Creativity

T-9 Days: Cover Me

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So the book is edited and just waiting to be formatted, and now it's on to the cover.

The problem of course is that the cover is for an eBook, and the rules are a bit different.  The cover's really only going to be seen as an icon or a blurb on a screen people go through, so I'm not going to an artist.  If I do a print version, that'll possibly have a new cover, but right now I have to make something that shows up on the eBook stores.

This isn't always as clear as it seems, and it's a strange balance:

  • You have to make it clear.
  • You have to make it interesting.
  • You have to make it readable.
  • You have to do it in the small space that will appear on people's screens.

My previous self-made covers have been mixed bags, so I'm sticking with my retro interest and going for abstract, somewhat colorful, and clear text.

Wish me luck.  Nine more days.

You can find more about the book at the website.

– Steven Savage

T-10 Days: In The Abyss Of Editing

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And the editing of "Focused Fandom: Cosplay, Costuming, and Careers" is done.   We have ten days until launch of the ebooks.

I want to note I hate editing.

Oh I don't mind the act.  It's very important.  In some cases it's quite insightful.  In all cases it makes the book easier to read.

The reason I hate it is that it is hard to stop.

If you have ever published anything, from fanfic to a public book, you know that you are never satisfied, ever, with the results.  You can look at that book or document or whatever and keep finding mistakes until the apocalypse.  You will never be 100% happy with it.

I of course try to make it perfect, and know I can't.

So what I actually do for my editing is set boundaries.  I edit "X" amount of times, I take my editor's comments, etc.  At a certain point after enough actions or iterations I declare it done and move on.

Why not try to make it perfect?  Because I won't.  A book that looked perfect to me today will look flawed tomorrow.

So what I do is set that deadline and bloody well make it worth it.

Not only does it keep me from obsessing forever, it also forces me to make the time editing worth it.  Knowing I set limits in place keeps me from wasting my time.

I'm especially curious about how knowing I'm doing this as an ebook has affected my mindset.  Was I less cautious because it's easy to correct, or more cautious because I expect greater sales and a more diverse audience?  Was the nature of the book (driven by interviews) making it easier or harder to edit as I'm using a different voice?

I don't know, but it's going to be fun to watch and learn.

Next up, time to format . . .we're nearly done!

– Steven Savage

Promoting Professional Geekery #4: Start The Damn Blog!

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Well it's quite a good week to be focusing on one of my favorite subjects – promoting professional geekery, the idea that people can (and in many cases) should turn what they love into a career.  It's "Speak Out With Your Geek Out" and let me focus on #4: Starting The Damn Blog.

Why not just Starting The Blog?  Because you (and others) have thought about a blog so often that it's not just "the blog I want to start" it's "the damn blog I should get to."

So, start it.

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