Dec
19
2017
Rosemary
Yeah, still no time for a decent blog post. I’m still working on the release of the paperback version of The Lost Steersman, which, as it turns out, is even longer than The Outskirter’s Secret and has required many more iterations of proofing.  Having finally got the innards to my satisfaction, I’m on the last legs of the cover, and swore I won’t stop tonight until at least my first try at it is uploaded to Creatspace, for them to review and reject or accept. If so, I’ll be done with this one in a day or so.
But other news in brief: I visited Action Boxborough Regional High School, and had a lovely time talking to some of their students. I want to talk about this more in detail later, but I can’t let a whole week go by without saying how glad I was of the opportunity, and how much I enjoyed it. Sure, a couple of the students were sighing and glancing at the clock (yeah, there are some in every crowd), but the rest were engaged, and engaging. They had cogent questions! They were thoughtful and enthusiastic.  I was charmed — and inspired. There’s something about connecting with smart  young people that renews one’s faith in art, ideas, and literature. There’s hope for the future, folks.
Plus: swag!
ABRHS branded hat and umbrella.
2 comments | tags: Acton Boxborough Regional High School, paperback, The Lost Steersman
Dec
4
2017
Rosemary
Yep. Due to there being far too many errors to let go.
Aside from the typos on the back cover, to which you my faithful correspondents alerted me, there were a whole bunch on the inside.
Some of those were pointed out by the extremely helpful Evelyn Park in an email; the rest were discovered by me.
Red tags of trouble!
I had hoped to get this paperback live and for sale in time for John Scalzi’s annual Holiday Shopping Guide.   Every year, Scalzi invites fellow creative persons to engage in shameless self-promotion in the comments stream of his blog posts. Scalzi’s blog readership is huge, and getting listed helped me with ebook sales last year.
But that’s happening on Tuesday (for self-published works), and I won’t have had time to receive, review, and approve an updated version of the physical proof copy yet. Still, the paperback of The Steerswoman is available, and all the ebooks, so it’s worth it to submit my self-promo bit.
I’m still on track to get all four paperbacks available for sale by Christmas. But I do have to dig in.
And on that subject….
If any of you happen to have noticed, during your previous readings, any typos in the ebook versions of The Lost Steersman or The Language of Power, feel free to mention them to me! Either in email, or in the comments….
I don’t want you to actually go to any trouble — I’ll be combing the pages myself with propper assiduousness — but if you happen to have noticed something during your previous readings, and can recall where it is in the book, and feel like dropping a note…. well, I’d be grateful.  I’m aiming for Friday as the day to be finished with proofing.
Now: must get sleep. It is very late. Even for me.
3 comments | tags: John Scalzi, Outskirter's Secret paperback, paperback
Nov
28
2017
Rosemary
Delays! Due to the fact that The Outskirter’s Secret is significantly longer than The Steerswoman. Thought I could use the same format, and just paste in the different text and cover, but nope. Had to move to a larger size.
Requiring lots of other adjustments. And errors. And fixes. And more adjustments. And now I am behind schedule, and so must scramble.
Yeah, there are no typos on this, are there? You’d tell me if there were, right? (You can click to embiggen.)
Ah, remember the good ol’ days when I was traditionally published (by Random House/Ballantine/Del Rey)? They had people to do all this!
Oh, right. The books went out of print. That’s why it’s all in my hands now.
Well, y0u know, I actually do enjoy it. I’m arty, I’m nerdy, I’m tech-savvy — this taps my other skills. And when the current story itself is being recalcitrant, at least here’s a task that succumbs to dogged determination.
But if I want them available by Christmas, I’d better get going!
5 comments | tags: library post still on its way, Outskirter's Secret, paperback, radio silence