Boxed Set Nightmares
and Other Publishing Glitches
Dear Reader,
It's been a long ride trying to get Kingdom Rising finished. I started my summer vacation with a few goals. The goal of publishing the first miniseries in the Draoithe Saga in its entirety I can check off the list. That's as far as I went, until Thursday 7-13.
First, let me back up and explain the behind the scenes in a perspective so all this weirdness makes sense. I ran into a wall at the end of June with Speechelo and publishing the AI audio for the chapters in the serialized complete Kingdom Rising miniseries. So while all the chapters in the miniseries have been published, with the correct book covers, they don't all have AI audio as of the time of this post. I haven't given up. I'm forced to wait until Speechelo deems I can create more voiceovers. That wasn't part of my plan.
After I checked into upgrading the program (or purchasing another one), I learned it's too expensive. If I wasn't attempting to create voiceovers for over 200,000 words, along with creating videos concerning the characters and book descriptions, blog posts, and other random things, I wouldn't need it. So I must be patient and wait. (Tigers aren't known for anything but aggressive patience.) So I started working on other things while I waited, which only caused the backlog for AI audio to increase, but whatever.
With aggravation mounting, I discovered Google AI audiobook narration. Everything changed. Well, not everything. I still need to wait for Speechelo to let me create more audio files, but I don't need it to craft AI audiobooks anymore. Y'all I'm gonna make me some audiobooks!
So while I may not get caught up with Speechelo for the online serial I'm uploading soon, I can create AI audiobooks. I already tested the files. They downloaded to my phone and my desktop from Payhip. I may turn them into YouTube audiobooks as well. Give me more time. I'm going to try all kinds of things.
Second, I was ready to create a boxed set. Finally, after many years, I thought I would have it. I own Atticus as many of you know. It has a boxed set button. After I got the cover image, I was ready, so I typed in the stuff, and chose the books to compile the boxed set. I clicked the big green button.
Nothing happened. Literally. Nothing. No wheel of doom or broken manuscript. Absolutely nothing. I clicked it again. (About 9 thousand times because that always helps, right?)
I watched the tutorials twice. I asked in the Atticus Facebook group. Then I emailed the support people. They didn't believe me. They asked if the books exported in epub and pdf. Of course they do. I spent the last 6 weeks editing, revising, formatting, and publishing those four books.
I gave the tech geniuses access to my account. They said I needed to remove a few chapters, causing the issue. They were sneak peek chapters I needed to remove, anyway. I did it. Still nothing.
It stumped the tech support. The only answer they could give me was a manual work around to create the boxed set (which means I had to reformat all of it) and an admonishment not to copy and paste into Atticus because of foreign formatting.
Don't get me started on why it worked just fine for the independent books, but won't work when you try to combine the files inside the program. The wrinkles in my brain can't understand that, but again, whatever.
I actually love Atticus. My books have never looked so professional. But I'm a Google girl. I don't own Microsoft Office (the only way to upload documents to Atticus). I also love copy and paste. So you probably guessed it's looking like it will be closer to the end of the year before a boxed set will come out.
If you did, you'd be wrong. Have I ever mentioned my tenacity? The digital boxed set for Kingdom Rising is now available! It's only available at Ophelia Kee.com delivered by Bookfunnel. Give me a few days. I would still love to get the digital boxed set published wide before my summer vacation comes to a close. I've got about 10 days left.
I need to take all of Arctic Fox and most of Vampire Knight down from Atticus, erase any formatting, and upload it again to avoid a similar issue in the future. Sigh. That might take until the end of the year. But I will get it done.
I don't enjoy doing repetitive, unnecessary tasks. I'm not a happy tiger, but it is what it is. Thankfully, I don't have the damn thing set up for pre-order. I can't hit deadlines, so I quit trying that. This summer has been one helluva ride for the self-publishing business and writing. I'm thrilled with everything I've accomplished.
Bookfunnel is live and integrated with Payhip. I figured out how to get a Facebook Pixel and have even run a few ads. AI audiobooks are coming soon and will continue into the future. I've learned how to utilize AI programs to help me edit, create covers, and draft better book descriptions, taglines, and ad copy. My old stories are better than ever and my current work in progress is starting out with a head start.
