Being an author is like being in charge of your own personal insane asylum.

- Graycie Harmon

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Groan... sniffle... mumble... grumble, or, An Announcement That was Previously Half-Arsed

Dealing with the first half of today's obnoxiously long title - my sore throat has vanished, thankfully. Unfortunately, it has been replaced by an incredible feeling of fatigue, an occasional but very painful cough and a sinus headache that threatens to split my entire head open.

Well, now that the grumbling is out of the way, onto the announcement that I actually made yesterday, but sort of hid it beneath a bunch of other information and news.

I tend to do that. I suppose I'm trying to downplay the whole thing, feeling very foolish self-marketing and all. It's actually pretty big news, though. So, without further ado:

*cue fanfare

The Dying God & Other Stories is coming out in Paperback!

Did I shout that loud enough, do you think?

I'm not exactly sure of the publication date - that is to be announced. Hopefully it will be soon-ish (as in sometime in July), but perhaps I might delay it until October 31st as a sort of 1 year celebration of the anthology. I haven't decided yet.

Oh, and here's a bonus - illustrations will be included. I got a proof that included the illustrations, and they didn't look too shabby. I'm ordering the second proof (after having fixed the issues with the first one), but I nervous about this one because the conversion into .pdf format didn't seem to go quite as planned - even though I did everything the exact same this time around. Apparently the size of the document was too large for the publishing format (6 x 9), which is odd because I made damned sure that the paper size was 6 x 9 when trying to convert to .pdf.

According to Createspace.com (I got it right this time, Anonymous!), they can fix that themselves, but it might impact the font etc. So I suppose I'm going to have to spend the rest of today arguing with the file converter into making it convert in the correct size.

Before you ask, yes, the correct size is already designated in word, and yes, I created the printing preferences to print to .pdf in that size. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I hate technology.

If I manage to figure that out today, I still have to judge a short story contest, as well as start Beta Reading another short story for a friend.

There will be no writing today either, not least of all because I'm ill. I'm falling so far behind. Le sigh.

Right, I must get started. Here's today's Forgotten English, and then be about your business:

Cucupha
A sort of coif or cap with a double bottom, between which is enclosed a mixture of aromatic powders. It was formerly used as a powerful cephalic.
- Robley Dunglison's Dictionary of Medical Science, 1844

3 comments:

Anna L. Walls said...

Woohoo!!! Congratulations!!! Exciting news. The long-awaited day has finally arrived. I wish you all the luck with it. I hope it hits the big time.

I also hope you get to feeling better soon. Being sick is no fun.

Pam Asberry said...

You will figure out the technology, S.M. And it will all be worth it in the end. I can't wait to see the finished product!

S.M. Carrière said...

Thanks Anna! I'm quite realistic about my chances of success with this book, particularly since I'm not sure how to market it... at all...

We'll see how it goes.

I'm hoping that the technology doesn't get the best of me, Pam. It was a very frustrating morning before I was sent home for looking like death warmed over...

I can't wait to get it right and see the next proof. I'm terribly excited!