January 2026 Newsletter
Hey, folks – Happy New Year!
Starting off, I’m proud to announce the portrait prize by Ben Foster. This was the prize for participation in the advance review drive for the launch of Book 2 and relaunch of Book 1.
Ben produced this from three different references: one from the winner and two different reference photos. We’ll be doing another similar raffle when it comes time for the advance review drive for the launch of book 3.
December was a really busy month for a lot of reasons. I’ve been working on some videos, maybe you’ve seen some of them, explaining the setting (How wise are elves? https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1m6BiasDjak) or explaining how I’ve brought tactics and realism into the story (Offensive Forms of Maneuver: the Envelopment, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6I9nTihHtO8). I did a series the forms of maneuver, still working on that one, but there are five vids out right now.
Here are some of the vids I’m planning on making this month and onward:
Why are orcs the way they are
Building materials available to dwarves
Battle of Adyrnaarn
Combining and sequencing the forms of maneuver
Defensive forms of maneuver (one vid each, I think there’s three of them)
These are just some of the ideas, but hit me up with a comment, reply, or what have you with questions or ideas for which you’d like to see some content.
The aim of this is, of course, to boost visibility and sales. While I am not trying to get rich, I would like to share this story with more people, which means it has to get in front of them somehow. So, for this year, we (the team) are trying to get to more visibility while pursuing the finishing and launch of book 3. What does this mean? I am hoping to have Book 3: Winter Fever out by December… but we need to make sure that book 3 is in a good spot to succeed.
How can you help? Your review and tell your friends. Reviews are decisive. They boost the book in the algorithm and is your authentic endorsement that this is a good story. Word of mouth continues to be the most effective form of advertising.
So, with all that, it begs the question, where are we and how far are we trying to go. Great spot for a year in review.
Here’s the sales over the course of this year. Note the huge dip in any sales whatsoever being coincident with my nearly complete lack of advertising from about February to October, for the most part. As I said last month, November was the best to date for Amazon sales, about as good as sales at O-Con last July.
This past month has also the best month to date for Amazon orders, better than November. So, we’ll keep on with the vids and other posts to build more momentum while working on book 3 content in the background.
Upcoming events are:
QuadCon, Columbia, MO, March 21st-23rd
Kansas City Fae Ball and Literary Market, Kansas City, KS, May 30th
O-Con (Omaha Convention), Council Bluffs, IA, July 17th-19th (tentative)
In other news, book 2 copies are here today.
Stay classy folks. And wipe the lint roll your shirt and lint out of your beards when you’re making videos.