The Mystic Dark Miniseries has five finished manuscripts and one nearly finished as well as a mental outline for the seventh (hopefully last?) book. I'm still looking at finishing the manuscripts by the end of the year and starting the edit and upload in early 2024.
I've begun work on republishing stories I pulled which needed revisions and new covers. I will create the new serials before the end of next week and be publishing as I edit weekly. Y'all know my inability to write in order extends to my inability to edit and publish in order, so I'm not fighting it. I'm just going to do it my way and keep building the dream better. More on that after the shameless self-promotion so I can illustrate that point better.
Book Publishing News
A Draoithe Saga Tale
In this spellbinding tale, a Fin knight's quest for his lost love takes an unexpected turn. When he discovers his betrothed has perished tragically among other immortal victims, his honorable instincts compel him to rescue the remaining captives. Bound by his unyielding code of chivalry, he sets out on a new mission.
Amidst the chaos, when he returns with aid, he stumbles upon a remarkable revelation: his true lifemate, transformed into a captivating canine shifter. As she navigates the bewildering world of immortality, he must help her as she grapples with her newly gained magic and immortality, struggling to reconcile her former humanity with her present existence.
Torn between duty and desire, the knight must confront his own conflicting conscience and a profound moral dilemma. Will he find solace and redemption amidst the relentless currents of vengeance?
In this emotionally charged tale of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit, the knight must confront his own conflict of conscience and aid the woman he knows as still waters. He discovers profound truths about himself, the true meaning of sacrifice, and the enduring power of love.
Prepare to be enthralled by Still Waters, a captivating story set in the dream, a world crafted by the urban fantasy and paranormal romance author Ophelia Kee. Explore the tangled web of destiny and magic as the inexorable pull of love unites one Fin knight and his coastal wolf mate. It's more than a story; it's an experience. Welcome to the dream...
Urban Fantasy and Steamy Paranormal Romance with Fated Mates 18+ HEA! NC!
***Warning: Adult Themes, Fantasy Violence, and/or Explicit Sexual Situations. Intended for a Mature Audience.
Still Waters has returned to my bookshelf. This extra tale has been revised. It got a new cover, a new prologue, and a few extra details along with a thorough edit. This short story is more urban fantasy than paranormal romance, but it's a cute read and offers an outside insight about how little knowledge most of the old immortals have about what's happening to the magic in the dream.
Coming out as a Google created AI audio book with single voice narration, it should publish on Google on July 17 along with Thread. It will be $2.99, the same price as the ebook. But if you want it sooner, check OpheliaKee.com. I'll post it there as soon as it renders.
Welcome to Tiger Publishing
So if you check out the suggested read order on OpheliaKee.com, you will see Still Waters shows up between Dream Inversion and Snow's Dragon. (These titles may change along with the miniseries titles.)
It's my impatience which causes the random craziness. I publish in the same fashion in which I write and edit. Try marketing it. That's even crazier. As much as I sometimes whine about my day job, I better keep it. I haven't got a handle on this publishing gig yet. I may never get a handle on it, not with my chaotic pantsing style.
I've been thinking about the best way to go about republishing the stories I need to revise and include the fresh stories I need to write which go with them. The solution might be to publish the titles one chapter at a time in the miniseries serial reads. That way I can work out of order on the completed manuscripts the same way I write out of order on the incomplete ones. It literally took all summer to get Kingdom Rising, and it's still not quite finished as it's awaiting the final chapters of AI narration.
I simply can't do things in order. Maybe it's ADHD or some strange mental issue. Who knows? Rather than fight the muse, I'd rather go with the flow and do what works. If you like the insanity, subscribe and read it all as I publish it. If you need it to be finished and in order first or prefer the book, hang out and I'll post when a serial finishes and when a new book or boxed set is released.
The dream is often chaos, and I make it worse, but I promised to see this thing through to the end, so I won't leave it hanging.
I best get to work if I'm going to keep that promise. I'm running out of time before the day job takes over, and I have to slow way down again. Allow me to leave you with the request to please be kind when you read and leave your reviews. It matters more than you know. Until next time,
Be Careful!
Happy reading,
Ophelia Kee
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Thank you for your support! Welcome to the dream… Sincerely, -OK
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