THE SHIELD OF LOCKSLEY

CHAPTER 28: AT A FORTNIGHT'S END

As you know, this is PAYWALLED…

I like to tell my readers that straight out of the gate — right from the get-go. If you want to read any of this, you’ll have to upgrade. (Here…👇🏻)

It’s not my fault…okay, it is.

I’m more than willing to give away my STORIES, AFTER EIGHT, because as far as I’m concerned, those are the ones that matter most to me. My serial novels are for a handful of people who are willing to pay the price of admission, and I enjoy writing them, even if it’s for a handful of people. I like to think of it as an oversized schoolroom.

But if anything, my STORIES, AFTER EIGHT are what I’d choose to be remembered for, if I’m to be remembered for anything.

Even so, at $30 for the year, this is pretty &#$%-ing cheap. And if you enjoy reading, or listening to my stories, maybe one day you’ll send something my way as encouragement.

Anyway, the story so far, is amazing. There’s a lot going on here and the intrigue is, well, intriguing. But the whole idea of putting this behind the paywall is to generate enough money to pay for the shipping costs of my new novel THE BASHFUL COURTESAN. As a Canadian, I’m really getting screwed over as far as shipping prices go. They use Purolator courier service, and while it would only cost me $4.95 were I to live in the States, it costs $28 up here in Canada, 1/2 hour from the Blaine border crossing. I could go to Point Roberts - it’s a nicer drive - and rent a PO Box, but I’m not about to drive down to America while the Felon sits in the Oval Office. In fact, I don’t see any reason to go to America while he’s in office. Sorry, that’s just the way it is. A lot of us feel that way.

My book sales will probably suffer as a result, because those MAGA’s that see this, will ignore me, and tell their friends. As of yet, however, no one has pre-ordered either the paperback, or the ebook. But if I get enough PAID subscribers, I can order 100 books and mail them out to my subscribers myself. 100 subscribers. And how cool would that be? I do have a proof copy being mailed out to me, so I’ll at least be able to see what it looks like. Even so, it cost me $28. I’ll be sure to take a picture of it and post it for all to see. And some of you, well, I’ll bring it to you so you can look through it. (Murray, Patty, Theresa, and you too, Irene, as soon as you get back from Mexico. And Al! My buddy on the Island.)

It’s always been a dream of mine to be able to send copies out to my readers at some point, but, well, not enough people want to help that dream along, so it’s sort of gone the way of the dodo…and just died off.

After I finish with the COURTESAN though, I want to get right back at it the my Guide to Time Travel, and after that, this one. But this one will be a huge book. If I could make it 500 words per page, it would still come in at just a smidge over 500 pages. At 350 words per page it’ll be 720 some odd words. There are a lot of things to take into consideration when you approach publishing a book. 500 pages would be great, but how big is the font going to be? If you change the font size and make it smaller, you save costs, but will you be able to read it? 400 words a page is about 635’ish pages.

I’m already thinking that no trade publisher is going to want to tackle this, not at that size. It’s all due to the fact that I don’t have a name big enough to justify publishing me. Even with 3400 followers as of today, it won’t be enough to convince them to take a chance on me. I’ll try, but I’m not about to hold my breath.