After three long years since the release of 2016’s The R.E.M. Effect, the final installment in the planned trilogy is with the editor. And if it’s anything like the last two books in the REM series, it should be ready to release on Amazon soon.
Just to give you a little insight into the self-publication process, this is where a lot of the work begins. Before I can release the book, I’ll have to run it by a flurry of beta readers to check for typos, weird run-ons . . . Things like that.
Then, I’ll have to create two versions: one for paperback release, and another for eReaders. These versions are formatted differently because what may look good in a paperback won’t necessarily translate to electronic formats like ePub and MOBI and .pdf.
Once the books are finalized, it’s time to collaborate with my book cover designer. I have to wait until everything’s final because a single error in page count can lead to cover flaws (especially in regards to the paperback spine). She typically sends me three cover versions to choose from, and I run them by readers to see which one they like best before choosing a final one.
This project is going to be unique too in that I’ll also be offering The REM Series as a box set, meaning I’ll need designs for that, too, along with a few extras to clearly identify each book in the series, and maybe a review or two on the front and/or back.
And of course I’ve got to send the manuscript into the Library of Congress to get the official copyright, assign ISBNs through Bowker, work on new marketing creatives and see if I can (hopefully) decode the Amazon Marketing algorithm to drive more traffic to my Amazon page . . . It’s a TON of work that I’m really not looking forward to. After all, I’d rather just write.
So, that’s where everything with The R.E.M. Precept stands now. Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention here at the end that I’ve got some back-cover copy, and I’d love to know what everyone thinks:
ASTERIA IS FINISHED.
THE CIA IS ON THE DEFENSE.
AND THE OUTLIERS ARE DETERMINED TO
END THE OCULA CONSPIRACY ONCE AND FOR ALL.
After the crushing blow Paul Freeman and Company dealt to Asteria Pharmaceuticals, the ragtag crew of clinical trial outliers thought the Ocula threat was over. But, one phone call from an unlikely contact has flipped their entire world upside down.
Now, they’ll have to work together while forging new alliances to expose the misdeeds of the most sophisticated intelligence agency in the world—without falling victim to the horrific side effects of the most powerful psychological weapon known to mankind.
The third and final installment of the Ocula saga, The R.E.M. Precept answers old questions, posits new ones, and brings a series readers have called a “brilliant science-fiction thriller” to an insomnia-inducing, mind-bending close.
—So, what do you think? Please feel free to email me or comment with suggestions, etc.
Thanks for your continued support of this little ‘ole indie author. Hope you like the final book in the REM series!
Best,
— J.M. Lanham
