Background: A Superman intarsia clock I made in junior high. Foreground: a Lego Enterprise (a gift from my son)
Very soon the Timeline of All Things goes into a new decade so it’s fair to begin reviewing 2019.
Soon we’ll all be taking some time to think and reflect and look forward to the 2020s with excitement and a little fear.
Soon everyone on Earth will have to get used to writing 2020 when they date something.
This is a heads up that between now and when the year closes out, some blog entries will show up recapping various items from the past year in an effort to play some good old-fashioned “remember when.”
First up, and solely because I want to give people time and not do it at the last-minute, my freelance rates are changing January 1, 2020, so if you would like someone to edit your book/comic, design your book/comic cover, layout the interior, or do custom artwork, please go here to see my current rates and extensive experience. I will honor 2019’s rates if I’m booked by the end of the day on December 31 even if you’re project won’t be ready for me to work on until early in the New Year.
Second up are the Public Journals. These are the entries that are titled, “On Fill-in-the-blank.” I’m thinking of making a page here on the site linking to them all. They regularly air on social media. These have been fun to do and are a bit cathartic. Due to their short nature, they are good for voicing an opinion or concern without going on and on about it. In short, they are meant to be straight, brief, and to the point. Feel free to poke around the blog to track down the entries. You can make a game out of it. (Or just use this cheat link.)
Have a good day, people.
Remember, The Canister X Transmission goes out tomorrow. Be sure to subscribe here so you don’t miss it.
Project Rebirth: Final Update and Announcement given this sixth day of the twelfth month in the year 2019 AD.
It’s been a long, busy journey, but Project Rebirth is complete up to the point where I can transfer out parts of the project into the “things I need to finish” category, in other words, what’s left to do is the “more” part that I’ve mentioned in previous updates.
So, as always, a recap of what’s complete and what that strange “more” is all about.
The following list is taken from the last update on Project Rebirth.
Resumption of my newsletter, The Canister X Transmission: Goes out every Saturday and has been for a while now. Please subscribe here and get yourself a free thriller e-novelette as a thank you for joining me.
A Patreon account with special content just for patrons: All systems have been in go mode for a while now, too. By becoming a patron, you get access to an ongoing serial novel, essays on the creative life, a look behind-the-scenes, and other fun stuff. Joining the journey supports what I do and keeps the projects alive. Please join my patrons and I on my Patreon journey here.
Order fulfillment of the Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm Kickstarter: All the books are printed up. Special piece of exclusive art to the Frozen Storm lettered edition needs a final touch, printing, then into the books.
Publication of projects that were temporarily put on hold: See the “more” section below.
Bigtime expansion and growth of The Axiom-man Saga and associated products: Transferring this portion of the project into the “things I need to finish” category. Keep an eye on this blog for news and updates as we bring the Cobalt Crusader into 2020. I really want to get that long-awaited Battle of Power Trilogy storyline done and published.
Revving up public appearances and media again: Best place to keep up to date with these is via the Convention and Book Signing Schedule page on this site. Please go there to check out what’s booked so far. Regarding interviews and whatnot, those will be announced on the blog when they happen and will also be listed under the Interviews section of this site.
New YouTube channel: Been running for a short while now. New videos uploaded regularly. Please subscribe here so you don’t miss the latest video.
More . . . : A Web presence redesign along with a retooling of the social media pages was part of this and is complete. There is more SEO stuff to do to properly bring the blog into the New Year, but that is a pick-at project for when I have the time and there’s no real deadline other than, say, by spring or something.
The big part of “more” is this: Book redesigns!
A good chunk of my book covers are dated and need an upgrade so many are getting one. I also need to adjust the distribution system for a pile of titles to keep them available and searchable at various retailers. Presently, all first editions are still available so if you’re a first-edition collector, please head over to my Book and Comic Shop and stock up. If you’d like a signed copy, please email me directly and we’ll make arrangements.
As the titles begin to transfer over to their new form, I will post notices here as to which books are being redone and when so you can keep current with what’s what. This book redesigning effort is a large project and is going to take time because there are so many titles. My aim is to do them in chunks. At the time of this writing, my plan is to update my backlist before releasing anything new (despite new titles already being complete behind the scenes). It’s better for my books’ overall quality that I stay in one kind of headspace (re-releasing the backlist) before switching into another (releasing new titles).
But have no fear for new comic book releases are scheduled! I will announce these in a separate blog post when the time comes.
So there you have it. This is my winter and what’s coming down the pike. I’m not joking when I say I’m busy.
