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Progress Report 2025 Week 04

I hit a goal that I didn’t even have on my list this week — and it has to do with Evolution’s Hand. Though I did mention it a couple of weeks ago. That said, the goal was just a down payment. Maybe. In addition, it was a tough week for Dreams of Deucalion Book 3: Bait and Bleed. The plot arcs are coming together, and I’ve had to go back and seed some plot points. Did it disrupt my rhythm? Let’s take a look at the key performance indicators first.

Last Week’s Progress By the Numbers

We’re closing in on the resolution and aftermath — but man-oh-man, it’s been a tough week!

In terms of raw numbers, it was a good week. But like I mentioned in the opening, a lot of plot threads are coming together. I had to go all the way back to the ending of Dreams of Deucalion Book 2: Flanking Maneuver to make some adjustments to prepare for the arc collisions. I’m sure I’ve missed a detail here and there. Fixing that will have to wait until the read-aloud pass of all three books. I found that helped me catch continuity errors — instead of leaving them for readers.

I’m also finding that the more intricate the plot points, the more vulnerable I am to introducing errors or omissions based on minor interruptions in my concentration. Some minor Real Life Family Events (RLFEs) can throw me off my game. Worse, my cat had decided she wants snacks whenever I sit down to type. She even started butting my upper arm with her head.

I love the cat. I really do! That’s why I don’t just pick her up and put her on the carpet. I don’t want her to think I’m ignoring her. But I really do need focus time!

Published My First Collections

I’ve read that many writers will release collections of series after a certain period of time. Readers seem to like collections, too, because they can get a good deal on multiple books. A couple of weeks ago, I shared the covers for these two new collections:

  • Evolution’s Hand Collection 1: Earthbound
    • Contains Executive Action, Dying Breath, and Primary Target
  • Evolution’s Hand Collection 2: Sirius Rising
    • Contains Blind Exodus, Split Infinities, and Unnatural Crypsis

Those two collections are now live on Amazon.

I tried to setup an Amazon ad that tests a new theory I have. Using Publisher Rocket’s new reverse Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) lookup, I profiled books similar to Executive Action. I extensively mined the keywords, and I’m using those keywords for the new ad.

But I didn’t go for merely popular keywords. I tried to blend popularity with affordability. The ad is a very low spend, because it’s experimental. But I’ve given potential fans an attractive entry price. We’ll see if I can move any copies!

I think that this release will mark the end of further activity around that series. I wanted the experience of publishing a collection, so I took the chance. But I don’t want to focus on the past. I want to pour time into new series, which I plan to write in a way that’s a little easier to market.

As an aside, I really wish I could figure out how to market Evolution’s Hand. There’re a lot of character moments that I love and want to share with readers. I’m a little heartened, even before publishing the collections, to see that some folks are going from The Sword of Sirius to Evolution’s Hand. I hope they enjoy the material!

Progress against Last Week’s Goals

Here’s how I did against my goals last week:

  1. Finish Jadwiga Janczak’s Pinch 2 Part II: Done!
  2. Finish Trent Raven’s Pinch 2 (it’ll likely split into two chapters): Done!
  3. Finish Atticus Porter’s Pinch 2: Done!
  4. Start Trent Raven’s Plot Turn 2: Half done! I had to split it into two chapters, and I finished the first.
  5. Plan how to reinvigorate my newsletter: Started! But there’s some secret that I haven’t discerned. My open rate blows. So I’m going to focus on that.

Goals for the Week in Progress Report 2025 Week 04

Here’s what I hope to accomplish this week:

  1. Finish Jadwiga Janczak’s Plot Turn 2
  2. Finish Trent Raven’s Plot Turn 2 Part II
  3. Finish Atticus Porter’s Plot Turn 2
  4. Start the Help Plot called Success Planning
  5. Continue brainstorming to improve newsletter performance
  6. Continue evaluating Amazon ad performance

What Do You Think?

Have you released a collection? How long do you wait after finishing the series? Or do you release collections as you go? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!

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