Thursday, March 10, 2011

Check-In: What's Happening at Dava Books

Big news:  the WIP is finished!  At 451 manuscript pages, it's a huge weight off my shoulders--for the moment, at least.  Starting this weekend, the book will be going into Phase II:  designing my cover and formatting the interior pages for publication.  A lot of people have asked me what program I use for formatting, and the answer is:  Book Design Wizard 2.0.  I love this program and I bought the company's poetry version, too.

The title of the book is Overtaken.  A literary gothic fairy tale for grown-ups, it's about a portrait painter named Sara Elliott who marries a stranger who then disappears.  In her search to find her husband, Sara learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined.  And it was lots of fun to write.

So now that the WIP is finished and seems more like "whipped cream" than "whip that book into shape or else," I'm feeling a little bit like a kid just let out of school.  Some of the projects I can now attend to guilt-free are:

  • Play with my new camera.  Yes, I bought a camera at long last--and I can't leave it alone.  It's pink.  Here's my first picture:


  • Work on my book trailer for Overtaken.  This time I hope to have my trailer released before the book.
  • Design my marketing cards.  I love making--and sending--postcards based on my book cover designs.  I've always thought postcards are more cost effective than bookmarks because you can do so much more with them.  And they hold your place in a book just fine.
  • Start blogging twice a week.  I've wanted to do this for awhile, and now that I have my camera I have some new ideas on new directions for my blog.   While I will still be sharing writing tips and experiences, I'll also be taking you into my art studio.  (Hint:  I'll be working on my first "altered book."  Hope you'll be as intrigued as I am by this new adventure.)
So that's what's happening here at Dava Books.  Stay tuned for more!  And as always, thanks so much for reading and leaving your kind comments. 

Tip of the Day:  Where are you right now in your writing or creative journey?  Freewrite and take stock of what you've accomplished, where you want to go, and how you plan to get there.  What new tools, classes, or supplies do you need to expand your horizons?

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