Hot off the digital press, here is the cover design from David King and the team at Black Rose Writing! While I signed the publishing contract a while ago now, the concept of my manuscript becoming a physical book has been a bit like an abstract idea.

But now, I know what it’s going to look like.

I also got PDF proofs of the pages, a few more deadlines, and a release date. Here’s a snapshot of the rest of the process:

1. First copy edit due Aug. 27: Remember how I said I was getting sick of reading my own novel? Guess what, I get to do it again this week. Typos and other errors will be caught, and I will feel bad about the draft that I turned in. But I will get them all, and I’ve enlisted some help.
2. Final copy edit due ASAP after: After my publisher makes the edits, they will send the revised PDFs for a final review. I will make sure all the edits were made, that they didn’t cause any formatting issues, and maybe even find another one or two.
3. Ready for pre-order no later than Nov. 27: After “Deep Background” is finalized, it will be available for pre-order through the publisher’s website, here, Amazon, B&N, etc. The earlier the better, so I have plenty of time to generate buzz, which will include getting author copies to distribute for media and events. I plan on having everything locked down way before Thanksgiving.
4. ‘Deep Background’ released Dec. 6: Copies will be in the hands of readers. I’m formulating how to do a release party, and I will begin doing more signings, events, etc., assuming I don’t die from excitement.

In between hitting these deadlines, I will be getting author reviews (including one from a bestselling author whose last name is not Patterson, King or Grisham) and hopefully some positive media, especially here in Texas.