Now that the final round of polishing edits is finished, my latest book--currently titled "The Demon's Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse," though it shouldn't remain that since it's not a great fit--is now off to Bella Books to decide whether they want to publish it or not. At this point, I don't think anyone could blame them if they turned it down. I certainly wouldn't. "The Lady Adventurers Club" has been a dismal failure for them critically and probably commercially, and I think there's a high risk that this book, even though it's not multi-genre like LAC, will do equally poorly.
If this sounds pessimistic, it's only practicality speaking, with no judgement attached. Book publishing is a business, and publishers want to pick winners, not losers. I think it's important for book lovers to remember that, because it's easy to forget. Your favorite book in the world may have only sold five copies and you might have no idea that's the case. Enthusiasm doesn't get more books published, sales do. Sometimes authors don't switch publishers because they're getting a better deal, but because the original publisher has declined to move forward with them for financial reasons. DGSA may need to find a new home for that reason, and if that's the case, no hard feelings at all. I loved working with the folks at Bella Books and wish them the best, whether we continue the partnership or not.
That said, DGSA, whether it can or will be financially successful or not, is at least a fast-paced adventure that ticks the boxes for an action-adventure novel. It's "Sin City" meets "Gunpowder Milkshake" by design. It has some twists, some romance, and a whole lot of swearing. Hopefully, some people will like it. In the end, that's all any author can hope for.
