March Madness Means Manuscript Munching Mode

Munch, munch, munch. I guess I'm in the editing and design modes for the month of March. I have two editing and three design projects I'm working on for a total of three projects (that's right one of the projects requires no editing).

Project One is simply the redesign of the cover for my book Rocketman: From the Trailer Park to Insomnia and Beyond.

Here, at the left, is a rough of the new design without some of the detail (like an old fashioned photo border, a drop shadow for the rocket, a better space background and possibly a 3D-like text for the top title word).

Project Two is the design and layout (with some line editing) of a new children's book, Silly Billy and the Duck for new author Joe Benjamin (the pen name for my son Josiah).

Basically, I just have to check the spelling and punctuation, put the pages together and convert the files. See the unfinished, uncolored, proposed working panel on the right.

Project Three, the final project (which I don't expect to be done this month), Chicken Poop on My Sole, which I am editing with my wife, is mostly editing for now, but I may get to finalizing the cover soon. The proposed cover mock-up is at the left. This could be on ongoing project through the summer depending on one major factor:

We need stories! That's right this book is meant to be a multi-author anthology. the slower they trickle in the longer the project will take. I'd like to have the book out no later than the first of September.

Do you have a story to contribute?

I'm looking for first person, original pieces 300 to 3,000 words in length (750-1,200 is ideal) that are true (or based on a true event) that are comedic and/or inspirational in nature.

If you have a story you can share email me for details. I may publish up to three stories from any given writer. gregory.zschomler@gmail.com

New News You Never Knew About Books, but no Gnus

As I write inside the cozy warmth of Insomnia Coffee Company it is a blustery-rainy day outside on the Oregon north coast. That's what you call perfection for a writer; no temptation to be enjoying the shoreline trio of surf, sand and sun. However I am enjoying a trail mix cookie and a white chocolate mocha while listening to big band tunes and working on a few writing related projects (including this blog post). Now here's the new news:

The New Book

The new book shipment arrived yesterday!

Earlier this morning I mailed out the first six orders of my new book, Hell, Heaven and Back. Signed, sealed, sent. Okay, one wasn't an order, it was a review copy. I have four local orders to deliver so leaves twenty out of my initial order.

If you want one (signed, sealed and sent for a flat $10) let me know. That's cheaper than Amazon ($9.99 + postage). Whatever I have left come next weekend I'll take to sell at the Portland Home & Garden Show.

Garden of Books

And speaking of the Portland Home & Garden Show: From Thursday, Feb. 25 through Sunday, Feb. 28 there will be thirty Oregon and Washington Author's books at the NIWA Garden of Books. That represents more than 100 titles in all genres (except Western, I don't think there are any of those).

Many of the authors will be making appearances to do signings. I will be at the show 2-6 p.m., Sun. Feb. 28 with all eleven of my titles, including my newest, Hell, Heaven and Back, hot off the press (no pun intended). In essence the official public launch party. There's a discount coupon for $2 off the show admission here and parking is free after 4 p.m. (before that it will cost you an arm and a leg).

Book Publishing Workshop

If you're close to the Oregon North Coast area and wish to know how to go about self-publishing with relative ease and little cost, I'm giving a two-hour workshop on the topic 1-3 p.m., Sat., March 26 at the Tolovana Arts Colony hall in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

If you click on the graphic on the left it will get larger and you can see all the things I'll be covering in this intensive workshop. (Plus, participation gets you some free consultation time, too, for when you're actually working on that book of yours.) Cost is $25.

Commute or stay, it'll be a great day.

Indie Author & Book Fair

Mark your calendar for April 10. That's the day of the North Coast Indie Author & Book Fair in the courtyard behind Jupiter's Books in Cannon Beach, Oregon. The book fair will follow on the heels of the weekend's Get Lit at the Beach event.

We're expecting 24 Oregon and Washington authors for the 12:30 to 3 p.m. fair. To date we have eighteen authors signed up with room for six more (contact me if interested in booth space).

Short Stories for New Book

My publishing company eyrie press is accepting short story submissions for an upcoming anthology called Chicken Poop on My Sole (subtitled Funny Fodder from the Farm). It is to be a collection of short, true stories of humor and inspiration about farm life and country living.

We need several dozen more stories to complete the collection before publication in time for the harvest season of 2016. So...

If you have a story to tell and share contact me for details on how to be included and get copies to sell or give as gifts.

Sick and Needing Chicken Soup Today, Also Need Some Stories for Chicken Poop

HERE’S THE DEALIO:

Eyrie Press is taking submissions for a new anthology.

Here’s how it will work:

You submit your funny farm stories.  (That’s tales from your life in the country, not stories from your stint in the asylum.)

If we like them we’ll edit them as needed and include them in our upcoming anthology. You get a free copy and you can buy additional copies at wholesale to sell for whatever you wish (wholesale is anticipated to be less than $10 and the suggested retail price will be $14.95). All authors will be credited and appreciated.

We want true (or partly true) tales of life in the country (urban farming okay). You may submit as many as you please, but we won’t print more than three from any given author.

Stories may be any length between 300 and 3,000 words, but we’re more likely to print stories between 500 and 1,500 words. All submissions need to be clean (poop is the strongest word we’ll print) and amusing (but they can be touching and meaningful, too). 

CONTEST:

We don’t yet have the title story. So, we’re holding a contest. The best story about getting “chicken poop on your sole” (you can make this one up out of thin air if you need to) will win the privilege of being the first story in the book and you’ll receive $50 plus a certificate of merit and two additional free copies of the book.

Submissions should be emailed [as Word files] to: gregory.zschomler@gmail.com

Submissions will be received through March 2016 and we hope to publish in time for summer.

Submissions for Anthology Now Accepted

HERE’S THE DEALIO:

Eyrie Press is now taking submissions for a new anthology.

Here’s how it will work:

You submit your funny farm stories. (That’s tales from your life in the country, not stories from your stint in the asylum.)

If we like them we’ll edit them as needed and include them in our upcoming anthology.

You get a free copy and you can buy additional copies at wholesale to sell for whatever you wish (wholesale is anticipated to be around $10 and the suggested retail price will be $14.95).

We want true (or mostly true) tales of life in the country. You may submit as many as you please, but we won’t print more than three from any given author.

Stories may be any length between 300 and 1,500 words, but we’re more likely to print stories between 500 and 750 words. All submissions need to be clean (poop is the strongest word we’ll print) and highly amusing (but they can be touching and meaningful, too). All authors will be credited and appreciated.

CONTEST:

We don’t yet have the title story. So, we’re holding a contest. The best story about getting “chicken poop on your sole” (you can make this one up out of thin air if you need to) will win the privilege of being the first story in the book and you’ll receive $50 plus a certificate of merit and two free copies of the book.

Submissions will be received through September 2015 and we intend to publish in time for Christmas.

Submissions should be emailed [as Word files] to: gregory.zschomler@gmail.com