I don’t know if a book launch is supposed to be chaotic, but I’ve found both of mine to be pretty hectic so far. With Hunted nearing publication now, there’s been lots to do in preparation for it; though it hasn’t been quite as bad this time round as it was for Hybrid. It helps that I already have my websites in place and it’s just a case of updating them for Hunted rather than having to sort the design and the build from scratch, and arranging the book trailer went a lot smoother this time.
A book trailer isn’t mandatory of course, though in this technical age a good website is a must. But I hoped if I could come up with a really cool werewolf promo video for Hybrid it would help reach more fans who might come across it on YouTube or my other social media. Unfortunately that hasn’t really been the case as the Hybrid trailer hasn’t had many views, so this time I really wanted to up my game and see about doing something live action, in the hopes it will have much wider appeal than the still images and quotes style of the Hybrid one. And since I treated myself to an awesome new costume commission from the very talented Francine Woodward, it seemed like the perfect time to attempt to create some cool werewolf promo footage for use as a trailer.
The filming went really well and I’m excited to see the final video, once it’s all been edited together. I also had to think about the cover for Hunted to provide suggestions to Wild Wolf for their designer to work with, as well as suggestions for the blurb, dedications and any updates to my author bio. Now I’ve got all that off to Wild Wolf things should happen pretty quickly, and as soon as the cover’s done we can finalise the trailer.My first book trailer was a nightmare to sort as people kept letting me down, despite the fact I was paying for it. I tried to get the ball rolling well in advance of the release of Hybrid, but due to being let down it ended up being made last minute, within days of the launch. My websites were also done fairly last minute, though that was my own fault for not thinking about the design sooner. There was also the added pressure of the launch happening during the last few weeks of the paid proofreading work I do for the school, which resulted in a few all-nighters to meet both the school’s deadlines and get everything sorted in time for my book launch.
For my second book launch I really wanted to avoid that kind of last minute rush and all the stress and pressure it placed me under. Arranging the live action trailer proved much easier than the first, though there was a bit of stressing on the day when my friends who volunteered to help and I were running late to meet my camera man and editor for this project, Russell J. Hall. I was conscious of keeping him waiting and it didn’t help when the sat nav failed us for finding Holme Moss Transmitter, which we’d arranged to meet at. Fortunately we found him and his wife while the light was still good enough for filming and everything went great after that, so fingers crossed the editing goes well now, when the cover is done and I can get over to Sheffield to look at it with Russell.
I’ve also spoken with the web designer who built my site to make sure the updates aren’t made last minute. Now it’s just a case of waiting to hear back from Wild Wolf about the cover and the blurb they’ve used, so we can make the updates.
Things have calmed down again while I’m waiting to hear from Wild Wolf, but it certainly felt chaotic despite being much more on top of things this time. I also had a few events to attend which added to the feeling of chaos, and I’m still trying to make my first book tour happen before the end of the year, plus I’ve started on book 3 already. There’s never a dull moment anymore but it’s all been so rewarding in my first year as a published author, and I look forward to many more years to come!
