Getting closer…

Things They Buried continues to inch closer to publication. We have a tentative launch date (so tentative, I’m not yet willing to post it), and we’re starting to delve into the parts of publishing a book that have nothing to do with actual writing. I thought I was done with developing promotion plans when I left the corporate world, but apparently not. I’ll spare everyone the details of writing elevator pitches, making budgets and setting up timelines (thank you, Microsoft Teams), but I will share some of the more interesting steps. For example …

We’re meeting with artists this week to discuss characters sketches. The last time I had to do this sort of interview, I was working at the state museum. Fortunately, art’s not an industry that changes nearly as quickly as technology, so I should be able to keep up.

We’ve prioritized the images we need and want (besides the cover art, which is the only one that’s a show-stopper). We’ll be starting with main characters (Syl, Aliara and Schmalch) then – as cash flow permits – moving on to secondary characters (Haus, Hergis, Nihal and Tatumi), tech (mag pistols and genetically engineered critters) and environments (cityscapes, interiors). It’s quite exciting. We’ve worked hard to create vivid word pictures, but having actual images from the stories can really bring the story to life. These artists will help us define our genre, show readers see what’s inside our heads and keep us from being lumped in with cyberpunk or steampunk or high fantasy.

For the moment, we’re sticking with local, Irvington artists. It can be difficult to do such creative work over long distances, plus we like supporting our neighborhood. (And if anyone should abscond with our money, we can actually physically find them.) If you know of any artists you like and think we should talk to, let Michael or me know. We’d like to see a few different styles/takes on what we’ve created.

We’ll keep everyone posted as we have anything to share.