Oct 2009
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Cover: Finished

Oct - 26 - 2009Filed in: Artwork | Publishing
Coverspread
After an uncountable number of hours agonizing over details, the cover for The Fiddler's Gun is finished. I printed up laser proofs and sent the files off to the printer earlier this afternoon. Thanks to Evie for the gorgeous artwork and to Brannon McAllister of Portland Studios for putting the final tweaks on the design. The result is pretty awesome.

Check out the Artwork Page for a better look.

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Typesetting

Oct - 22 - 2009Filed in: Publishing
typesetting
My eyes are about to explode. For the past weeks it seems I've done nothing more than stare at my computer screen all day. A large part of the reason for this possibly eye-exploding activity has been typesetting.

I told you a few weeks ago, that due to budgetary concerns I had decided to typeset The Fiddler's Gun myself. That's not quite as self-deluded a proposition as it sounds. I've done some print design in the past on student newspapers in college, and later teaching kids to design their own newspapers at the Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch (we even used InDesign CS3). So choosing the do-it-yourself route wasn't quite the stretch for me that it might be for others. I hadn't ever designed a book, though, so I had a lot to learn.

The first thing I did was...Read the entire post

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Be a Part of the Revolution

Oct - 12 - 2009Filed in: Promotional | Publishing
FGtitlepagesmall
I’ve got one final meeting with Evie Coates this week before we finalize the cover design but it’s finished enough that I’m unveiling it here publicly for the first time (you’ll have to read the rest of the post to get to it--because I’m wily).

She’s done a fabulous job of conveying the look and feel that I envisioned so many months ago when we first spoke about it. I don’t think I could possibly be happier with the final artwork and it’s a real pleasure to finally let people see it. ...Read the entire post

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The Problem of Printing

Oct - 12 - 2009Filed in: Publishing
printpress
A while back I took a tour of the Lightning Source facility in LaVergne, Tennessee hoping that I might use them as the printer for The Fiddler’s Gun. After sitting down to talk with a representative and looking at all the services and products they provide I’ve decided to go elsewhere. It came down to price and quality.

First, let’s talk about price.Read the entire post

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It's Final!

Oct - 04 - 2009Filed in: Writing | Publishing | Editing
happy_dance
I did another happy dance this week. The proofread is done!

I got the manuscript back from the proofreader and went through it to review the changes and was pleased to discover that they were few, far between, and all minor. So I accepted the corrections and, voila, the text of the manuscript is now finished. Complete. Hard to believe.

The next step is typesetting. I had hoped to hire a freelancer to do this for me but it was way outside of my budget. All is not lost however, I have some design background and I’m no stranger to...Read the entire post

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A Letter Completed

Oct - 04 - 2009Filed in: Story | Letters to Peter
Letter
You may recall that while in Amelia Island, Florida I chanced across the first page of an intriguing letter and was led to believe that the second page was in the keeping of Vanderbilt University back home in Nashville.

When I got home I tried my best to gain access to the letter in the usual ways, but despite a flurry of paperwork and formal requests, I was denied access to the university’s archives. So I was forced to take matters into my own hands. I got in touch with some contacts from the old days in the Marine Corps and called in a few favors. Thirty-six hours later, dressed in my best burgling outfit, I rappelled out of a stealth helicopter and...Read the entire post

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