Progress Bar #1: Hitting the Reset Button After Five Years

As mentioned in my inaugural post, I only recently decided to change the topic of my book. This was done out of necessity to refine the subject, as well as to assure I had enough research material to support an entire book. 

So where do things stand in terms of actual progress?

What I don't have:

 - A title. This isn't a big deal, as I still have a lot of work ahead of me. ("Operation Big Buzz" is the title of this blog, not the book. Even if I had a title established, the publisher can change it at their discretion.)

 - A publisher. Publishing is something I'm trying to not think about so early in the game (although I do have two publishers that were interested in my original topic). And with multiple self-publishing options available in this day and age, this issue is not much of a concern for me.

  - Documents detailing specific aspects of certain programs. This will always be an issue, as some of the documents I have requested continue to remain classified. Unfortunately, I don't see this changing any time soon.

What I do have:

- An outline. As of this post, my outline consists of ten chapters. The book begins with events taking place in the mid 1800s and concludes in the present day.

- One complete chapter (mostly). I jumped ahead to chapter 6 (dealing with the US Army's weaponizing of mosquitoes) because it is definitely the information I am most interested in.

- An editor. I am very grateful to have an individual willing to pour over my work and correct errors at no cost. Did I mention I'm very grateful?

 - Enough research materials to type up the remaining chapters. Even if I can't obtain further declassified documents, I feel confident that the research material I have obtained should make for an interesting read.

What I am aiming for:

 - A minimum of 300 pages (including photographs and illustrations)

 - Mass market distribution. (Isn't every author?)

Well, that's where things stand for now. I will continue to post weekly progress reports up to publication. Feel free to share your comments, suggestions, words of encouragement, and overall positive vibes.