I’m excited to announce the official cover art of Blade of Dragons! The first piece of the puzzle is down, and as I turn to the next, I’m eager to get this book ready for publication. Although I may go the long route and set up several novels to release them all within a few years’ time.

The Process

Months in the making, this beauty wasn’t cheap. I had spent a lot of time working with the cover artist on it. I picked Fiverr, despite its shady reputation—and hit gold. Cherie Fox was the artist I found; she was advertised as one of the best. I imagine we spent at least eight revisions getting the details right.

Renowned author Brandon Sanderson suggested a budget of $300-500 for a decent cover. As per his advice, I opted for a full cover—front, spine, and back, should I ever go print. I also received a 3D mockup of the cover for both a Kindle and paperback photo.

Paid Promotion Results

My paid promotion died yesterday, and I’m pleased with how it did.

I received an ad recall lift of 210! Meaning over 200 people were statistically impressed by the ad. That’s still only 4% of viewers, but I wasn’t expecting much for a low-budget ad. Demographics were also similar to my initial results; mainly young male viewers. I’m considering doing more, particularly months before I publish.

Moreover, I did a series of promotion posts on Instagram counting down the days to the cover reveal. I tagged a couple writer buddies to comment and spread the word. My mailinglist Fantasy Club has also received this news.

Going Forward

After my brush with death, I survived the incident unblemished—save for my bank account. I had a court fine to pay, plus some other debts to pay off. That said, hiring an editor in January for $1,500 to $2,000 may be financially unwise until my bank can breathe a little. I’m hoping to begin the process before the Spring, however.

Meanwhile, Heart of Dragons is almost ready for beta readers. Yay! That will probably happen after my work with the editor. I’ve finished some conceptual sketches of characters, which have helped me finalize some details about the series. My sketching ability should improve in the months and years ahead, as it’s a hobby I enjoy. Plus it supplements my worldbuilding. Cheers to that!

Cover Description

Whimsical Magic. Arcane Technology. Romance.

Can Pepper Slyhart use her father’s sword, a weapon with unfathomable power, to save her planet? With her childhood friend, Tarie, Pepper embarks on a dire quest. She enters a war against a dark god that has scoured grasslands, scorched forests, and devoured great cities.

Pepper unravels the terrible price of her sentient blade, a connection to the Ethereal Seals Gate, which powers technology and sustains her planet. But her half-dragon heritage seeks to betray Pepper, and Tarie may be the only one who can save her.

Are they able to fight a war on both fronts, or will the Shadow claim their souls?

Anyway, thanks for reading! Happy holidays. 🙂

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Aspectä rey’lief, fair reader, and thanks for reading!
—Ed R. White