On August 22nd 2015 I clicked published on my first full length indie title – Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet. Three days later, I officially launched the book. The Unseen Planet is a science fiction novel inspired by the old Flash Gordon serials that I used to watch on TV when I was young. It’s fast paced, over the top, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. I originally planned the idea as side project that would be posted here on the blog. The goal was to produce ten 1,000 word chapters and post one every Saturday morning. That idea grew into twenty-six 1,000 word chapters, but when I started writing they ended up coming in at 2-3,000 words. The end result was a full length novel that I didn’t quite know what to do with. The book sat on my hard drive for quite a while until I read a post by some guy called Hugh Howey. He was talking about his new cover designer-M.S. Corley. I was very impressed with Mike’s portfolio, one thing led to another, and I ended up commissioning a cover for The Unseen Planet. Now I had a cover, I had to publish the book. It took a while, plus the tender ministrations of two editors and three … Read More
Two More Interviews
Please forgive me for another shameless self-promotion post but these are too cool to ignore. Firstly, young Adult author, Tash McAdam interviewed me for her blog. If you’d like to find out who I think should play Glitch in a movie version of Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet or what my favourite word is, this is the interview for you (And you can also read the first chapter of Unseen Planet there). And secondly, Hank Garner was kind enough to invite me onto his Author Stories Podcast. I’m a huge fan of the cast and he’s had people like Andy Weir, Nancy Kress, Hugh Howey, Nick Cole and Dan Wells on the show so I’m in amazing company. Hank is a great interviewer – he has a really relaxed style and the interview was a lot of fun so check it out. Hank also writes really good fiction so after you’ve listened to the podcast, take a look at his books as well. That’s it for the self-promotion for a while (probably) but here’s a picture of some baby seagulls to make up for all the Glitch posts. For a limited time you can pick up Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet on all ebook platforms including Amazon US, Amazon … Read More
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet
It’s been four weeks since Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet was released and it still continues to exceed my expectations. The Girl in the City has been getting a bit of a boost as well which is an unexpected bonus. I’m still in Glitch Mitchell mode at the moment so here’s five things you probably didn’t know about Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet. The Title Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet was originally Glitch Mitchell and the Planet Within and the planet Glitch, Anderson and Doctor Zheng ended up on was actually going to be inside Earth! I’m not sure what made me change it but at some point I decided the Unseen Planet was a more interesting idea. That said, I reserve the right to send Glitch to the Planet Within at some point in the future. Doctor Zheng Doctor Zheng, the scientist that Glitch ends up trapped on the Unseen Planet with, is named after Zheng Wenguang (1929 – 2003) – a Chinese science fiction writer who is known as the father of Chinese science fiction. Glitch’s T-Shirt The “Also, I can kill you with my mind” T-shirt Glitch wears in the book is almost real. I have one in my wardrobe with the correct Firefly quote – “Also, … Read More
Out Now – Glitch Mitchell and the Deadly Follicle
Earlier in the month, The Leighgendarium posted an interview with me and as part of the feature I ran a giveaway for a free copy of Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet. Entry to the giveaway involved inventing a cliffhanger involving Glitch that I would then use to write a new short story. I picked a winner at random and ended up with Glitch being trapped in Donald Trump’s hair! After some deliberation, I spent last Monday writing Glitch Mitchell and the Deadly Follicle and it was posted on The Leighgendarium on Friday. If you’d like to know how Glitch, Anderson and Doctor Zheng ended up in such a dire situation, and if they manage to escape – you can read the story here. It was a lot of fun to write, and hopefully as much fun to read. For a limited time you can pick up Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet on all ebook platforms including Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for just 99c. The paperback edition is also as cheap as I can make it – $10.95. You can find out more about my upcoming releases, and get four FREE books by signing up for my newsletter here. [Out Now – Glitch Mitchell and the Deadly Follicle by Philip Harris first appeared on … Read More
So Far So Good
It’s been two weeks since I released Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet and to say the launch has surpassed my expectations would be a huge understatement. Marathon runners tend to have two goal times for each race – one they see as feasible and one that is their secret dream goal. I had the same thing for Glitch, one lifetime sales target that seemed reasonable and then a second, higher number that seemed unlikely. I’m pleased to say Unseen Planet blew past both those goals and today hit double my higher “dream” number and got up to number 10 in Amazon’s Teen/YA Alien Science Fiction chart – a feat I’m very happy to have achieved given that every other book in the top 20 is part of a series. Even my decision to go wide and sell the book on all platforms has turned out pretty well with about 15% of sales coming from iBook, Nook and Kobo. That includes one copy sold in Australia and another in New Zealand – both firsts for me as far as I know (thanks Kobo). If you missed it, I did a fun interview at the Leighgendarium. As part of that, I ran a contest to win a copy of the paperback edition of Unseen … Read More
