Note: this is a celebratory post only, not the best one for sharing Raven with the world. Please don’t share this post. Click here for posts to share!
YOU GUYS!! It’s really here! Raven is live and available to the world!
It’s available NOW in both e-book and paperback form, on various platforms:
The book is not *yet* listed on IndieBound, but should be soon – that’d be a great way to buy from your local booksellers. I’ll forgive you for waiting to support your local businesses!
So what’s going on today? I’m spending the day working on spreading the word via social media, and by placing advertisements. To help out, share posts as requested here! I also have a little celebration with my family planned for this evening. I’ll share pictures of that later!
Today I’m also going to show up in a podcast – live from the mythical Microsoft Building 7! No really, it’s a podcast called Live from Building 7, where Alex Karcher and Kit Hammer cover Microsoft news. They are busily trying to cover the Microsoft Build conference right now, so I’m grateful they took time out to interview me about my project! Check out my episode, and while you’re there, listen and subscribe to more.
Today is a major milestone in a journey I started years ago. It was September 21, 2017 when my Kickstarter went live – that was the day I told the world what I was up to. I am truly grateful for all the support everyone has showed over the last couple of years. Thank you so much for your faith in me and my project!
I want to take a moment to say thank-you to a few notable people who had an especially outsized influence on this project.
- This book started with me shooting my mouth off about how Microsoft and other tech companies should fund bestsellers and movies, but it was Simon Lok who looked me in the eye and told me to do it. “You know, ghostwriters exist, let’s do it!” The world needs the “special kind of crazy” that Simon brings to it. Thank you for challenging me and scaring me and inspiring me to do it. Maybe someday I’ll give in and let you buy the movie rights!
- A certain pair of angel investors, who I think would prefer to remain anonymous, made my Kickstarter project succeed. My eternal gratitude to your generosity. I will never forget your willingness to support this dream.
- My ghostwriter, who has not given permission to share her name. Of course you wrote all the words in the book. But you also put up with me. Thank you very much for both of those things – and I hope Raven reaches enough readers to justify more adventures for the Cinzento crew!
- My cousin Dane Ronnow very generously shared a wealth of knowledge about self-publishing with me. I wouldn’t have gotten it across the finish line without you!
- Also a shout out to my friend and hockey buddy Beth Johns. Beth could sell water to a fish. Your pep-talk plus infusion of energy and ideas gave me the courage and inspiration for my last minute blog posts and social media messaging. Beth, this book is going to reach more young people because of your help.
- And of course my husband Gabe. Thanks for supporting me through all of it.
Of course, this project is not over. Now we need to get as many young readers as possible to pick up Raven. And if that goes well, I have lots of ideas for book 2! It’d be so much faster now that I know the publishing industry better.
Thank you for everything.
Sue