Your hardcovers can now match

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Long have we wished that the hardcover Fireborne could match Flamefall and Furysong. And now… they can!

Introducing the #FurysongPostorderCampaign

With help from the fabulous Cinder of @3am_bookmarks and copyright permission from the publisher, we’re providing for you a template to print your own dust jacket of Fireborne to match the sequels. I wrote instructions below for the Fedex website/store printing suite, which prints for $1.24, but any color printer with an 11″x17″ capacity will work.

Please note that the copyright is allowed in this case for non-commercial and promotional use only–which is to say, it would be greatly appreciated if you took a pic and posted on social! (and if you tag @rosariamunda use the hashtag #FurysongPostorderCampaign, you’ll be entered in a giveaway! more details below).

Without further ado, here’s how you make your hardcovers match!

1. Download new cover BASED ON REGION

Download the US 11″x17″ ledger size if you live in the United States. A3 option also available–see below.

Fireborne 11″x17″ dust jacket redesignDownload PDF

FOR INTERNATIONAL A3 SIZED PAPER, CLICK HERE.

2. Print PDF

Any color printer stocked and capable of printing the appropriate paper size in color will work.

If you live in the United States, we recommend uploading your PDF to Fedex Office HERE.

Fedex should automatically populate the correct dimensions and paper settings; but you can double check that it’s set to 11″x17″. We actually liked the standard white paper setting best (cost: $1.24). Pickup in store is free; shipping costs extra.

3. Cut

Once you’ve got the cover in hand, cut away the white parts with a scissor, paper cutter, or Xacto knife, depending on how crafty you are. (Fedex locations have onsite paper cutters.)

6. Make your trilogy beautiful and snap a pic!

Remove the old jacket. Replace with the new. And voila!

Please, do snap a pic and tag @rosariamunda. It will make me smile!

P.S. You can use the hashtag #FurysongPostorderCampaign with the pic of your matching trilogy to be eligible for a signed, limited edition Fireborne “sampler” with an inscribed quote of your choosing that the author will ship to you.

(Giveaway continues while samplers last. Participants must be legally eligible to enter according to instagram guidelines. International OK.)

A map of Callipolis

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Quarantine leads to strange pastimes. In my case, it was sitting down to draw a legible version of what many readers have requested—a map! This one doesn’t have ALL the locations mentioned in Fireborne, but hopefully enough to orient the more geographically-inclined. (It also has sneak peaks of some locations that will be relevant in the sequels! Shh.)

Click to enlarge.

Revising: a look at the stats

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People often ask how much has Fireborne changed since its first draft, and honestly I can think of No Better Question for a young writer. The answer is “a lot”–or more accurately, “whatever you think ‘a lot’ is, and then imagine doing that ‘a lot’ more times than you can count.” Nothing drove home the reality of revision as much as this document comparison software, which is designed for teachers looking for plagiarism, but also useful to authors comparing changes between drafts. Here’s a look at how much changed at each stage of Fireborne‘s revisions, from its first draft in 2015 to the final that will print in 2019.

Revising on my own (2015-17)

I completed a first draft in spring of 2015 and continued to revise it, on and off, for the next two years while querying agents. Beta reads from friends and family were crucial at this stage. From the first draft that I sneakily sent my husband to print on his office printer, to the version that my agent offered on, I ended up completely rewriting about 50% of what I began with.

Revising with my agent (summer 2017)

My agent made the bold and wise call to consolidate what had been a 3-POV story into a 2-POV story, which involved rewriting the 25% of the book that the third POV had previously narrated.

Revising with my editor (2017-18)

Around the time my book sold, I remember my husband remarking “But what more editing could you do? It’s ready to go.” Famous last words. I revised for another year, completely rewriting 83% of the book. Yes, you read that right. For more details about the sort of revisions worked on during that year, see my blog post about it. TLDR: pacing and character arcs.

OVERALL (2015-19)

From first to final draft, less than 10% remained the same. Which goes to show: writing really is in the rewriting. Have fun with your first draft but don’t be afraid to let it go.