Checklist for STAR WANDERERS update

As I mentioned last week, I plan to take down the individual novellas in the Star Wanderers series and keep the two omnibus editions instead. This is both to declutter my book page and to prepare the way for new sequel novels.

However, it’s really easy to get deer-in-the-headlights syndrome when undertaking a major project like this. So to help overcome that, here’s a checklist of all of the things that need to get done, in rough order:

Phase 1: Metadata

  • Prepare new metadata for:
    • Outworlder
    • The Jeremiah Chronicles
    • Tales of the Far Outworlds
  • Update title and series.
  • Write new short descriptions.
  • Write new long descriptions.
  • Update book teaser file.
  • Research new keywords.

Phase 2: Formatting

  • Create new teaser XHTML pages.
  • Identify all books needing new teaser pages.
  • Format new master files:
    • EPUB
    • MOBI
    • PDF
  • Update links file.

Phase 3: Uploading

  • Upload new EPUBs of all books requiring changes to:
    • Amazon KDP
    • Draft2Digital
    • Kobo
    • Smashwords
    • DriveThruFiction
  • Also, update new metadata and pricing for:
    • Outworlder
    • The Jeremiah Chronicles
    • Tales of the Far Outworlds

Phase 4: Clean-up

  • Remove old Star Wanderers books from sale on all sites:
    • SW-II: Fidelity
    • SW-III: Sacrifice
    • SW-IV: Homeworld
    • SW-V: Dreamweaver
    • SW-VI: Benefactor
    • SW-VII: Reproach
    • SW-VIII: Deliverance
  • Also remove all book pages on blog.
  • Update book pages for:
    • Outworlder
    • The Jeremiah Chronicles
    • Tales of the Far Outworlds
  • Set up redirect from Fidelity to The Jeremiah Chronicles (for anyone with an old edition of Outworlder who clicks the link in the back of the book).
  • Consolidate blog categories for old books.
  • Remove old books from Calibre library.

I think that’s everything, though it feels like I’m forgetting something. The goal is to get it all done before the end of the month, ergo the end of the week. Seems simple, but each phase introduces a new multiplier to the workload, with lots of potential to introduce errors.

Wish me luck.

By Joe Vasicek

Joe Vasicek is the author of more than twenty science fiction books, including the Star Wanderers and Sons of the Starfarers series. As a young man, he studied Arabic and traveled across the Middle East and the Caucasus. He claims Utah as his home.

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