Lesson of the week: When faced with a sticky design situation, just add tentacles!

…yeah, it’s probably better not to ask.

Pressing Matters: Week of September 16-20, 2013

Acquisitions

1. It’s slush-readin’ time! SO MUCH SLUSH. We promise we’re getting through it, really!
2. And yes, we’re reading all those sequels and follow-up novels and everything else in the queue. We swear!
3. …okay, so our response time is TERRIBLE right now. We’re sorry! But aren’t you glad we’re focusing on getting books out to you, the reading public?

Editing

1. Finishing up on Grave revisions and waiting for rewrites to come back on Sword and Mixed Feelings. Yep, moving along…

Production

1. City of Devils has been proofed, laid out, illustrated, checked, double-checked, and uploaded to the printer. WE’RE OFF THE THE RACES.
2. Many, many promotional items have been ordered for upcoming launches. Some make perfect sense, like bookmarks. Some, maybe not so much. How many buttercream eyeballs does a small press need, anyway?
3. Infinity Key is in proofing now!
4. Layout on Grave has begun!

Reviews, Promotions, and Buzz

1. While they didn’t review I, Crimsonstreak, Publishers Weekly has caught on to the Crimsonverse now, in time for II Crimsonstreak! The story will “appeal to superhero fans with its absorbing worldbuilding and its warm, engaging protagonist.” Sweet!
2. And if that’s got you itching to follow up with the adventures of Chris Fairborne, aka Crimsonstreak, we have good news! The pre-order is now open, and there’s some nifty rewards available!
3. Are you in Vermont, or nearby in New England? Take the time to head to Mount Snow this weekend for the Vermont Wine & Harvest Festival! While you’re there, be sure to stop by Laughing Coyote Woodworks – C&G author M. Fenn will be there with copies of Substitution Cipher ready to autograph! And hey, wine!

Sundries

1. Librarians are awesome. Bow ties are awesome. Cats are awesome. A cat librarian who wears a bow tie? HELL YES.
2. Oh man, I wish we were a little closer to Queens – Enigma Bookshop is having a Humorous Sci-Fi and Fantasy blowout next Saturday, September 28! Grab half the authors at C&G and we’d REALLY make it a party…
3. …are we really putting together 70 trading card packs for City of Devils pre-order participants? YES WE ARE. …oh god…
4. And yes, Mastermind Kate really did spend last night doing fictional branding for a fictional company in the fictional world of City of Devils just because she thought the Anti-Monster Preparedness Kits looked awfully plain without branding. Can we say “obsessive”?
5. Hello, giraffe!