I have some bad news. Or some might say good news. There has been another delay to The Strategist, which will now be published on ebook in May, instead of January.
This means it will be released about a year after the initial planned publication date. That’s not so bad in the grand scheme of things – it’s less than two years after book one, which isn’t the end of the world.
Still, I’m a bit annoyed about it, especially as I know my legions of readers (both of them – hi mum and dad!) are receiving emails from Amazon etc telling them it’s been delayed. However, I definitely think the delays have been worthwhile, and everyone involved has been very patient and supportive.
The Strategist is the second book in the trilogy, and that has thrown up unique challenges. In book one, you are laying the foundations of the story, introducing most of the major characters, etc, so it evolves in quite a natural way. Plus, if you don’t have a book deal, you can really take as long as you like on it (I could anyway).
In book 3, you’re winding everything up, so again, all those big climactic events you’ve been thinking of start to click into place and help steer the narrative. (I think – I haven’t written a book 3 yet. I’ll probably be delayed with that too!)
But Book 2 is (obviously) somewhere in between. You know what’s supposed to happen in the story, but there are all sorts of other considerations beyond the major building blocks. You’re taking the story further, so can show more of the world. This is quite liberating, but it also presents challenges, especially in books like mine where I want to keep a high level of mystery. Similarly, I want to show more of the history of the world, and more of what makes the characters tick, while still keeping some of that hidden away. It’s tricky hitting that balance.
I think the point is that these things take as long as they take, and there’s no sense in rushing them. I am definitely much happier with the way it’s shaping up, so hopefully it will be worth the wait!
GerrardCowan.com 