Spiralfirepress.com will most likely go down on Thursday until I can get the domain name paid up. If anybody'd like, I can try to figure out how to point there without the domain name.

Anybody who is involved in this project! Please let me know if you've received my email regarding the contracts immediately!

Thank you.

As encouragement to myself and others who are attempting to write a publishable novel, I give you How to write a novel in 100 days or less.

There's also The Snowflake Method of Writing.

So today I started my 3-day temp thing with an IT show. We finished early yay(boo), so I actually get to eat lunch. (Chips and salsa, yay.) And when I was trying to get ready to go home, a guy who smelled strongly of rum asked me for $2. I told him that if I had $2, I'd have taken the bus.

I think I've figured out a way to get to WW without my mother objecting horribly. If we can get Sunrise Chasers out before then, I can totally write it off as a business expense. And if I take my brother's motorcycle, it'll cost even LESS. Yay.

Oh, I found this gem on CNN. And everybody who's surprised that SUV owners aren't participating raise your hands!

Also, getting my picture taken for Yoga magazine this Sunday. I have a GIANT ZIT ON MY CHIN. *cries*

Who wants to be SpiralFire's phone bitch? I'll even provide a shiny new cell phone.

So I've been toying with the idea of putting out a magazine. Similar to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine, but with a little broader audience. We plan to include Sci Fi, Fantasy, and perhaps a little horror. (No, I will not slam the dead woman, no matter how much I disliked her.) It seems that this endeavor will take a lot more effort to get priced, etc. So I'm going to do an interest poll before I even start sending out emails. I have a few different ideas for frequency of publication. I've thought about doing it three times a year, one in Fantasy, one in Sci Fi, and one in Horror/Other. Certainly no more than quarterly, unless things REALLY take off, and I can make a living off of running SpiralFire. (God, my delusions get bigger all the time... )

Anybody and everybody, please vote.

Would anyone be willing to look over the one-paragraph contract I've drawn up for SpiralFire authors? Part of my newest CYA kick.....

I'm going to take a nap. I didn't get much sleep last night. I can also stop compulsively checking my latest poll for feedback.

I need to figure out if this contract would be legal. I'm pretty sure none of the authors would attempt to be retarded about it at a later date, but I'm a big believer in CYA.

I'm entertaining the idea of putting out a magazine too.

To do when I wake up:
E-mail komera about the newest plan.
Prod lyssie about her rewrite.
Duct tape the temporary pipe on my muffler so it doesn't rattle so much.
Start on lyssie's bodice. At least tape up the graph paper and draw it out.


Will think of more later.

Anybody got any suggestions for this small publishing company I'm trying to run? Just out of curiosity.

Okay, I've been doing research, and I've been trying to figure out the finances. Things are *really* tight around here, but I think I've discovered a solution.

There is a company that does print-on-demand for less than $10/book. This is far more than I wanted, but I do believe it's still reasonable. Would you, the people buying this book, be willing to pay $10 for it? The first run only would be through this print-on-demand format. Once we get everything rolling, we'll be able to switch to a regular printer, and bring the prices down. I *really* need input, please vote, get everyone you know with an LJ to vote. I need the input like mad.

Because if we go with Lulu's pod, we can start selling by the end of the month.




Edit: Lulu is a print-on-demand service with no set-up fees and a very small commission. Yahoo!Finance has given them great reviews, as have many private bloggers all over the internet. Hell, MacTech uses them. I believe they won't gouge us for price, and they may give us the hand-up we need to move from a concept company to an actual business. The first run print will be under one of their ISBNs, but we can have a second run if there is a high enough demand, under our own ISBN.

I just don't have $1500 to spare at the moment.

Edit 2: If you'd like to know more, please leave a comment with questions.

But I do especially request the input of the legal types who read this journal.

See, I have to get a lawyer for SpiralFire. So I have a nice, reputable list from NoLo. But I'm TERRIFIED of making the inquiry phone calls. I just know I'm going to come off sounding like a complete retard. How do I go about asking what their consulation fees are? How they handle contracts? And why can't I think of more questions to ask?

Any suggestions? Anybody?

SpiralFire news: We have our first novel submission, and it's scifi. I have a feeling it's going to need a lot of working over, but from the six pages I have, it definitely has a lot of potential. Yay.

Meanwhile, due to illness in the family of our graphic artist, Sunrise Chasers will be delayed by about 2-4 weeks, depending on press time. I'll be putting up a preview of the cover some time this week. Keep an eye out for it.

