than you realized.