Almost

Happy Monday!

Obviously, with the excerpt up and running, we’re getting down to the wire on For The Wicked. I’ve still got some tweaks and polish to apply, but we’re really close.

Stuff you need to know:

1) The “notify me” release announcement won’t go out until the episode is live at all of the following retailers:

Amazon
Kobo
Smashwords
AllRomance eBooks
Barnes & Noble

Most of you know that B&N takes the longest to process a new release. If you’re a Nookster and you see the episode cropping up elsewhere, fear not: it’s usually not far behind. Last time they were pretty quick, like about 12 hours after Amazon, if I remember right.

Sony and Apple take forever. There’s no excuse for this. There’s no plan on how to fix it yet, either, I’m sorry to say. The only solution I can offer is Smashwords. All file types are available through them.

For those of you who see the episode go live and then get the notification email later, sorry. I don’t mean to pester. I just have to hold off a bit so my Nooksters don’t get Lucy-Van-Pelted, thinking FTW is available when it really isn’t, yet.

2) This episode is more than three times longer than Help Wanted. That’s a huge chunk o’ebook to move through without navigation markers. Too big, really, so this time, For The Wicked will be sectioned up into not-precisely-chapters. This deviates from the usual style and though most people would never notice or care, I figured I’d warn y’all anyway.

In the not-too-distant future, we will go back and add the same feature into previous episodes. We’ll do this at the same time we do cover updates and another polish pass. Such a change could trigger Amazon to send out a file update email. Should that happen, navigational markers would be the reason and you can choose to update or just ignore it.

3) This episode wraps the first “season” of Fantasy Heights. It resolves Josh, Thomas and Amanda, who will return in season 2, but not as our core characters.

4) Season One will be bundled for print in the not-too-distant future. I will keep you posted on developments.

5) Season One will not be bundled as an ebook for wide release until the end of this year. As mentioned previously, I might do special editions for contests or gifts and such, but to be fair to those of you who have toughed out the serial format, we’re pushing back the bundling a ways. Which reminds me…

6) The Kindle bookstore has a “starter pack” edition of episodes one and two bundled together. This edition will be going buh-bye very soon. Like possibly today. (If I remember. Which — let’s face it — I won’t. But soon™)

7) For The Wicked will be $2.99 US again. I know the price change really ticked some people off. I did not raise the episode price to gouge readers now that they’re “hooked”. Between overhead and taxes (picture me staggering around holding my stomach and chest like Fred Sanford, howling about the big one), my choice became to raise the price or stop producing episodes. Hence the price increase. Sorry. It is what it is.

Um, that’s probably it for now. Rather less post-y and more fix-y and release-y on this end. I probably won’t hit the blog again until stuff starts going live.