The question I got asked the most yesterday, after my post about my three new eBooks, was -- why no physical copy?!? Well, it's a bit of a long answer, but here goes...

Originally I wrote the Volume One story arc as one big book -- and it really WAS big -- the first draft was 80,000 words or so longer than the finished books. Even after I'd edited it down, it still came in at over 105,000 words, which is long for any book, but VERY long for a children's/YA book.

I decided fairly early on that I wanted to release it as three eBooks, but the problem with releasing paperbacks of those was that it would make it VERY expensive for fans to buy, and I didn't want to be accused to trying to cash in. So I figured I'd release it as three eBooks as planned, but do the physical edition (a paperback) as one big book.

But I knew that when I released the paperback, I would also need to make that edition available as an eBook, as some fans would want it in that format, as one big eBook with the same cover as the paperback. If I released that edition at the same time as the three shorter eBooks, the different editions would be in competition with one another, and I felt that might confuse things for everyone.

So I was juggling with all that, trying to work out which way to go with it, when the Coronavirus struck, and that made my decision an easy one.

As far as I'm aware, Amazon aren't producing or shipping self-published books at the moment, prioritising essential products and other products that don't need to be stored in their warehouses. There are other ways of getting a paperback made and distributed, of course, but Amazon is the main player for me, and the one I know about from my adult books. There was no way I could release a paperback of Archibald Lox in such a short time frame.

So I've put the paperback on hold for the time being. My plan, if I self-publish it the same way I've self-published the eBooks, is to release it at some point in the summer or early autumn, depending on what happens with the virus and Amazon. But there's also a chance that it might be taken up by a traditional publisher -- they do a much better job with physical books than I could ever do, so if I can get it sold that way, that would be my first preference. If that happens, it might mean a bit of a longer wait.

Either way, I'll keep you guys in the loop, and once I know more, YOU will know more. For the being though, it's eBooks only. Sorry.

Oh, and on the eBook front -- the books aren't currently available on Google Play Books, but I'm working on adding them to it -- hopefully that will happen next week.

------------

Easy buying links for the Archibald Lox books.

BOOK ONE
Amazon: http://mybook.to/ArchieBridge
Other stores: https://books2read.com/u/4AzG7q

BOOK TWO
Amazon: http://mybook.to/ArchieEmpress
Other stores: https://books2read.com/u/3nvQEe

BOOK THREE
Amazon: http://mybook.to/ArchieVote
Other stores: https://books2read.com/u/bOoWJg