What I'm Reading This Week
News from Crowhill Cove
A summary for you on what to expect in this edition in case you want to scroll down to the interesting bits: progress on the rebrand; latest client updates; what I’m reading; this week on TikTok; and the progress report with an update on my week-on-week sales and writing progress.
Rebranding Progress
I was supposed to finish those last graphics and write the rest of Saturday’s post on, well, last Saturday. Our childcare unexpectedly got cancelled and since my husband now works Saturdays - a new development for us - I ended up not getting anything done at all. So, this coming Saturday is my aim for the actual launch.
Join me on the journey if you haven’t already signed up:
Upcoming planned topics include: a deep dive into The Green Knight (watched it, became obsessed, still reading academic articles and considering my own angle); the layering of reading and how each thing we read informs and influences us; something about Love, Simon’s structure; the recent experience I had with running ads via a management company; writing in the academic voice; and some ecocriticism/historicism around Haweswater.
(I’m not 100% sure I’m using the term historicism correctly. Maybe 75%.)
There is a slight dearth of news this week. I’ve been reeling from all the work on covers and rebranding I did last week, and doing a lot of client meetings and last-minute touchups. One of my clients is now finished, hurrah! I will still be on tap for them for a while to come, as we look at publishing options and the next part of the journey.
I do still have another client in progress, but now seems like a timely spot to remind you that if you want to work with me in any capacity - as a ghostwriter, an editor, writing coach, or even a book reviewer - that you’re better off getting in touch as soon as possible. Even if you’re not ready to start just yet, we can book in for a time later in the year. This is a vastly preferential option than coming to me when you’re ready to start and finding out that I’m fully booked.
I do tend to take between 3 and 6 months for every ghostwriting project - 6 is the more typical timeframe - so when I get booked up, I am booked up for a while. Also, I can only realistically take 3 clients at once, and that means shutting down my own work for the duration of those projects, so I usually prefer to close off my availability when I have 2 on the go. So, yes - now is the time to start that conversation, if you want to have it.
Feel free to send me a message if you have questions or want to book a meeting in, but you can also find out lots more details on my process, fees, and timeframe by clicking the banner above.
I’ve introduced a new section to my progress report, below! Titled ‘consuming’, it’s all about the books I’m reading, and the TV and films I’m watching. I would add podcasts or music but honestly, I basically binge the same three podcasts one after another until I’ve caught up on all the episodes from the last one, only to return to what I’ve missed from the first one.
Here’s a note I posted earlier this week with my upcoming reading list (it should expand, if you click on it, to show the full list):
Books
Okay, you've read the Substack posts (and maybe you're a little bit confused if that's where you started). Wondering who all of these characters are? Thinking you need a refresher on past books?
Each week, I share the one TikTok video that performed best out of the last seven days.
All of these videos are available on TikTok for free, but if you’re a) not a TikTok user or b) just want the best highlights, this is a convenient place to see it.
This week’s best is below, and it’s five books whose outside is better than their inside:
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I did a bit of an A/B test with this, and the day before, I posted 5 books whose insides were just as pretty as their outsides. It turns out, people are vastly more interested in the bitchy opinions than the nice ones. Ouch.
Note: Changes are in bold, comments in italics.
TOTAL SALES:
Crowhill Cove series (Don’t Move Out, Don’t Go Outside, Don’t Fly Home, Don’t Leave Town, Don’t Check Out, the 1-5 boxset, and Don’t Move Your Desk): ebook - 1,171, paperback/hardback - 45, KU pages read - 826,746, free downloads - 6,304
Kiss The Cook - ebook - 21, paperback - 1, KU pages read - 7,642 (225 pages = 33 equivalent full-book reads) - What a difference the new cover has made already!
Cook Up A Storm - ebook - 19, paperback - 1, KU pages read - 7,434 (212 pages = 35 equivalent full-book reads)
Too Many Cooks: ebook - 8, paperback - 1, KU pages read - 3,440 (218 pages = 15 equivalent full-book reads)
What’s Cooking, Good Looking?: ebook - 12, paperback - n/a, KU pages read - 3,944 (178 pages = 22 equivalent full-book reads) - This book has now outsold the previous title in the series?!
Serial Investigations full series (Pre-Substack releases: books 1-12, 2 bonus novellas, 2 boxsets): ebook - 503, paperback/hardback - 104, KU pages read - 397,522, free downloads - 1,819
WRITING:
What’s Cooking, Good Looking?: paperback typesetting in process
Cooking on Gas: preorder up, plot done
Crowhill Club: all covers, themes, and titles done, characters created and romances/interpersonal relationships between books set up
Mystery project: cover design bought!!!, initial ideas on characters, plot, themes
Hydropower: Mid-season break/hiatus
Client status: One book just finished (yay!), one book in writing phase/first edits
SUBSTACK:
Subscribers: free - 85, paid - 1 - Another long-expected drop - but still a little gutting!
Followers: 435
CONSUMING: (a new section!)
Read: Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal (PR copy)
Reading: Island Calling by Francesca Segal (proof)
Watched and watching: Tag, Totally Killer, The Green Knight, Red, White and Royal Blue, Supernatural S13 (a rewatch, inspired by finishing The Boys and needing more Jensen Ackles)
By the way, please like this post if you enjoyed it and would like to see more! This helps me decide what to do for future content.
XO Rhiannon