So it’s been a bit since I’ve updated the blog. I figured I’d hit some of the high points of the last couple of weeks:
Attended the Ozark Book Con down in Fayetteville this past weekend as a vendor. First year event with all that entails, but had good panels and talks with several good authors. I recommend attending the event for the professional aspects if you’re in the area. If you’re coming from out of the town, it’s definitely a “Hey rando friend I haven’t talked to in years, mind if I sleep on your couch?” until it grows some. Which, given the professionalism and drive on display, I think it definitely will.
On the way back, finally got to meet Acts of War‘s editor, Mary, in person. In addition to being long overdue, the fact it’s been 5+ years since that book went through her able hands made me marvel at what modern technology makes possible. Although her current work with medical journals precludes her from working on anything else, I’m glad that a mutual acquaintance said “Hey, I know someone who might be able to help you…” many moons ago.
Speaking of the Usurper’s War series, Against the Tide Imperial continues to move along. Unfortunately, after getting read the riot act by an author mentor, I’ve had to accept that the Phases of Mars anthologies are 100% my “books for the year.” Combined with the new day job’s obligations (oh, yeah, I got promoted and changed positions), the process of putting out Those In Peril, To Slip the Surly Bonds, and Trouble in the Wind has pretty much sucked up a lot of available time. So, rather than put out a substandard product or skimp on marketing, Against the Tide Imperial is slipping to the right again. The manuscript will get done this year (which means preorders will be up), but the actual _book_ is probably going to be out in 1st Quarter 2020. *angry author noises*
This dovetails to a professional lesson that I am learning again, but in a different dialect: Projects are rarely as easy as they may initially seem. At the beginning of the year, with Those In Peril shooting up the charts, “Suuuure, we can do two more of these this year…” seemed like a good plan. What I now realize is one can do three books in a year, it just means one probably shouldn’t also do cons and other creative projects if there’s also a fourth book one would like done. So, for 2020, the lesson will be, “No, I think that timeline doesn’t work for me, thank you…” as I get solo projects back in line. (Feel free to remind me of this in the comments when my hair is on fire again this time next year.)
In addition, having now done editing three times, I cannot emphasize enough that you should always pay your damn editor. It’s a whole different animal than writing, and I will issue a blanket, heartfelt mea culpa for some of my past sins to my editors. In addition, as an author, understand that your editor’s job is to polish up your work. “Polish” implies that you have done a grammatical read through, researched the technical aspects of the work, and are basically giving the editor a complete story that just needs a set of professional eyes to look upon it. This goes doubly so for an anthology submission. Indeed, I’m just going to let John G. Hartness take it away…(language alert…NO REALLY!):
Anyway, it’s Nano (and yes, I’m counting these words), and I’m going back to US CVs about to go to guns with an Italian Fleet. (Yes, that’s a teaser.)
