Miscellany #3
Writing Life: 33
I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t I just release a Miscellany post two weeks ago? Why, yes, I guess I did. But at this late stage in a novel’s publishing process, things start to happen. So here are a few more updates on A New Season, and news of my recently revamped and relaunched website.
A New Season updates
Fully designed inside covers
As promised in my last post, we’re trying something a little bit different with the cover design of A New Season. I’ve never before seen a trade paperback with inside covers that are designed and printed rather than blank. But you’re going to see them on A New Season. Yes, the design team at McClelland & Stewart has filled the traditionally dead white space with colour, imagery, and text. I think these inside covers look fantastic, and when combined with the outside cover design, will really elevate the look and feel of the finished novel.
Advance Reading Copies (ARCs) have arrived
A few days ago, the ARCs for A New Season arrived. As the name suggests, these are inexpensively printed pre-publication copies that are not fully finished, to give book reviewers and media outlets an early look at novel. Hopefully, they’ll trigger reviews—preferably favourable ones—upon release of the novel in late August. Opening the box of ARCs doesn’t quite hold the drama and excitement that the arrival of the final version of the published novel does, but it’s still a nice moment that marks another threshold crossed in the long road to the publication.
Indigo’s special offer on A New Season
Apparently, Indigo considers A New Season to be among their most anticipated books —for which I am grateful—and has offered an additional 500 Bonus Plum Points on pre-orders in addition to the 125 points you’ll already earn. Sounds like a good deal to me. While I’ve always been—and will always be—a big supporter of independent bookstores, I know newly-minted books can be expensive, and every little bit helps. So if you’d like to take advantage of Indigo’s special pre-order offer, just click here or on the graphic below.
New website unveiled
My original blog/website—www.terryfallis.com—was created back in January 2007 and has only had a few minor cosmetic upgrades in the more than 15 years since. I know, I know, I should have revamped it long before now, but there was always so much going on that it inevitably fell to the bottom of my To Do list.
The evolution of TerryFallis.com
Here’s a look back at the design history of my website (such as it is).
2007
2008
2010
With a few minor design updates, this third version of the site has really not changed much beyond pushing the lefthand sidebar up to the top, stacking each new novel on top of the previous ones in that left hand sidebar, and adding a second Leacock Medal in 2015 in the top lefthand corner. But pretty much everything else remained the same… that is until a few weeks ago.
When I retired from my day job last year to write full time, I decided I’d better finally move on my website overhaul. So I worked with Hover Digital Inc. to redesign my outdated site to give it a new, fresh, and clean look with easier navigation and lots of space to breathe. I had my photographer twin brother, Tim, take new author shots to replace those that were nearly a decade old. (I wish I still looked like I did back in 2014 when Tim took my last set of photos.) The site also makes it very easy to view my Substack posts and subscribe—towards the bottom of the homepage. We recently unveiled the new site and the reviews have been very positive. I really like the new look and how well it functions.
So do check out my new site and all that it offers by clicking on the link or on any of the homepage images below and you’ll be whisked there directly. Many have wonder why a comic novelist has an unsmiling author shot across the top of the new homepage. Well, I’ve come up with a few different explanations. First of all, I take terrible photos and this one seemed the least offensive and has the added benefit of sort of looking like me. Secondly, the new novel is not exactly a side-splitter, though I hope you’ll chuckle a few times. Finally, I take writing funny novels very seriously (ha!).
2023
There’s loads of content on the site including individual pages for each book featuring kind words, reviews, online retailer links, and the complete chapter-by-chapter audio podcasts for my first six novels that you can play right there on the site.
There’s a page featuring a full listing of my upcoming appearances, and at the bottom—for those with far too much time on their hands—an archive of 16 years worth of past appearances listings.
There’s also a detailed About the author section and the de rigueur self-indulgent Awards page.
All 16 years of content from my original blog is still archived on the new site so just use the Search bar at the top if you’re looking for something specific. And there’s a list of “categories”—think of them as subject tags—at the very bottom of the homepage that will serve up archived content by subject.
I’m very pleased with the new website and hope it’s a little easier to navigate than the antiquated version it replaces.
Thanks all. See you in two weeks when I’ll be in the middle of recording the official audiobook for A New Season. Perhaps there’s a post in that. We’ll see.
It’s easy and free to subscribe—the button is right below—so you don’t miss future posts. Thanks so much and we’ll see you in two weeks
Terry, your new and improved website shows you are a master of self-promotion, the second half of being a ‘best-selling author’. Good on you.
More intersting to me is your experience with producing an audiobook version of your novel.
Congrats on it all! And break a leg with the audiobook!