New Fireside Meanderings Podcast – We prepare for @Balticon

Another episode is up after a few weeks of a hiatus. Punkie and Rogue – Fireside Meanderings: jibba-jabba : Plugging and Panels and Writing, Oh My.

I have been informed, by Balticon, my permanent real schedule is coming soon. It may be different than what I posted earlier. I’ll repost it here when that becomes available.

Some people have asked me about international purchasing. Right now, I am not sure how this is going to work with Amazon.co.uk, or Amazon.de, or .fr because frankly, I thought that I’d have maybe a handful of international fans and I’d ship the books from my own house (I have copies sent here for my upcoming book signing). It seems to be available as I post this, however, from DE and FR going for roughly EUR 11-12. UK shows “out of stock.” Try that first, and if that’s not workable, read a little further.

People have asked what my “most profitable” way is to buy the book (you are very sweet, guys). Well, the hard copy on Amazon nets me the most; more than in person, and more than when the Kindle comes out. But we’re talking less than a dollar either way, so if you want the Kindle over the dead tree copy; I’m not complaining unless you download it and put it on PirateBay. Then someone let me know I’m up there so I can crap all over the comments section and say, “If you like the book, send $5.00 to my Paypal account so I can afford to write more,” or “This version is missing chapters, and the ending is not the same as the print copy!” or “How come half of it is in German?” because, really, I can’t stop piracy. I can only manage it. Honestly, though, I would be a little flattered if that happened. Pissed, but flattered. I remember a friend of mine selling my first book from her table was MORTIFIED when someone stole a copy, and offered to pay me for the whopping $5 loss. I said, “Well, my book must be good enough to make people commit crime,” I joked and declined the offer.

Friendship first. Profit last.

But *IF* you want a hard copy mailed to you; like you want it signed or live somewhere where having it shipped from Amazon isn’t conducive to you getting it (“Gewöhnlich versandfertig in 2 bis 5 Wochen??” NEEEEEIIINNN! You poor German bastards), I’ll ship anywhere if you pay for the book and shipping. You’ll have to use Paypal, but wait AFTER this Memorial Day weekend (I simply won’t have time to ship it until after that). I’ll even throw in some free crap I have lying around: my promotional bookmarks, some expired DC Rollergirl postcard promos, a Duke Nuk’em 3D CD, a stick of Big Red, a cartoon drawing of a stick figure with a sword… you never know. Or if you want to ship me a copy you got and have me ship it back, pay for the shipping. My turnaround might be laggy, though. Send me some e-mail if you’d like to have a transaction.

Note: DO NOT just send me money by Paypal. In the past, Paypal mail has kinda gotten lost, and sometimes I have no idea anyone bought one until I use Paypal to buy something, and even then… it may slip between the cracks. I’d be humiliated if someone paid for a book and never got it. I’d be all sepukku up in that.

In the final edits: some updates on various things

Trolley is coming along (hurr hurr), and while the editing has been touch-and-go, I am pleased with it so far. Still on target for Balticon, but it’s gonna be closer than I am comfortable with. I have a cover artist, and I am going to have a signed contract (I hope) by the end of this month.

“Rush of Wings” was delayed due to lack of submissions, which means my short story from that won’t make it to Balticon. I haven’t gotten news on when “A Taste of Armageddon” will be available, either.

I have determined that “Mothership” will be my second piece, and due out for the Christmas rush.

I am also in some preliminary panels for Balticon, along with a book signing. No new Balticon Podcasts yet.

A new episode of Fireside Meanderings is up with me and Rogue. It’s more tales from the cons past!

New podcast, new short story in the can, and Trolley is being edited

A new episode of Fireside Meanderings is up, where Rogue and I discuss our misspent youth. What will my mother say– oh, right, she’s dead. Sorry, Mama.

I am DONE with “Stone Ice Raven,” my sort story for the new “Rush of Wings” anthology. I shouldn’t have let it go so long, but it took longer than I thought. I am pretty sure I’ll be in this anthology, but I still won’t count my chickens before they hatch hah hah hah… see what I did there?

Trolley is up next. I had two cover artists go onto better things, but my publisher and I have found a replacement. I will be editing like MAD over the next few weeks. Like a crazy person. Poor Heather! I am going to have to relive the horrors that happen to this sweet, innocent tomboy.

In my spare time, I’ll be doing Katsucon stuff. T-Mode is coming up, and I think we’re there. I might celebrate by taking a bath. Balticon has an autograph session all lined up for me, and Trolley is still set to be released that month. I will also be doing a lot of “Balticon New Media” stuff at the con, hobnobbing with authors, and generally being the usual nuisance I am during the Balticon Podcast. I am going to try for an “Eye of Argon” reading for the first time since… FanTek cons? That should be fun.

Also set for this year is “Mothership,” which is a tale of an abusive space captain and her second-in-command. I have this 40% written, and know the general plot line. I hope to have this done by Christmas.

Ugh, it’s like 1:30am and I am beat.

We’re starting to ramp up again…

My desktop is fixed and being set back the way I like it. The temp box I was using at home was so slow for a GUI. It took longer to fix the box up as I had some technical issues I won’t go into on this blog, but there was a lot of hardware swapping and testing. For a few days, it looked like I’d have to get a brand new system, but thankfully, I averted that costly need with m4h m4d t3ch ski11z.

But this delay had started to thin down my buffer. Also, an anthology I have been working with, A Rush of Wings, is having some manpower issues even though it’s due to be released when MY book is to be released. Basically, we are down a few pieces and my short story, “Stone Ice Raven,” needs a little work. I really want to get this book out too, because it will be my third published piece so far this year.

I wanted to be done with my massive editing for Trolley, and my publisher is already asking me fro a blurb and a bio. I got some preliminary confirmation I will be doing an autograph session (thanks, guys, for taking care of that without me asking), and having the release party with my publisher (hooray!).

In addition to “Fireside Meanderings” I will be taking up some of the Balticon Podcasts again shortly after a seasonal delay by Dancing Cat Studios. I have a decent microphone now, and will be able to do more from home.

On top of that, I am working Katsucon and dealing with post-con planning for pre-K18. It never stops when you’re this high up, and by fall of 2011, we’ll be already working on preliminary Katsucon 19 in 2013. To give you an idea, Katsucon already has guests lined up for K18, we just don’t have signed contracts yet because we’re working on making them better, and until we have a signed statement, we can’t go, “Hey, Suzi Sakura of the Sexy Electric Mandolin will be coming to our con!”

Yes, I am a busy bee.

New episode of Fireside Meanderings up

Alright… here Rogue and I talk about previous jobs we had. Punkie and Rogue – Fireside Meanderings:Oh, the Jobs You’ll Work. You also get to hear about Intercon, a compnay many friends of mine worked for, and I so desperately wanted to.

New power supply still en route so I can start editing Trolley as early as the end of this week, but I built a lot of buffer time, so I am still on schedule. In other news, Katsucon still winds down as my wife and I get ready for a YEAR of convention running. Probably 2 years, but we have to be approved by the board for K19, so we better do a damn good job with K18.

No new Balticon Podcasts, but they have me as a guest or staff, not sure which, for Balticon 45. My first Balticon was 18, so I feel old.

Things are looking up…

I am on a new Podcast

My desktop died. I need a new power supply, which is on order. Thus editing has come to a standstill. But I am in a new podcast! “Punkie and Rogue – Fireside Meanderings.” Rogue is a publisher, author, and musician whom I have known since 1990 or so.

Punkie and Rogue – Fireside Meanderings : jibba-jabba : Conventions