Thank you for your patience as I got the media machine up and running again. Thank you for your support reading this blog and watching my videos. Thank you for grabbing the first editions of my monster and superhero books.
With 2020 around the corner, it’s time for me to visit my freelancing Artwork and Publishing Services Rates again and adjust things for the New Year.
The following rates will be effective on January 1, 2020. If you book me before January 1, I will honor my old rates so this is a chance to book me now even if your project won’t be ready to go until early in the New Year.
The formula for the list below is Old Rate > New Rate
All rates are in US funds.
Editing (which is a full edit that covers everything from copy editing to proofreading):
Short stories (1,000 – 7,000 words): 1¢ per word > 1.5¢ per word
Novelettes (7,001 – 15,000 words): $250 > $275
Novellas (15,001 – 40,000 words): $325 > $350
Short novels (40,001 – 60,000): $425 > $450
Novels (60,001 – 80,000 words): $500 > $525
Blockbusters (80,001 – 120,000): $625 > $650
Doorstops (120,000+): inquire for quote
Formatting:
Paperback formatting – $200 > $225
eBook formatting – $150 > $175
Paperback and eBook formatting bundle – $325 > $375
Book Cover Design (includes the paperback and eBook files):
Using stock art/photos/art you acquired elsewhere: $275US or $350CAN > $300US or $400CAN
A note on stock photos: I do my best to seek out stock photos that are free for commercial use, however, sometimes the perfect photo needs to be purchased. Responsibility of cost for the purchased photo is the client’s. All proposed purchases are cleared with the client first.
NEW – Using my original art created for the project’s cover (which includes the use of the art plus all the design that goes into a stock photo cover): $500US or $675CAN
NEW – Artwork Commissions
Penciled only: $150 (for up to two figures; additional figures $20 each)
Inked: $200 (for up to two figures; additional figures $30 each)
Colored (digital or traditional media, depending on the piece): $350 (for up to two figures; additional figures $40 each)
Custom Artwork: If your project doesn’t fit the above commission guidelines, inquire anyway and we’ll figure out something that works for both of us.
My Patreon tiers are shifting in the New Year. Starting in early 2020, while the current programming will remain, some new tiers and options will be added.
Things are in the planning and lock-down phase at the moment as I work out the schedule.
My Patreon page is a place for exclusive content and first looks.
An announcement is forthcoming once I finish putting the 2020 Patreon picture together.
Stay tuned.
Ps. A new chapter of Gigantigator Death Machine was posted today. You can read it and all its previous chapters for just a buck by going here. Thanks.
The snow that hit earlier this month had melted but this morning the yard is white. It may or may not stick around, but even if it goes away, it’ll be back with a vengeance because snow is what we do six months of the year here in Winnipeg. And while the possibility of doing things outside gets greatly reduced during the winter months, being locked indoors for half a year has its advantages when you make books and comics for a living.
You get to just, simply, work. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t plan for out-of-the-studio excursions in the New Year.
If you go to the Convention and Book Signing Schedule section of this site, you’ll see that I didn’t do events in 2019. There are lots of reasons for this, some of which had to do with being unwell. With the loss of the Central Canada Comic Con–my “default” show for every year except for last year–I have to do some research for local events over the winter so I can book on time for the 2020 season. If I succeed in what I have planned for the winter, then I’ll have a lot of new material for next year’s shows plus any book signings along the way. There has also been talk here at the Central about leaving the province–possibly even the country–for a few events next year. Once dates and locales are locked down, I will announce them here. I’m eager to connect with fans again at these venues. Always a joy to see them.
In the meantime, I’m really looking forward to just working throughout the winter season. It’s been a good long while since I was able to create without hindrances. I can’t wait to get back to it again.
Ps. A new behind-the-scenes entry is scheduled to go on my Patreon page later this week. Join the journey to catch the post plus other behind-the-scenes goodies already on the site. Of course, getting access to a serial novel, essays, patron-only posts and patron-first announcements along with an exclusive membership card isn’t a bad deal either.
Hope everyone had a good Christmas week. As we head toward New Year, and since I finally have some breathing room after all the Holiday parties, I’m finishing up some odds and ends around the studio while also juggling admin catch-up work.
I have some things planned for 2016, and it’s stuff that’s only appearing in 2016 because it wouldn’t be ready by the end of this year.
I’m not one for New Year’s creative resolutions. Going to go into detail as to why in this Saturday’s newsletter. Tune in here.
