What’s That You Say

Hey there. Thanks for stopping by and spending some time with me. I will try to give a little insight on publishing, balancing work with writing and even some science stuff I do at my day job. I’m not the only one trying to write, publish, market and work full time. Let’s spend some time sharing stories, tips and tricks to make it across that finish line. For all the non-authors, I will break down acronyms writers use like MS or ARC or TBR—that way when you see posts from favorite authors you can follow along.

So, a lot has been happening on the writing front. Punchline: I will publish my novel and a novella early 2020! Read on for details.


1. I sent my proofed Manuscript (MS) back to the publisher a couple days again. This means that my debut psychological thriller, “Will You Still Love Me, If I Become Someone Else?”, is going into production. You’d think it would be an easy street now that the writing, editing, and revising is done, but you’d be wrong. I have learned that marketing and promoting is a huge part of the publishing game. So, I’m learning the end and outs of building a platform and brand. So, please follow me on your favorite social media platform (links in the sidebar or I’m @jomega22 on everything) and sign up for my newsletter (I’m aiming for monthly, but if something exciting happens, like a give away, you may get an extra one). This is a big help to a new author (any author).


2. Since my novel is going into production this means that the Advance Reading Copies (ARCs) are coming soon. My publisher, RhetAskew, gives these out to readers about 90 days before publication to get reviews and blurbs and get the hype machine going. If you are interested in being added to the ARC list, subscribe to the newsletter or send me a DM on a social media platform.


3. So, the rumors are true; I am working on a Novella (a story in between a short story and a novel) to that will be published as a collection in a Romance box set early next year. Yes, you read right, my novel is a psychological thriller and now I’m writing a romance novella—okay let me explain, it’s not as big a leap as you think.

So, in college I was writing short-literary fiction and poetry, dealing with relationships and self reflection. After graduate school, I didn’t write much as I focused on my science career. After 6 years not writing, I got a journal and started writing, and a year later, I had a novel (it would be my second novel 3 years later that is getting published). “Write what you know—” is what they say, and I am a scientist, I mixed my literary-poetical style with a bit of sci-fi and I got ‘Will You Still Love Me, If I Become Someone Else?’

My novel has a lot to do about relationships, but layered into a twisty thriller plot with a dash of sci-fi.

Moving from that to writing a romantic comedy wasn’t difficult. I watch (it’s a little know fact about me) a ton of Rom-Coms, from ‘Christmas in Connecticut’ to ‘Always Be My Maybe’, and the hardest part was doing the actual writing (but isn’t that always the case). Also, I have added romance novels to my To Be Read (TBR) pile. I have already sent a draft of my novella, “Tomorrow May Be Too Late”, out to romance beta readers (people who will read the story to give feedback to help with revisions)–I’ll write a post about this process later. Besides thinking of ways to expand my romance novella, I’ve already starting to work on another Romance novella—maybe Novel (You Can Be My Wind Up—working title).

Okay, that’s all for now. If you have any questions or comments, post them here or on a social media platform. I’ll catch you on the Flip—

Happy Writing!

Cheers,

JRA, II

Author: Jotham

Jotham Austin, II lives in Chicagoland with his wife and two sons. He has his PhD in Botany, and can be found taking electron micrographs of cells at The University of Chicago. His Rom-Com novella, “Tomorrow May Be Too Late” will be published as part of the romance anthology, “Askew Ever After,” January 2021. His debut novel, a sci-fi psychological thriller, ‘Will You Still Love Me, If I Become Someone Else?” will be released February 2021. Jotham recently started a newsletter that explores the science in science fiction (signup at jothamaustin.com). Preorder books and Follow Jotham on social media at https://linktr.ee/Jothamaustin

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *