Wow, what a ride 2024 has been, and it means the world that I got to share it with you all. We published a book in November, shipped almost 100 copies, got a bunch of great reviews and ratings, and even participated in our first few sales. Truly, thank you all, and let's take a look at the year as a whole.
Goodbye 2024
My 2024 started off on a totally different track than you might initially guess; I wasn't even writing. In fact, I didn't start writing this past year until April! Why? Well, I'm not quite sure. But it was around that time I made my socials and joined the book world in force, and firmly decided that finally, I was going to publish my book. But wait, didn't I say I wasn't writing?
Memories of Tomorrow was a project I started in 2022, before moving to Tokyo for school. I wrote the first half (~48k words) before I had to give it up because I no longer had the time. Fast forward two years to April 2024, and I had the itch to write, and I've never looked back. It's no groundbreaking novel, but I enjoyed writing it all the same, even if it has all the "first novel problems" that so many self-pub writers have to deal with.
So what does that mean? Every book I write from then on has been better and better, and while I'm excited to write and conclude the Tales of Aerym this year and hear what readers have to say, I'm even more excited to show you the next couple projects I've got, because man, are they so much better. But more of that later, this is for 2024.
The editing process was long, but rewarding, and by the time Memories of Tomorrow was out, it was as good as I was willing to let it be before I drove myself crazy with revisions. And lo', it hit the world with a bang. Well, I'm not quitting my day job (not that I have one as a PhD student) but it did well, all things considered. To date, we've sold 80 copies, have 800+ KENP, and 18 reviews across all platforms with an average rating of 4.64. Wow, what can I say but thank you to everyone who read and reviewed it. You can also buy it here.
Furthermore, I participated in two sales, one for Black Friday, one for the holidays, and shipped a bunch of discount copies there, even donating to a great cause.
Writing wise, 2024 was great. I wrote 400,000+ words. That's spread out across 6 manuscripts, but who can say which will see the light of year in 2025. I was initially planning on publishing two different series concurrently, but thought better of it, so The Tales of Aerym will be published to conclusion (two main stories, and at least one novella) before I give you guys anything else.
On a non writing related note, I received my Master's Degree in Astrobiology in September from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, and have continued there for my PhD, with a focus on planetary evolution and atmospheric chemistry. Additionally, my partner and I moved in together, so it's been all around a great year!
Hello 2025
How to start? Well, I'm expecting big things in 2025, including at least 3 new publications. my plan is as follows;
The Flames That Bind Us (A Tales of Aerym Novella) out in February (sign up for the ARC here)
Auguries of the Past (The Tales of Aerym Book 2) out in the summer
Drifting Nexus, a standalone sci-fantasy (Arcane x Lies of Locke Lamora) out in the fall
A second Tales of Aerym Novella out sometime before Book 2, maybe
From then on, 2025 will see me revising and writing book 2 in a series not even mentioned above, which I can't wait for you all to see. Think Game of Thrones but flintlock fantasy. I'll be getting covers for the Tales of Aerym works soon from Jesse Keisala, and am looking for an artist for the other works considering they're different niches and genres. But expect more info later in the year!
I'm hoping for more people to find my book in their hands, so if you have it but haven't read it, or have read it but haven't reviewed it, consider spreading the word!
Additionally, I'll be publishing my first scientific article in 2025 on the influence of carbon species on terrestrial planet atmospheres, and I'm so excited to finally get that done and move onto my next couple research projects.
Oh, one more thing. Here's a spotify wrapped made into writing, because why not!
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