OCTOBER ANIMALS is finally here, just shy of three years since I first mentioned it, but around for even longer than that in the form of an idea I could not seem to shake. You can pre-order the limited-edition hardcover of OCTOBER ANIMALS via Rooster Republic Press at this LINK. As with previous Rooster/Strangehouse releases, OCTOBER ANIMALS is being offered at varying prices.

The edition I’m most excited about is the “Art” edition, which is limited to 5 copies. These books will include one of Daniele Serra’s original illustrations found throughout the story: pumpkin; spider; owl; cat; bat. They’ll be shipped in custom wood slipcases, each reflecting the choice of illustration. Three of this edition have already sold, and Rooster is down to “Pumpkin” and “Bat” editions. I expect these to get picked up sooner than later.

Here’s a look at the remaining illustrations:

The slipcases are still in production, but we expect them to look fabulous. And I really mean that. The “Art” edition will look good, and the slipcases are really meant to serve as a conversation piece, an objet d’art, if you will. We plan on giving folks pieces that they’ll be happy to display. This is also, largely, why these books aren’t expected to ship until after winter. Rooster Republic remains a two-man production team, and producing all this stuff takes considerable time and effort. We try to do as much in-house work as possible, and that includes slipcase design and fabrication.

Here’s a look at the illustrations that have already sold:

OCTOBER ANIMALS is also being offered as a “Lettered” edition and a “Numbered” edition. The “Lettered” edition is limited to 26 copies and those will come with wood slipcases, too. The “Numbered” editions do not come with a slipcase.

Personally, I will have a very limited stock of OCTOBER ANIMALS to sell at shows. These won’t be physically signed, but they will include a bookplate with my signature (and very likely a small “Read Horror” bookmark). I’ll definitely have copies at AuthorCon 2 in March of 2023 and, if I don’t sell out, then I will also have some copies at StokerCon during the summer. In addition to OCTOBER ANIMALS, I’ll have copies of the Rooster Republic reprint of AT THE END OF THE DAY I BURST INTO FLAMES, as well as the last remaining copies of my out-of-print novel, GRIND YOUR BONES TO DUST.

As for the OCTOBER ANIMALS pre-order: so far, so good! The “Art” edition will sell out any day, I expect. And, there’s been several orders placed for the “Lettered” edition. Quite a few newsletter subscribers have picked up “Numbered” editions, too. Rooster will continue to push the release through the winter, and so will I.

Marketing for OCTOBER ANIMALS won’t kick in till after the New Year, but most of that will be intended for the eventual trade paperback release. Right now, that’s not expected to drop until about this time next year. However, in the indie market, a year-long push is worth the time and the effort. There’s no deep pockets over at Rooster HQ and, let’s be honest, there never will be. Slow and steady wins the proverbial race, or so I’ve heard.

At any rate, finishing a book and seeing people’s interest in the work is always an absolute delight. And though the business side of OCTOBER ANIMALS continues, the author in me can now move on to new manuscripts. Perhaps a short story or two (or three) before I dig into something much longer? I know, give or take, the word count of both A REAL HOWLER and THE BODY IS A MACHINE THAT MAKES GHOSTS, and I have started mapping out each of these narratives. A lean, mean 90K for A REAL HOWLER and a word count for THE BODY IS A MACHINE THAT MAKES GHOSTS that’s clearly, utterly mad and I won’t even bother printing it here. Let’s just say that I will be writing the GHOSTS book until I am dead.

As always, I do sincerely thank you for stopping by and reading. And remember, I do offer a newsletter, and subscribers to said newsletter are offered things like short stories and discounts and the occasional out-of-print item, to say nothing of news and goings-on that won’t generally be made public until much later along the calendar year. Click HERE to subscribe!

TTFN