Rosemary Kirstein

Okay, just got the latest proof copy of The Language of Power from CreateSpace, and I’m calling it.  DONE!

That dragon looks almost real to me…

That’s it — all four now in paperback.

Createspace said it would take a day or so for it to appear on Amazon.com… but I see that it’s up right now!

However, it’s not yet linked to the reviews made for previous editions.  I’ll have to tell them to do that, again.

I’ve ordered a bunch of copies, including those for my five valiant volunteers, who made proofing this book so much more pleasant than the previous.  Once they get here (in a couple of weeks, looks like) I’ll be asking for your street addresses so I can mail you your copy.  You are angels.

Thing that I’m not going to do (yet): I’m not going to go back and do another version of The Steerswoman in a size to match the other three books.  Because — I’ve sorta had it for now.  Really.   Spent a lot of time doing this, and I have other stuff that needs getting done!

Except, right now, I plan to nap.  ‘Cause, I’m beat.

Apparently Amazon did not recognize that the new paperback version of The Lost Steersman is a new paperback version of the previously-existing Kindle version, and I had to go tell them!  If you’ve been looking for it, you might not have found it merely by asking Amazon to show you all the books by Rosemary Kirstein.   The fix should take in a day or so, but in the meatime, here’s a handy link!

Also, searching for “The Lost Steersman” will get you there.  Apparently this linking process is less automatic than I had assumed.   I do believe I had to do that for The Outskirter’s Secret as well.

Meanwhile, I’m waiting for the physical proof copy of The Language of Power.  It should be here on Wednesday, and I’m almost certain that there will be no issues, and I’ll be able to approve it to go live that day!  The assistance of my voluteers has made working on that book far less angst-ridden than on the previous.  Many errors that would have slipped by my bleary eyes were spotted by the volunteers.

Yikes, I’m beat.  That’s way too much time spent publishing and not enough time spent writing!  But it’s done.

In celebration I’m heading to Boskone tomorrow — not as a participant but as a mere attendant, where I shall delight in hearing fascinating panels, and engaging in conversations with intelligent people.  I’ve been sort of locked in a box lately, and I must get out into the world!

I did get out last weekend for a day, when Sabine and I, with our pals Rob and Jan Walker, participated in an escape room adventure at Mystified in Mystic, CT.  It was great fun!  This particular outfit has a real steam-punk mentality that we appreciated.

Also: in between iterations of corrections and cover-creation, I’ve diverted and amused myself with Jo Walton’s latest book, a collection of her short works.

I have written exactly two short stories, but have ambitions to write more of them.  I find Jo’s collection to be a particularly nice set of examples of the different forms that short works can take.  There are linked vingnettes, structured stories, short-shorts, fictional musings, fictional correspondences, and my personal favorite, “Escape to Other Worlds with Science Fiction,” (read it for free on Tor.com) which I have no idea what to call, but which is deeply clever and well-executed.

In the introduction, she does some explaining about what she believes does and does not contsitute an actual story, and when an idea is best for a story rather than an novel — but I’m going to have to have some deep discussions with her when I see her next, because I don’t quite agree, I think…  I love her idea of “mode”, but the “weight” of the ending… ?  Hm.  She might be using “weight” not to mean importance, but something else…

Must go now or I’ll be up too late to get out early to hit the road!

A few tweaks left to do, but I thought you might like to see…

Sure, embiggen — why not?

Takin’ tomorrow off!  Beause I have to see other human beings.  I know they’re out there…

Almost immediately, folks stepped forward, and within an hour or so I had five volunteers to help find typos.   Problem solved!

So… I’d also like to thank all those who wanted to help too, but missed the window.  It was a really short window.

You are all very nice people!  Thanks.

(UPDATE: Five volunteers found!  Thanks, all — you’ll be hearing from me soon.)

I’m down to the last book in my paperback-reissue of the series so far…

As you know, The Lost Steersman required several iterations, as I kept missing typos, fixing ’em, finding more, fixing ’em again… but then the cover gave me grief by reproducing in somewhat different colors than appeared on my screen, requiring multiple cover fixes, as well.

And now I’m into the proofing of The Language of Power, and creating a cover to match the style of the other new paperback versions —

Frankly, I had so much back-and-forth with The Lost Steersman, that I’m now very suspicious of myself.   I kept thinking I was done, almost letting it go to print, and at the last minute saying: “Let’s just check one more time” — and finding even more that I’d missed.  This happened over and over!

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Either The Lost Steersman had an inordinate number of typos, or my brain was completely curdled by repeated previous proofing and cover-creating.   And these two possibilities are not mutually exclusive.

One of you (Hi, Charlie!) had offered to help with the proofing on that book — but I was close to done by then, so with many thanks, I declined.

Also, that’s a great big task to drop on someone!  Yow.

But then, it occurred to me… what if it were a littler task?

Here’s what I’ve done for the next book (The Langauge of Power):  I’ve split it into five chunks of 45 to 65 pages.  I’m looking for five people –  noble volunteers! — willing to take a section and run their eyes over their bit, looking for typos.   And willing to tell me their findings by midnight Eastern Time on Friday.

True, that’s only a couple of days… but it’s only a few pages, too!  You are people who read a lot, right?  ‘Course you are.  Should be a breeze.

And, as a token of my gratitude, you get… an autographed copy of the new paperback version of The Language of Power, when it’s done.

Any takers?  If you’re up for it, drop me an email (rosemary.kirstein@gmail.com).  I’ll email a PDF for you to peruse (or an MSWord Doc file).

And for reasons of shipping costs, I’m looking for people in North America only.   (Australia, I love you, but any time I have to snail-mail a book to you I have to pawn a guitar to cover the postage.  I only have so many guitars.)

Well.  Drop a line, if you’re interested.

(I feel a little like Zenna in the Annex, asking people to put just five books on the right shelf…)

In other news:

He’s way up there. Embiggening won’t help.

My eyes caught more than my iPhone could… and there is no doubt that that is a BALD EAGLE.

I watched him for a long time,  soaring in circles, all the way along the Quinnipiac River, which is mere steps away from my office.

And a few days later, he was there again.  I do believe he’s here to stay.