Approx 1/3 of the way through editing. So far it's mostly just minor spelling and punctuation errors as well as a few sentences that were copied from my original draft and have details not in this draft that I missed removing. As long as I'm happy with the rest of what I've written and it's also only minor errors in the other 2/3 I should be ready to plan book 2 and start approaching agents/developing a marketing strategy (I'm dead serious about this thing being published).
Next weekend is a long weekend here so am going to aim to have edits and a 4th draft with the edits done by then so I can use the 3 days to do outlining and social media content planning. Have been googling agents and most local ones don't have submissions open for a few months or need a bunch of collateral docs (ie. synopsis, author bio, query doc, etc.) that I need to develop before I can approach them. I don't think it will hurt to build up some social media hype before I do (a la Lightlark, though hopefully not as messily).
Will probably set up a tiktok and tumblr page, maybe an instagram for the project (I hate insta so am on the fence about it). Tiktok for AV content and Tumblr because I like drawing and have a bunch of art I want to post about it but don't want to put it on my personal tumblr (@basil-isdead).
Will post the deets on here once they're up and running if anyone wants to check them out.
Finished most of my collateral (pitch docs, bio, synopsis, query letter etc.) Have also printed ch 5 - 8 to edit when I get home from work. Still need to copy edits from 1 - 4 into a draft. One of my coworkers has agreed to proofread for me before I send it off to agents!!! Beginning work on marketing plan, was too noisy at work to do much planning for book 2 because the auditors are in at the moment and keep coming over to ask Qs.
Have finished editing. Approx half is now in draft 4 with the other half to come. Made a start on book 2
Daft 4 is done, I think there'll probably be a draft 5 but I want to read a few philosophy books (The poetics of reverie and a few of John Dewey's longer works) and also Lev Grossman's Magicians series before I start it. Needs more towards the back end in chapters 9 - 12. I've added about 1500 words worth in draft 4 but it's still missing something. Am going to wait for my coworker to read it also though am not sure how much constructive feedback I'll get out of her
Have got socials up now. @theanguslandchronicles on Tumblr, Tiktok + Instagram because I want to draw over the weekend. My coworker also has my draft for reading, she said she'll likely get through it over the long weekend (she's as adhd as I am so I doubt it but you never know). Am working on a cover design for the first book (good to have). I have a foggy outline for book 2 and have started on the prologue which is mostly disconnected from the plot.
Have made a start on chapter 1 of book 2 even though I still don't have an outline, just a jumble of ideas.
08/06/25 - 1950. Total = 1950
Submitted my work to an agent (very scary). Don't know why but I felt compelled to do it today, was absolutely shitting myself copying and pasting stuff from my google doc into their portal but it's done now. I should hear back from them in 1-3 months. There's another I want to submit to who isn't accepting submissions until August so the waiting game begins. It does give me a kick up the arse to get some work done on book 2.
Have a solid idea for A1 of book 2, just need some time to flesh it out and figure out how to fold it into whatever I come up with for the rest of the book. Book 2 is much more idealogical than book 1 (leans more on ecospiritualism and community building) so I need to make sure I'm hitting the message I want and I'm not to overhanded or preachy about it otherwise it's going to sound like a manifesto which is def not what I want. Don't want the message to take away from the story, just enhance it especially since the duology I'm writing is aimed at middle/high schoolers.
Have done some drawing and posted it on the socials, just rough sketches. Will be doing some full colour ones over the weekend that I'm going to try and get a timelapse of to put up too.
Have got a basic outline down, just need to pad it out with character arc stuff. Also got some video of me working on it that I need to edit into something to put up on tiktok/instagram
I'm alive I promise. I've just been following the dopamine in another direction and waiting to hear back from the 2 agents I submitted to.
Some updates, I submitted to another agent. But also literally this morning the agent I originally submitted to emailed me back and said she read my submission and wants to read my full manuscript. AHHHHHHH!!!!!! WOOWHHOOOO!!
i guess i have to finally get around to working on book 2 now!
Massive news, cannot be normal about it, am resisting the urge to text every person I know.
