Getting Back to Business

After my recent crash, it's been very hectic trying to get back on track. Besides getting my data back, I've tried to upgrade some of my publishing software, with mixed results. I picked up InDesign CS4, but I'm not going to fool around with that until I have more time to go over it in detail. I upgraded Acrobat to 9, then realized it changed the process for creating PDFX/1A files, and it turned out to be a real pain trying to determine whether a file that "conformed" was an actual PDFX/1A file... So went back to my previous version, at least for now.

My primary concern for the last few weeks has been whether I'd be able to get my Varmints PageMaker file back, as it didn't make it through the crash and initial attempts to recover data. I sent my old hard drive to a specialist, though, and they say they've been able to recover and open it, so that is a load off my mind. (A very expensive load, though. At least the recovery is tax deductible.) I could rebuild it, but it's a very lengthy book even now (I haven't even started on the preliminary section that will discuss various species and their relevance to cryptozoology).

Iron Age America is still on track, we're in the final editing stage and have only a few more images to scan. Still waiting for images for the Mokele-mbembe book. Might be looking over a cryptozoology book by an Australian author -- sounds interesting.

Of course, with the Christmas season coming on, I need to start pushing out more titles. Got my latest (and probably last) block of 1,000 ISBNs, so all set to go.

Lacemaking

Another for the Textile Arts category... Sent to the printer.

Nothing New Yet...

I'm trying to finish up the text block for Iron Age America right now. The layout and editing are almost complete, though we need to figure out what to do about a few images we're missing.

Once this is finished, I should be able to complete Raptors of the Northeast fairly quickly. Then I can focus on finally putting out some reprints I've been working on (classic mysteries and textile arts). I've been holding off on those, because I'm running low on my original ISBN block, but I just ordered a 1,000 block of ISBNs, so that should last me... well, the rest of my life, probably.

I'm starting to look for more non-fiction authors. I've got several in the works, who are working on some interesting manuscripts. But it takes time, so always good to continue soliciting submissions. So check my book submissions page for details. (If you can write, and have specific areas of interest, let me know, I might be able to come up with ideas for books I'd be interested in publishing.)

One area I'd be interested in exploring is the graphic novel -- though it would require an in-place marketing model by the author in order to do well. I've been kicking around some ideas, but as I'm not an artist myself, not something I can jump on. Wouldn't be cheap, but using color POD, it could come out looking pretty good.