'Winds of Winter' release date to be announced as soon as author finishes writing

The release date of “Winds of Winter” will be announced when George R. R. Martin completes writing the book, HarperCollins has reportedly announced. The publisher has also confirmed that the book will not be out in August, as some of the fans have been speculating.

The next book in “A Song of Ice and Fire” was supposed to be out before the “Game of thrones” Season 6 premiere, but Martin was unable to meet this deadline that he set for himself. The fans, on the other hand, started expecting the book to be released in August.

It was speculated that the author must have completed most of the book by now and should be releasing it soon. Some even went to the extent of believing that Martin has been working hard to not just finish the next book, but also the final book in the series. The publisher HarperCollins poured cold water on all such speculation, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Jaki Arthur, the Australian head of marketing and communication at HarperCollins has said that “Winds of Winter” will not be released at the WorldCon in August. Noting that millions of fans across the globe are eagerly waiting for the next installment, Arthur also confirmed that the release date will be announced as soon as Martin completes the book.

Once Martin completes the book draft it will go in for editing. So, there may not be any sudden and unexpected release of the book in the market. Arthur pointed out that the day the book will be out it will be a “huge publishing event.”

A source from the industry has reportedly said that those who are expecting the final book in the series titled “A Dream of Spring” to be released along with “Winds of Winter” are living in a “fantasy world.” However, Martin is expected to give an update on the progress of the book in August. The author has been sharing updates about the book on his blog and has been releasing sample chapters to satiate the eager fans.