Edit: ( Here's our preview.Collapse )
In other news, the pre-order page will be up some time tomorrow.

Edit #2: I printed it out, and oh, my, heaven and earth is it BEAUTIFUL. There's a whole lot of subtlety that you just don't get from a computer screen. *swoons*

I've been slowly trying to wean myself off of cream and sugar in my coffee. *eyes coffee* Not sure I like this development. When I was picking up my coffee this morning, I saw many college boys, dressed in a lot of eye-searing green, and little else. At 9am. Bet they're not even Irish.

Regarding the small publishing company, SpiralFire Press, I need cover art by April. I can make due with having it by mid-April, but it's hard to sell a book without a cover. I know there are doubters out there, but this is happening. Luckily, I have a back-up plan. *loves on roommate* Which reminds me, I really need to work on the sales page. *nosewrinkle* And, and, and! I'm checking our mail today. *happywiggle*

I desperately need a manicure. I have no money for a manicure. There are more important things on my plate right now. Not the least of which is getting some Calculus done and revising my fall schedule. Will NOT be taking A&P this summer, as I'm pretty sure Work would be upset. Am taking Physics instead of BioChem this fall. *beats on school internet thingie* And the thingie will not behave. Stupid thingie.

Am wearing contacts today, so no headache, yay.

Also, seem to have misplaced pronouns. Must instigate search.

Head still hurts. Has hurt since Monday. I think it's possibly the new glasses. Which makes me very sad, 'cause I really like them. Am thinking about going back to see the doctor at Walmart today, since I have to pick up some fabric dye for lab today anyhow.

Also have a meeting with my chem advisor.

Okay, can I crawl in a hole and die now. My eyes hurt, my forehead hurts, behind my right ear hurts. Maybe I should eat or nap or something. *whimper*

I'm going to go make it through the rest of my day now.

By the way, the greatest small press in the world now has a teaser up.

And don't forget the Scenic Shore 150.

I have new glasses. I can see. This makes me very happy. No more having to put my contacts in to see the TV when I want to sit on the couch. And the difference in thickness between the left and right lens isn't too obvious either. *happy wiggles*

I leave for my parents' on Saturday. Renting my very first ever car. Also cause for glee. I really need to write up my lab from two weeks ago, write up a procedure for the lab I'm doing on Wednesday, and do some analytical chemistry homework.

I need to pick one hobby, and stick to it. Maybe two or three. Not fifteen.

In other news, the greatest small press publishing company in the world, SpiralFire Press, is just in need of its cover and two more rewrites before it can go to press. CopyEditing is nearly complete. If we can get the cover and the ISBNs and the logo, the last two writers who are dragging their feet *coughcoughmeandlysscough* will get their butts kicked by our Enforcer. And we will be ready to go.

This book looks like it's going to be 160 or so pages, in a 5 1/4" x 8 1/4" paperback format. So, a little large, but okay. When we start mass producing, over 1000 books, we'll start using the mass market paperback format. I see that in two or three years.

In other news, our wonderful small press, SpiralFire Press, is number one on Google, when you do a search for SpiralFire. Not that it does us any good, who's going to search for SpiralFire on Google, except if they want to name their company that. So I'm trying to alter up the link names, start a Google bomb trend. What do you think?

Final bit of news, my mind is rather scattered today. I forgot my Ginseng. But I'm happy and ready to tackle the day. How about you?

SpiralFire now has a P.O. Box.

We are:
SpiralFire Press
P.O. Box 511831
Milwaukee, WI 53203-1831

*chair-dance of glee*

There's a writer's workshop at school tonight. I can go pimp. I'm so excited. I need to make up some flyers and break out the business cards, after I carefully write the website address on each and every card.

May have to pirate the logo that's currently on the business cards for the flyers. Wading through potential drek will be well worth the price of such wonderful free advertisement. *dies of happy*

I suppose the sucktastic part of going to such a small school is that classes aren't offered every semester, some of them aren't even offered every year. This makes for planning difficult, especially when you're a December graduate. I'm vainly attempting to set up my 4-year plan, and thus far it's giving me tremendous headaches. Stupid thing. *beats it*

This reminds me, I really must type up the updated submission requirements for SpiralFire. It really is way overdue.

And, I must edit my story. I must rewrite it and make it pretty.

And the people across the table from me are spouting religous tripe, and I'm very confused, but I think they just said I'm going to hell. Either that or the teacher said it. I think it's time to go to that HWA meeting.

And how sad is it that I'm considerring taking Calc 3 for fun.....