Hello Friend,
Today I’m writing to you from my beloved office. There’s tea in my cup and an empty seat on my couch, so come on in and let’s catch up!
Facts of Life
July, my goodness where do I begin? There were a lot of cookouts with burgers (and family and friends), a road trip for a beautiful wedding, lots of dog sitting, book club (of course), and two amazing book signings. One of which I had the pleasure of moderating!
I met Tricia Levenseller the last time she was on tour and stopped at Best of Books, and she is just as hilarious and kind as I remembered. Not only was our conversation amazing, her answers to all things character, romantic conflict, and badass females were so poignant that I wished I could have written it all down, but she also asked me genuine questions about my debut! She even gave me much appreciated debut author/career advice. That, I did write down!
Progress Report
We’re one year out from publication! Isn’t that wild? August 2025 is officially on the horizon (albeit a bit fuzzy still).
So, what does that mean on my end? Well, HSFAC is with my editor, but I should be getting feedback for the second round of edits sometime this month. The typical process for traditionally published books looks something like this: First Round developmental edits: where all the big picture stuff gets revised. Things like deepening character arcs, fixing pacing, finessing world, structure, and plot; Second Round developmental edits: more of the same but a closer look at character; Third Round developmental edits: this is using only if necessary and time permits; Line edits: this looks like finessing dialogue, trimming, and tightening every sentence; Copyedits: (sometimes line and copyedits are done at the same time) where a master of grammar tells you that you don’t know anything about the English language. JK. Kind of. This is where someone brings a fine-toothed comb to every sentence and helps writers evaluate word choices. First Pass Pages: where the book is now typeset and ready to go to the printers. This is where last minute corrections can be made. Not big picture stuff—the time for adding or deleting scenes/chapters/characters ended before copyedits. Here it’s all about the detail. You can split or combine paragraphs for better flow and mark up any misspellings that somehow made it through (they always do). Second Pass Pages: more of the same, if necessary. Then it’s off to the printer!
Though this may not seem like a lot of work, or like it should take twelve months or more, but there are other departments working on the book, too. Like cover art, inside art, production (which I’m not even sure what all they do). Plus, each of these rounds takes an editor time, and me time. And to top it all off, going to the printer doesn’t mean the book will be printed the next day. As far as I know, it’s with the printer for a few months. I’m sure I’ll find out more as I journey for the first time through this process, so as new/cool things pop up, I’ll be sure to share them with you!
As I’ve been waiting for my editor to send me round two notes, I’ve been knee deep in Destiny, aka book 2 of my contract. I finished my outline! *cue confetti* It came out to 86 pages. Yes, 86. I’ve been told that this is more of a zero draft than just an outline. So, cue double confetti!
What’s in my outline? Everything. I mean it, everything. I have the character desires, needs, and wants; plot developments; twists; turns; romance plot; quarter-to-half written scenes; sections of dialogue; and most importantly to my brain, a chapter-by-chapter outline with bulleted beats. The outline is essentially my Google Maps. I’m the type of writer who needs to make story decisions before I start writing, or else I get lost in the woods.
So, with map in hand, I’ve begun my next adventure.
To celebrate the one-year countdown to HSFAC’s publication, I’d like to share some of my author photos!
Almost immediately after accepting the deal, I booked a photoshoot, knowing that I’d need to have professional pictures ready for all things website, press kit, event announcements, etc. And also, I just wanted to celebrate landing my dream job.
Book Recommendation
This month I’ve really enjoyed:
A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen. I listened to this on audiobook and could not put it down. I guess there’s a reason why it’s on the bestsellers list :) I’m diving into book two this month and cannot wait for the final installment next year!
The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller
The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Reminder to add HER SOUL FOR A CROWN to your Goodreads shelves if you haven’t already. This will help us get more fun pre-order goodies and get more marketing dollars to spread the word over the next year. My heartfelt thanks to everyone <3
Again, thank you for coming alongside this journey with me. It’s an absolute dream to have you here.
Love, Alysha
P.S. I post daily updates on my Instagram and more Behind the Scenes goodies in my paid newsletter.
