Back to writing -- for reals.

Took the first 3 chapters of Tuskers II to writer's group. They liked it.  Had a few more criticisms than normal, but overall a good reception.

I feel a little guilty about starting a new book with them, when I never finished reading Tuskers all the way through.  But there would be little point since the book is actually in print. 

That's how you know you're writing fast -- when your book is published before I you can finish reading it to your beta listeners.

I gave them a one sentence spoiler about the end of Tuskers to prepare them for the new story.  Not too much of a give-away.

As I said the other day, I'm ready to really get rolling on Nobody's Killing Me, now that both the holidays and the release of Tuskers is out of the way.

Andy Zeigert has been encouraging me to quit checking my rankings on Amazon so assiduously.  I agree, it's time to step away. 

But I do feel like I had a good reason to do it.   I could watch, on a real time basis, the effects of different promotional efforts, so that I would know what works and what doesn't.  Short answer -- not much works.

It goes back to what Roy at Books of the Dead told me at the beginning.  Getting good reviews is the most important thing I can do to help my books sell.  So I've done everything I can think to do to get that much accomplished, at least.

I do have the feeling that it is probably necessary to scrabble for every sale.  But how do you do that without stepping over the line?  It's a fine line.

Thing is, I get tired of doing that.

So back to writing.  This time for real.