So what's next?

Let's have a look at that checklist:

• Red Plus Zone written √
• Red Plus Zone edited √
• Cover designed √
• e-Book published √
• Paperback published √
• Family, friends and colleagues cajoled into buying copies √
• Place on an Amazon bestseller* list achieved √
• Impromptu book signing session today (hence the picture!) √

All done. Cue a pat on the back.

But what's next for Red Plus Zone?

Well, the next stage of the 'Grand Plan' is to organise (through fabulous publisher Matt) for a short print run of Red Plus Zone paperbacks to be done so that copies of the book are then available for local bookshops to stock; couple that with directly contacting independent booksellers in Lancashire and, hey presto, the vision of Red Plus Zone sitting on either the sci-fi shelf (next to something by Gary Gibson, perchance) or the 'local interest' shelf (next to a book about Lancashire Pub Walks)) is realised. Progress with contacting local booksellers so far...? Sadly, not as good as I'd hoped, but then I guess it's still early days. Patience, dear boy. Patience.

And what about drumming up some interest through the local newspaper? Well, I'm on with that as well :)  Fingers crossed that a story about someone doing something creative for once is given precedence over articles about illegal drivers and perverts. That would be refreshing.

And not forgetting reviews - oh yes, I'm afraid I'll need to keep pestering those who read Red Plus Zone to go onto Amazon (.co.uk and .com), as well as Goodreads, and wax lyrical about how much they enjoyed it, so that I can then tweet and blog about it and maybe get more people to download the e-Book or buy the paperback, so they can review it and wax lyrical about how much they enjoyed it, and so on...of, you get the picture.

And in the future...?

Well, I do hope that a couple of members of the British Science Fiction Association will come across RPZ, read it, be utterly blown away by it, recommend it to their friends, then nominate it for a Best Novel award, which it then wins, leading to fame, a massive publishing deal, an obscene advance on an eight book deal and, ultimately, sufficient sales to enable me to buy this:

Oh, and there's still the dream (and it is a dream) of seeing Red Plus Zone on the shelves at Waterstones in Bolton...though some may say that's a likely as me owning the camper van!!

A little more realistically,maybe, and perhaps more intriguing as well, is the recently discovered possibility of having Red Plus Zone available as an audiobook...yes, that's right folks, an audiobook!

You see, in much the same way as Amazon's Createspace print-on-demand mechanism has made it possible for my e-Book to take on a physical form, so Amazon's acx.com mechanism creates the potential for the aural form to be realised as well. Of course, there's countless questions to be asked and answered first, such as:

• Should I do Red Plus Zone first, or maybe start off with The Book That THEY...?
• Can I find a narrator who fits the bill (and lives up to my expectations), and who'll also go 50:50 on royalties (because there's no way I can afford to pay up front!!)
• Or maybe I should I think about setting up a little home studio and doing the narration myself - now that would be fun!

Much to ponder on the audiobook front, methinks.

And finally, the last action in my Grand Plan?

Well, it's not exactly guaranteed to generate more sales of Red Plus Zone - in fact, it's very much dependant upon people having read RPZ:

Write a sequel.

Working title: BLACK PLUS ZONE

I've decided that this new detective mystery will take place only three weeks after the events of Red Plus Zone and it will be darker in tone than Red Plus Zone (deeper 'Nordic Noir', as Stranger Views called it). I already have the plot mapped out and the scene plan drafted.

All I need to do now is write it!

* #14 on Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Post-Apocalyptic