It’s been a while since I’ve given you an update on what’s happening in my writing career. So that’s what we’ll do this week.
- Reel Ghosts has been out over a year now. It’s been a learning experience, mostly in what not to do. For most of that time I didn’t promote or advertise the book. That’s what I’m doing now. If you’ve read Reel Ghosts, consider leaving a review.
- My next novel, the House That Wasn’t There, is in the hands of a few first readers. I accidentally gathered a group with varied skills. Some are good with readability, while others are picking out some mistakes on my part.
- A cover is next for the House. With Reel Ghosts I thought I needed to spend hundreds of dollars on a cover. Unable to afford it, I opted for an AI image for the cover. This time I’ll be hiring an artist on fiverr. A date for release isn’t set, but I’d like a few months to promote the release.
- I started a new novel last week, tentatively titled the Devotee. It’s about a psychology student that interviews a horror writer about his influence on his fans for her thesis, and subsequently joins a cult with the writer as the leader.
- It’s a different story than anything I’ve written for 2 reasons. First, as you may have noticed in the brief description, I said her. That’s because the main character is a woman. I’ve written short stories about women before, but this will be the first novel. Second, it’s first person POV (I/ me) instead of my usual choice, 3rd person (she/her). It felt right when developing the story. 3 chapters in and it feels like the right decision.
- I’m working on a short story collection. The grind of finding magazines for my short stories has been something I’ve struggled with in the past. In fact, over the last few years, I’ve not tried to find magazines for most. Instead, they’ve sat collecting dust. In my spare time I’m editing the stories I’ve written and putting together a collection for an ebook. This is a recent undertaking so there’s no timetable for publication.
- Another plan for the future has to do with my middle grade fiction. In the early years of this blog, I posted about my trials and tribulations querying literary agents regarding my middle grade novels. Now that I’ve committed to self-publishing, it’s time to get those stories out to the world. From Darkness Comes will be first, as a standalone book. Then I’ll turn my attention to the Breaking Character series. The first book is done, but needs a fresh eye. I’ve grown as a writer since then and know it’ll need work. The first draft of the second book is done and needs edited. The third book is unwritten. Is 3 books enough for a series? Should I write more? Let me know your opinion in the comments.
- I’m planning on doing some freelance writing soon. Articles, blog posts, and whatever sounds interesting. I’d like to turn writing into a career. If you have a need for writing services, send me a message.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow, like, and share. Remember to follow your dreams, even if they terrify you. “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
Stephen Roth
Social media links:
X: @StephenRoth316
Bluesky: @stephenrothwriter.bsky.social
Instagram: @StephenRoth316
TikTok: Stephen.Roth6
Stephen Michael Roth 