The Unwelcome Warlock/The Final Calling: Progress Report Thirty-Six

Okay, folks, it’s a day late, but Chapter Thirty-Six is now posted. I actually had enough money late Saturday afternoon, but I wasn’t home — the wife and I went out to a reception and show, so I wasn’t online until after midnight.

Technically, actually, we’re still 74¢ short, but I’m not about to put it off over less than a dollar.

This does mean we don’t have anything at all toward Chapter Thirty-Seven yet, but if $250 comes in by Tuesday night, I’ll post it on Wednesday, February 2nd, a.k.a. Candlemas, a.k.a. Groundhog Day. Which is also a family member’s birthday, and I have a medical appointment that afternoon. Big day, this coming Wednesday. Let’s see if we can’t make it even bigger with that thirty-seventh chapter!

First draft’s written, forty chapters and an epilogue. Haven’t started the second draft.

The Unwelcome Warlock/The Final Calling: Progress Report Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Five is now online. This is, once again, the last chapter that’s paid for; Chapter Thirty-Six is only about 20% paid for.

If the other 80% comes in, I’ll post Chapter Thirty-Six on Saturday, January 29th. If not, I’ll post Chapter Thirty-Six when the money does come in.

The first draft is complete, including a short epilogue that will be a free extra, if and when Chapter Forty is posted.

Nothing new on rewriting or contracts.

The Unwelcome Warlock/The Final Calling: Progress Report Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Four is now online. This is the last chapter that’s paid for; Chapter Thirty-Five is about $40 short. Assuming that $40 comes in, I’ll post Chapter Thirty-Five on Wednesday, January 26th.

The first draft is complete, including a short epilogue — which will be a free extra, if and when Chapter Forty is posted.

I still haven’t started the second draft, and Wildside admits they haven’t actually sent the contracts yet, but they’ll get to them soon.

The Final Calling/The Unwelcome Warlock: Progress Report Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three is now online. I’m still planning to post new chapters twice a week if the money comes in that fast, but right now there’s only one more chapter paid for. We’re only about halfway to Chapter Thirty-Five,

We’re paid through Chapter Thirty-Four, which will be posted Saturday, January 22nd.

The first draft is complete, though I’m still tweaking bits here and there and haven’t ruled out adding a short epilogue.

I haven’t started the second draft, but Wildside says they’re sending my agent a contract.

The Final Calling/The Unwelcome Warlock: Progress Report Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two is now online — the first Saturday chapter. From now on, I’ll post new chapters twice a week if the money comes in that fast.

I also made a small revision to Chapter Thirty-One.

We’re paid through Chapter Thirty-Four. Chapter Thirty-Three will be posted Wednesday, January 19th.

The first draft is written, except I still might decide to add a short epilogue. The novel runs forty chapters, and just over 125,000 words.

I’m not sure when I’ll get to the second draft, and I don’t actually have a contract with Wildside yet, so there’s no telling when the final version will see print.

The Final Calling/The Unwelcome Warlock: Progress Report Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One is now online. Read! Enjoy! Tell your friends! Send money!

We’re paid through Chapter Thirty-Three, just over halfway to Chapter Thirty-Four. Chapter Thirty-Two will be posted no later than Wednesday, January 19th. (“No later than”? See below.)

The first draft is written except for the second half of Chapter Thirty-Eight, and I might decide to add a short epilogue. It runs forty chapters, and about 125,000 words. I should have this draft finished in a few days, but due to the need to actually make a living I may not get to the second draft for a couple of months — I hadn’t intended to take this long on this story, and want to get something else out to market before reworking it.

At this point there’s no doubt that the novel will be finished and eventually published, but the serial is another matter — we’re still short six and a half chapters on the money end. I don’t mind dragging it out, if the money comes in slowly, but if it’s still not done when the finished book sees print, it never will be.

On the other hand, if the money comes in more quickly than expected, I’m planning to go to twice-a-week publication, Wednesdays and Saturdays. If I have more than two chapters paid for by this weekend, one will go up Saturday, as well as Wednesday — so if Chapter Thirty-Four is paid for by 11:00 p.m. EST on Friday, Chapter Thirty-Two will be posted Saturday, January 15th, rather than waiting until next week.

Will that happen? We’ll have to see.

Gauging the Market

So if I were to offer for sale an 18″ x 24″ poster of the simplified map of Ethshar of the Spices (the map area itself would be roughly 16″ x 12″) and additional material, would anyone be interested in buying a copy?

If so, how much would you be willing to pay? What other material would you want on it? Book covers? Explanatory text? My old drawing of Wizard Street (though I think that’s Wizard Street in Ethshar of the Sands, not Ethshar of the Spices)?

Are there other Ethshar-related posters you’d prefer? Other maps, perhaps?

If there’s serious interest, I’ll go ahead with this — I found a supplier who looks reasonable. The price, though, will be very dependent upon how many I’m sure I can sell.

So if you always wanted a map, speak up now!