It's on Amazon!

Yep, you read it right! The Skipper Goes to War is finally on Amazon for pre-order as an ebook. Any pre-orders will be despatched to your Kindle or Kindle app (computers, tablets and phones) on the 11th of January. The  paperback will be available shortly after I approve the proof copy (a few days after the 11th I imagine).

You can pre-order HERE and you'll receive your copy on publication day.

As if that weren't enough, you can subscribe to my mailing list HERE and receive a free novella (around 80 pages in paperback format). This tale shines a light on the Skipper's formative years during World War One.

I hope you enjoy, and Keep On Reading!

Mark

Mania!

Wow! The Skipper Goes to War is finally seeing the light of day!

The Beta Readers are doing their stuff, I am formatting for Amazon, looking at my author page, and getting some bugs out of the book format itself. 

As if that's not enough, I'm starting in on marketing! Now marketing was anathema to me, I'm here to create, right? But listening to Joanna Penn's podcast (here) and Dave Chesson's products and podcast, I came to realise that marketing is not about 'give me your money' - it's about sharing my output with those who may, or already do, like it. That makes it feel a whole lot more palatable, at least to me! All that said, if I possible can, I shall be contracting that work out to a virtual assistant from the SVA - it is sooo time consuming!

Taking workload aside however, this is a great time. All the blood, sweat and word-processing will be worth it if I get just one reader, though I sort of hope for a few more! 

For anyone interested in reading my monthly newsletter, you can subscribe here. You'll receive a free short story featuring The Skipper as a bonus, at least you will when I publish it in the next few days!

Until we (virtually) meet again, keep on reading and have a great time as we near the holiday period!

Mark

Update the umpteenth!

Well, it's getting close. The webpage is developing, my Facebook page is up and a short story about The Skipper's experiences in World War One is almost done. The book should be published early to mid December if all goes to plan.

The new Facebook page is here (maybe I ought to have said 'should be here'!).

So, keep on reading and I'll be back soon.

Mark

I'm Back!

I’d love to say I’ve been walking in the Highlands, sunning myself in Portugal or enjoying the craic in Ireland, but no, I’ve been somewhere much more intimidating and difficult. I’ve been immersed in the world of editing!

Who knew the editing journey would take so long? Well, apparently, everybody who has published independently, traditionally, or listened to sound advice knew exactly how long it takes. Unfortunately, I allowed optimism to stifle the voices of reason and experience: so here we are, some months down the line and still not published! 

On the plus side, I have learned an awful lot about engaging the editor brain and the process of turning a first draft into something less cringeworthy. Ernest Hemingway nailed it really: he said, “The first draft of anything is sh*t.” So I’ve wrestled with story structure, character arcs, and the minutiae of line editing. My darlings have been cut down like ripe corn and the manuscript is all the better for it. Better, but not, in my opinion, perfect.

So there it is. The P word. I am now wrestling with the intractable foe, perfectionism. In all honesty, I’m trying to decide whether my current desire for perfection is rooted in simple procrastination, imposter syndrome, fear of failure and all the one-hundred and one other demons stalking those unwise enough to write. Tiffany Yates-Martin recently made a great blog post about inner demons (link here). I would never (knowingly) pass substandard material to my readers, but trying to make it perfect in every respect means it’s unlikely to be published. 

So I made a deal with myself. One more read-through, because I owe it to my readers, and that’s it. I go with what I have and learn from feedback. Nearly four months of editing is enough. I’m passing the book out to some trusted compatriots, all with sharp eyes, keen brains, and strong stomachs. This advance guard will subject themselves to the full horror of my work and give me their opinions. Then I shall implement changes as required and publish (at last). 

But what of the cover? I hear you ask. Thanks to the talented and infinitely patient Andrew Rainnie on Fiverr (link here) I now have covers for all formats of my book. You are the first to see them outside of Andrew and myself...

Paperback as it will arrive from Amazon

eBook as it will appear on a Kindle app

With that I shall bid you goodbye for this post. Keep on reading, and I shall post when the read-through is done.

Mark 

Another Update!

I now know how to post via email so blogging is a great deal easier! Well done to the team at blogger.com

Now back to the website!

Keep on reading!

Mark

Update!

So here we are; the first novel in my 'Skipper' series is now finished and in the editing process! I'm busy sourcing cover designers at the moment and loving managing the process myself. 

Independent authorship is a a challenge on the first iteration but there are so many sources of guidance and information that I've never really been totally lost. I can't recommend Joanna Penn enough (link here). Joanna's businesslike and sensible approach has been a real help.

I'm off to do more work on the website so please keep an eye open for my next update! 

Keep on reading!

Mark

Welcome to my Blog

 Welcome!

Well here it is! My brand new blog is set upon the world. Having had a magazine article published, I'm currently writing my first novel. I had so many ideas buzzing around that inspiration was readily available and it took me quite a while to choose a subject. In the end my lifelong love of the sea and boats won through, together with many moving personal accounts from veterans, so I decided that I would tackle a story involving the Royal Naval Patrol Service in World War Two. This book will be the first in a series following the main character and his crew as they try to win a war while staying alive and providing for their lives after the war is over.

Those brave souls who took steam trawlers and drifters to war against the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe are under represented both in fiction and in the factual record. A couple of books stand out however: Coastal Convoys 1939-1945: The Indestructible Highway, by Nick Hewitt and Churchill's Pirates: The Royal Naval Patrol Service in World War II,  by Jon Sutherland and Diane Canwell, were both invaluable reading for me. I wanted to give a flavour of the bravery of these men, their stoic acceptance of their wide range of new roles, their 'unconventional' approach to naval discipline and their incredible achievement in keeping supplies flowing up the east coast of Britain in those dark days. I fictionalised one crew as a representative of them all, to create an adventure which I hope will strike a chord with readers.

I'm nearing the end of my first draft so I'll post any further news as it arises.

Keep on reading!