📚 The Final Sprint: "Cosy James" and the Pre-Order Push
The other day, I finally managed to upload my e-pub document to Amazon KDP. I was quietly confident until it told me I had 11 spelling mistakes. The good thing with KDP is that it points them out; though sometimes it flags things you've spelled that way on purpose. In my case? They were definitely mistakes.
I had written the word common ten times in the book, but I had typed it as "Cummon." Yes, ten times! I couldn’t believe it. How had nobody picked this up? I’d even had a fantastic 5-star review from an ARC reader (it was more like an essay than a review, which I loved!), and even they hadn't mentioned it.
(Read the review here)
I headed straight back to Reedsy and used the Find & Replace tool. It’s a lifesaver. It found every "Cummon" and swapped them for the correct spelling in seconds. The final mistake was just a quick fix in the back matter.
🔍 The "As" Trap
The problem was that while fixing those, I started reading the surrounding passages. I noticed I had a real habit of starting sentences with the word "As."
- As they were leaving... * As he entered the car... * As he arrived... I tend to write like I think, but seeing it all together made me realise it needed to change. I ended up doing a full new edit to vary the sentence structure: They were leaving... He entered the car... It sounds much punchier now.
Then there were the "glitch in the matrix" moments caused by typing too quickly, like you do on your phone. One sentence had a character walking along the "sidewall" instead of the sidewalk. Being English, I decided to change it to "pavement" anyway! My personal favourite was "Cosy James," which was supposed to be "Called James."
It brings up that old author dilemma: if the book is set in America, do you use the American term or the British one? I find it a tough one to call. If you’re a writer, how do you handle that?
🗓️ Countdown to the 1st of May
The final edits are now officially complete. The ebook has come in at 438 pages, and the physical copies are 386 pages.
I’ve set the ebook up for pre-order, which means I can officially announce the release date: 1st May 2026. KDP is strict—you must have the final file uploaded 72 hours before the deadline or they’ll ban you from using pre-orders again. For the paperbacks, I’ll hit "publish" a day or two before the 1st so they hopefully go live around the same time as the digital version.
Peter at BespokeBookCovers.co.uk sent over the final paperback wrap today now that he has the spine width. I can’t wait to get my author copies and see that "red-hot" cover in the flesh!
⭐ The Review Struggle
Reviews are still the thing I struggle with most. People are reading via Amazon and Kindle Unlimited, but very few leave a rating. I’ve joined a few review sites recently which have helped. I received a lovely review from a lady called Amber lately—it’s such a boost when someone truly connects with your story. To anyone who has read An Irish Mystery and left a review: thank you. It really does mean the world to an indie author.
🗓️ One Year On: From Cambridgeshire to Sri Lanka
On the 14th of May 2025, An Irish Mystery was released. Now, one year on (minus a few days), An American Treasure will finally be available for purchase. How did we get here? Honestly, I don’t really know myself!
I wrote a story that I thought was alright, and people told me it was great. I loved the process so much I decided to write another, originally titled The Grey Ghost Treasure. I think An American Treasure has a bit more "bite" to it, though, don’t you? I even have Book 3 on the horizon, but it wouldn't be fair to say too much about that until Book 2 is out in the wild.
If nobody bought my books, I would still write and publish more. It’s just something that, once you start, you cannot stop. Even when you get a one-star review, it just makes you want to prove people wrong even more. I learnt years ago while running my family’s furniture shop that you simply cannot please everybody. You just have to keep providing the best "service"—or in this case, the best story—that you can.
🧜♂️ The BookSirens Mystery
For An American Treasure, I decided to try a site called BookSirens for my ARC (Advance Review Copy) readers. I was hoping to build up some momentum and reviews before the official launch. It started really well; I had four requests for the book, which I accepted immediately.
A few days later, I received that fantastic five-star review from Gregory that I mentioned earlier. He went into great depth and I was over the moon. However, when I logged into my BookSirens account, it still showed that I had zero readers, zero reviews, and no DNFs (Did Not Finish).
I contacted their support team, who suggested he must have downloaded the book from another site. I replied stating that was impossible, as the book wasn't available anywhere else! I even checked the details—Gregory was one of the four people who had requested the copy on BookSirens, and all his details matched his Goodreads profile exactly. He definitely downloaded it from their site.
Then came another problem, support replied saying they had received my email but there was no text within it. I sent it again and received the exact same reply.
The Silver Lining
The way BookSirens works is that you pay $10 to upload (once approved), and then you pay $2 for every download. Because the system hasn't registered the downloads correctly, I’ve had a brilliant review but haven’t paid a penny—or a cent, I should say!
I’m just going to leave it running. If any of you want to read an advance copy, head over to BookSirens.com—just remember to leave me a review once you’ve finished the journey!
📚 What Am I Reading
(Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you fancy a new thriller, clicking the links below helps support the blog at no extra cost to you!)
I have eventually found time this week to get back into Rogue Target by Jack Mars.
Compared to the first two books in the series, this one has started a bit slower. It follows on from the events of Book 2 where—without giving away any spoilers—the characters really needed a bit of R&R. Interestingly, a villain from Book 1 is back in the fold again, which adds a nice layer of intrigue.
I am currently 111 pages in, which is about 34% of the way through. While the start has been a steady build, I have a feeling that once this book gets going, it will be full-throttle ahead. Jack Mars is an author I have recently come to love, and he is quickly becoming a firm favourite of mine.
Enjoyed the ride? 📖
I balance my writing life with a full-time day job, which means covers, research, and advertising all come out of my own pocket. If you’d like to see these books reach more readers—and help me stay caffeinated while I write them—you can support my work here. Your help keeps the "Stream" flowing and the books coming.
📬 Want to follow the journey?
I send occasional emails about writing, publishing, and the stories behind The Newman Adventures.
Newsletter subscribers also get an exclusive sneak peek of Book 2, An American Treasure.
👉 Join here: The Newman Chronicle
📚 The Newman Adventures
An Irish Mystery A fast-paced historical adventure about stolen treasures, hidden histories, and the cost of obsession. The story that started it all.
An American Treasure The journey continues! Cedric Newman returns in a high-stakes hunt for the lost riches of Mosby's Rangers. Action, mystery, and a new enemy await.
Available in Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback & Hardcover
📱 Let’s Connect
You can also find me on Instagram, Bluesky, X, and Facebook, where I share writing updates, research snippets, and behind-the-scenes moments from the school building and the writing desk.
Comments
Post a Comment