So it's been a little bit, but as of today, the book is completed. I did my editing passes, spell checks, additional edits, and layout work. The book is 268 pages total, with stories covering a total of 250 or so of 'em. I let a certain superfan read it early to help me catch my errors, but I went ahead and just hit the errors and edits again altogether. (I hope you're having fun, Kim!)
This is our cover, front, back, and spine. Kollapsar did some gorgeous work for us here, and I had fun laying the company logo and little blurb on the front cover, hopefully blended enough to look like it's part of the scene.
But I also promised you all that there would be tarot cards to act as bookmarks for two of our stretchgoals. I honestly screwed that up a fair bit, honestly. I very nearly forgot to start-- then it took me a bit to decide what the cards would be, then I reached out to an artist fairly late, and then I accepted I was just gonna bug Kollapsar to get on it.
As of the moment, they're at this stage. Our first card is the keeper of the procession-- Wember! This is our wickerfolk friend that we voted into the collection. Wember has become a delightful part of the world, with their own story, and then included here and there in a couple others. Wember is a collector, a finder of things who puts them back where they belong. But when they don't have anywhere to go? Wember brings them home to set up their Procession-- a great traveling march of toys and action figures that Wember gives stories to.
And this other character is an oldie for me, but like Dr. Ala Okoye, is getting new life for all of you to meet. This is Huan Pai, the Baba Changa. She has an important location that you'll come to explore in a story before she arrives, then she has two stories that center her after that.
There are many important folks in this book that I could have done cards for, but the Goblin's Tarot actually includes Jimmy, Kent, Juli, and even Keith, someone who is at best, in this collection, a side character. If you haven't read any stories in this collection, know that you'll get a chance to soon. But these are a number of our main characters.
And then, we have Secret Halls, the game set in this world, where Kollapsar is ALSO doing the art for all the characters in that game, and all of those above are getting illustrations there. So I felt like Wember and Huan Pai deserved these two cards in our book.
Where's the Book?
Okay so the book is done, the cover is ready, and the cards are nearing their completion. So where's the book then, Seven?
I was going to just print with an on-demand printer I've used a bit and ship books directly from there. But they want to have their own barcodes on my books, and I hate that. Plus, if I get a proper run of 400 books going, I can also get the edges of the pages sprayed black, like my most recent book releases. And I love that a great deal.
So I am using the printer I did my poetry collections with and am pushing them to get me the books within a month's time. That means they'll be coming to me and then out to you, it also means the quality will be a little better, AND ALSO I get to have my own barcode without someone else's thrown on.
So hang tight, I've got things moving with the printer and I am excited to say the book is fantastic, exciting, engaging, and full of weird stuff. Which is the way to do a book, I think. I'm also inspired after so long away from writing fiction to get back in, so look out for another book next year. : )
Talk in a month's time, when I should have books in hand-- suppose I should figure out shipping costs and get those to you on the way there. So I shall!
