Firming up the roster.

My goal this year is to firm up my existing roster of books, as well as continue to write original content.  I have a career worth of books I've written in the last couple of years -- if I can actually finish them.

Two of the books are more or less ready to be published, and either need to be finished editing and/or formatted.  Blood of Gold is being edited right now.  Led to the Slaughter needs a cover.

I'd say a third of the remaining books are within one re-write of being published.  The rest are going to need extensive re-working (What I'd call an overhaul, instead of re-write.)  Some of the books that are almost ready are sequels to books that need more work, so that is a bit of a roadblock.

Over the course of this year, I'm hoping to mix a little re-writing -- with a little re-working -- with the writing of new material.

I'm also thinking of these books as a roster, which kind of makes me a publisher.  So I've been thinking that I need to look at these as a publisher, as well as a writer.

Sagewind Publishing.

I'd really like to create professional caliber books -- not only in the writing, but also in the presentation.  As well as a professional distribution system -- a nice webpage, and an ability to sell to bookstores and distributors.

Not so much as a self-published writer, but as a publisher.  Between Linda and me, we have enough content to be considered a publisher.  To be a publisher, I'd need an art director, a office manager, an editor, a tech person, and a publicist. 

Most likely me, but with some help from others -- people not so much on the payroll but on a retainer.  I know some artists, I have a tech guy, I have an editor.  Linda and me can be the office managers.  The biggest challenge would be an effective promotions person.

Promotions:  This is the necessary skill set that I just don't have.  Not only don't I have it, but I've avoided it for all the years of business.  I concentrated on creating content -- and because I was on a busy street, the content was enough.

In effect, I have to find the busy street in publishing.  To extend that analogy, right now I'm not only not in a busy street downtown, I'm not even in the city, I'm somewhere east of John Day.  Something like that.

It is an incredibly crowded field, and I've got to find a way to plop myself down on the internet equivalent of a busy street.

Anyway, all that is in the future for now.  I'm going to concentrate on the actual writing and re-writing over the coming year, and continue to think about and research how to publish mine and Linda's books.