Release Date Change for Monarch: Egg

In my last post, I wrote about how an SPA (Self-Publishing Author) must listen and adapt.  Well, I have been listening and must make a change.  The reason for this change is something I regret not having taken into account earlier this year. 

In late May, it became evident that non-writing issues would prevent me from meeting my then July deadline, so I moved the release date to November 11th.  All was a little more chaotic then and I was not as focused as I needed to be.  I did not take into full account the November 11-12 Atlanta Writers Club Conference I signed up for in mid-June. 

I justified the close proximity of these two big events, choosing to believe that it would actually help to have my book out on the market one day before I meet with agents and publishers.  One day?  I should have changed the release date again then. Did I?  No.

Yes, meeting and talking with fellow writers about my newly released book at the conference might help short-term sales, though it would likely ruin any chance I might have at securing an agent.  I tried to hide the fact that an agent or publisher might lose interest in my story, if I were to self-publish it the day before meeting them. I believed that it could somehow bolster their interest.  I was wrong.  The days are too close.  

I had in mind three possible release dates at the beginning of the year.  The first was early July, which was changed because of issues beyond my control.  The second was November, and I don't see it happening because of the conference.  The third was December, with one year to go to the end of the Mayan Calendar on 12/21/2012.  I cannot release any later than the winter solstice on 12/22/2011. That will still allow readers one full year, with leap day included, to read Monarch.  A solar year.    

Now that I have the end in sight, I see that my egregious error is not that I must change the release date.  No.  I am an unknown author.  The people I have wanting to read my book right now, I probably know.  My error is that I may have disappointed some of them. 

To you, I apologize. I appreciate your support and I apologize for having to alter the release date of Monarch: Egg to December 22nd.  It means a great deal to me that you would purchase my book before it was available.  If I do release it earlier than 12/22/11 or give a possible sneak peek, those of you who have bought your copy before 11/11/11 will be the first to know.

E n t e r

 t h e 

C i p h e r

-aap