Howdy, Carl!

Have I ever told you that sometimes, when I'm writing and a little stuck, I like to imagine writing directly to one of my readers sitting in their easy chair at home with a cute little pug in their lap? It's true! And since I've always struggled with writing compelling newsletters, I've decided to try that this month. Carl, you were the first subscriber to danielverastiqui.com, so you get the inaugural honors. Everyone else... I'll get to you soon enough!

So, Carl, here's everything that's been happening in the Vinestead Universe!

House of Nepenthe

I know you've been eagerly anticipating the next book, and when I think of how wonderfully American this story is, it gives me goosebumps! You won't like how I show possession for people whose names end with s or x, but I'm confident you will find House of Nepenthe compelling and mind-bending and maybe... just a little bit poignant. It also includes a scathing rebuke of the American healthcare system, which is a far cry from across the pond, where people simply go to hospital whenever they choose, insurance or not.

My work on the novel continues apace thanks to the absolute lack of Teams meetings or a full-time job. I'm tackling about one chapter a day, so I'm hoping to be done with this draft by Boxing Day! I know we've discussed it before, but here's my general schedule for writing novels.

1. Zero Draft
2. First Full Rewrite
3. Second Full Rewrite <– I AM HERE
4. Editing, Fixing, Editing, Fixing, drafts 3 through Alpha Draft
5. Book goes to Alpha Readers
6. Beta Draft - Incorporate Feedback
7. Book goes to Beta Readers
8. Release Candidate Draft - Incorporate all feedback, final passes, etc.
9. Book goes to Editor / Proofer
10. Final Draft - Incorporate all feedback, final passes, etc.
11. Book goes to Advance Readers Club
12. Book releases on Amazon to much fanfare

Carl, you conspired with my wife to challenge me to send House of Nepenthe to agents and publishers before putting it up on Amazon, and I haven't forgotten that betrayal. So, to answer your deception, I will add Query between steps 8 and 9. When the agents send back short videos of themselves simply laughing, I will hold you accountable!

That said, I really want to get some feedback on the story so far, so on November 1st, I will make the first chapter of House of Nepenthe available to subscribers. If I get enough feedback, I'll post the second, third, and fourth chapters in subsequent months so you can meet all four POV characters.

An Amazon Alternative

You've been asking me for years how you can get signed copies of my books at inflated prices, so I'm happy to report that I now have a Square store set up at danielverastiqui.shop. I'm keeping 4-5 copies of each book in stock, so feel free to order whatever you need to complete the Vinestead Anthology section of your bookshelf. I'll even set up a preorder option for House of Nepenthe once I can guarantee a release date.

Science Fiction as a Service

I did something silly this month. As you know, my website is now hosted on Ghost.org, which allows me to create a free paywall in front of my short stories and other intellectual property. It also allows me to set up a pay paywall–a membership I like to call Science Fiction as a Service or SFaaS. It costs twenty bucks a year and directly supports my habit of not having a full-time job.

You also get:

• A signed copy of every new release novel (a $20 value!)
• Automatic access to my Advance Readers Club (get a digital copy before release!)
• Exclusive behind-the-scenes content that Slugworth would die to get his hands on (like chapters from a Work in Progress)
• Everything included in the free membership (Flashes From the Verse, Short Stories, Crazy Marketing Schemes, etc)
• My undying appreciation

Is it slightly insane? Yes. Does it go to a good cause? Only if you consider art a good cause. Will you lose money on the deal? Almost certainly, but not a lot.

I hope you consider opening your wallet to a good cause... nay, the best cause: the Vinestead Anthology.

This Month's Marketing Goals

Goals are just dreams with deadlines. I think Winston Churchill said that before the Battle of Bands, San Dimas, 1988. Anyway, we both know I need to get better at marketing, so I'm looking at some easily measurable things I can do to increase the reach and awareness of my books/brand. Here are my goals for the next thirty days:

• Get more followers on Instagram - I keep seeing writers with 50-60k followers who haven't even published their debut book yet. I want those numbers. Follow me: @danielverastiqui
• Get more Want To Read tags on Goodreads - If you have Goodreads, consider clicking here to access the House of Nepenthe listing and mark it as Want to Read.
• Get Vise Manor to Fifty Reviews - This one is tough, but I'm prepared to beg, borrow, steal, or barter to get just 13 more reviews. How much could that possibly cost me?

If you can help with any of the above, I'd really appreciate it!

In Summary

Carl, my friend, we've come to the end of the newsletter. It has been a long, strange ride, and I hope you've read this text in the manner it was intended, that is, in one of my signature terrible British accents. Be sure to check back in on November 1st for that House of Nepenthe preview!

Cheers & Frasier!

-Daniel

My Favorite Posts This Month

Hire Me

Howdy, and thank you for considering me as the newest team member at your prestigious company! You’ve likely seen my resume and LinkedIn profile, so I’d like to take this opportunity to go into more detail about my experience, lessons learned, and some of the projects I’ve worked on over

Daniel VerastiquiDaniel Verastiqui

Support Indie Artists and Small Businesses

The independent publishing world has changed so much since I joined it in 2004, but one thing that has remained constant is the immeasurable value of support from friends and family. Year after year, decade after decade, my work has been sustained by the efforts of others, from purchasing and

Daniel VerastiquiDaniel Verastiqui

Protect Your Content From AI With Ghost

In today’s rapidly evolving World Wide Web, protecting intellectual property has become more challenging–and more important–than ever, especially for authors. Generative AI is promising to write your resume, respond to your emails, and help you come up with an assortment of social media posts that are sure to

Daniel VerastiquiDaniel Verastiqui

Please Welcome My New Research Assistant, Nova

I don’t have a very high opinion of the so-called “AI” that has come to dominate every aspect of our lives, from regurgitated content on social media to AI-first initiatives from every CEO with a Fortune subscription. Furthermore, as a writer, I’m firmly against the use of AI in the

Daniel VerastiquiDaniel Verastiqui

My Best Threads

Daniel Verastiqui | Science Fiction Author (@danielverastiqui) on Threads

You can tell Amazon Prime Days are about to begin when the prices of all the saved items in your cart start increasing.

Threads

Daniel Verastiqui | Science Fiction Author (@danielverastiqui) on Threads

Just dropped an “I went the first 17 years of my life without internet” on my son and he said “that’s boring reading is boring going to sleep is boring everything is boring” so I’m considering putting a mongoose or something in his room tonight to un-boring things a little.

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Daniel Verastiqui | Science Fiction Author (@danielverastiqui) on Threads

Absolutely do not spend the rest of the day thinking about how hard you work for your yearly salary and compare it to what Disney must have paid to invade your Roku home screen.

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My Writing Partner