I’m currently writing a short story to give away to people who sign up for my email newsletter. I mentioned the email before, and I think I mentioned that it is considered “traditional” to offer something to those who sign up.
Most websites use coupons or discounts of one shade or another. Since all of my books are sold through Amazon, I’m not sure how I would even set that up, and besides, anyone who signs up for my newsletter probably already owns the books I have released that they are interested in… hopefully they pick up my future releases and dabble in my back catalog, sure, but a coupon is of limited use when you only have 8 books to sell!
So instead, I’m writing up a short story about Terrence Yao, a sensor operator on the starship Ignoble Retort. Yao feels a heavy, dark, cold weight in his stomach which has bothered him for days, but the doctor doesn’t find anything so he has to carry on knowing that something terrible is going to happen to him but nobody seems to care. And then the ship is attacked and… well, it’s going to be about 5K words, so not much more than that, but I’m really happy with how it is shaping up!
It’s unfortunate that I can’t work on it and my next novel at the same time… I do a little, but getting into one headspace kinda precludes doing the same in a different universe. But I should be finished the first draft of the story today, and then I’ll edit it in a few days, send it off to my editor for a final coat of polish, and then be back to my novel before y’all know it!
Hope everyone out there is staying safe and healthy!