OUT NOW – Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet
Almost two years since I sat down to outline my “throwaway” idea for a Flash Gordon-esque serial, Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet, is finally available. Here’s the description A gateway to another world. A lucky contest winner. An adventure across the cosmos! Dwayne “Glitch” Mitchell has always been obsessed with space. When he learns that NASA has discovered an alien gateway, he’s the first to enter a contest to see the incredible phenomenon. Glitch wins and he travels deep within the Colorado Rockies to get a peek. He’s in awe, but he’s also in danger. As project head Dr. Zheng discusses the gateway, an armed man calling himself John Smith takes Zheng hostage and causes an explosion. When the rubble clears, Glitch is alive but trapped with Air Force Captain Scarlett Anderson on the other side of the gateway! Far from home on an alien world, Glitch and Anderson must find Zheng before the planet’s inhabitants can eat, crush, drown, or execute them. Even if they can escape in one piece, will they still have a home to come back to? Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet is a sci-fi adventure that features exotic alien worlds and fast-paced suspense. If you liked the … Read More
Glitch in the Flesh
No, that’s not the title for my next book. The proof copies of the print edition of Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet arrived yesterday and they are fantastic. I wasn’t expecting the books until Friday at the earliest so they came as a bit of a surprise. I resisted the temptation to open them while I was at work and held off until I got home so that my wife could be there for the big event. I must admit, I was getting a bit blasé about the book. Glitch has been through 6-7 drafts plus two editors and three proofreaders plus several rounds of tweaks during the formatting process. I’ve spent so long with the book now that it hadn’t really sunk in that I was actually going to be holding the book in my hands. And then I opened the box and took out the first copy. I just stood there staring at it, grinning like idiot, for ages. Then I put it down. Then I picked it up again and grinned even more. The books are beautiful, Mike Corley’s cover is even more impressive in real life than it is on a computer screen, the matt cover feels great and the interior layout is perfect. In short, it’s … Read More
Glitch Going Wide
Up until now my ebooks have only been available on Kindle. Amazon offers various promotional incentives for being exclusive to them (primarily the ability to easily run price promotions and inclusion in their subscription service – Kindle Unlimited), and I wanted to be able to try them out. For my next release, Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet, I’ve decided to “go wide” and launch on all the major platforms – Amazon, Kobo, iBooks and Nook. The reason is very simple – I want as many people as possible to be able to read the book. Although there is a Kindle app for tablets and phones, not everyone uses it. If you’re an Apple user then you’ll probably go with iBooks. Nook readers will go with the Nook app. Kobo owners will go with the Kobo app. Although Amazon is the big player, there are a lot of readers using those other platforms and they’re loyal to them. Personally, I have a soft spot for Kobo. It isn’t as well known as Kindle in the US, but it’s much bigger in other countries – particularly in Canada. I bought my wife the first Kobo when it was released here – I had to queue outside the bookshop before it opened to make sure … Read More
Almost there…
The first proof of the Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet ebook arrived today… Just a couple of minor tweaks and it’ll be ready to go. This is your last chance to get a FREE copy of my science fiction novel, Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet. I’ll be giving everyone on my mailing list the book for free TOMORROW! If you’d like a copy, just sign up here – I’ll give you FOUR of my other ebooks as well. [Almost there… by Philip Harris first appeared on Solitary Mindset on 10th August 2015]
Glitch Gets a Release Date
I tend to be cautious when it comes to release dates. There’s a lot of pieces that have to line up correctly before a book is launched, and I like to be sure that everything is going to slot into place before I start talking about dates. I sent the files for Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet to my formatter last week so I should get the first pass of both the ebook and print versions in the next day or two. Which means I can confidently announce the release date for the book. DRUM ROLL PLEASE . . . Tuesday, 25th August Here’s the description: A gateway to another world. A lucky contest winner. An adventure across the cosmos! Dwayne “Glitch” Mitchell has always been obsessed with space. When he learns that NASA has discovered an alien gateway, he’s the first to enter a contest to see the incredible phenomenon. Glitch wins and he travels deep within the Colorado Rockies to get a peek. He’s in awe, but he’s also in danger. As project head Dr. Zheng discusses the gateway, an armed man calling himself John Smith takes Zheng hostage and causes an explosion. When the rubble clears, Glitch is alive … Read More
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