The Sunday Report – June 14, 2015

Well, I did a little better job keeping up with posts to the blog over the last two weeks; not perfect, but better. I thought for today I’d write a fairly simple report on what’s going on in my life, as it relates to my writing life.

We are, at present, playing host to our three grandchildren, ages 7, 4, and 2.  Consequently I’ll be working short days for the time while they are here, to keep my wife from going batty and to lessen the work she’ll have to do, which is always hard on her back. This will also mean I’ll have less time available to go to The Dungeon and get my work done. The kids came on Thursday, and will be here at least through next Sunday, June 21.

Fortunately, I just wrapped up my writing project. My family history book, Seth Boynton Cheney: Mystery Man of the West, was completed on Thursday. All but for one photo, that is, which I added on Friday. Yesterday I uploaded it to CreateSpace. All but the cover, which I tried to create beginning Friday evening and was unable to do. A friend at work is going to help me with it, and I suspect it will be ready by Tuesday. That will allow me to order a proof book.

The proof book is critical in this case, because I had planned to do the book in color, but that would drive the cost up to a minimum of $36. In black & white it can go for $12, or maybe a little less. $36 is too much, so I’ll have it printed in b&w. That will mean I’ll have to look at the proof and decide if I need to do anything with some of the color photos/illustrations. I may have to do without some, or swap some out.

Fortunately I have time for that. While I wanted to have the book completed and out by June 15, the Cheney family reunion isn’t till July 31-August 2. I’m sure the book will be done long before then.

Between now and then, the only other writing work I intend to do is make sure all my books are properly listed on Goodreads. I think five of them aren’t listed at all, and one has the wrong cover showing. Adding books is easy, so I can have those all added in one evening. However, changing a cover requires an action by a Goodreads staffer. I made a request six months or a year ago to have the cover changed, but never heard back from anyone. I’ll try it again. If I don’t hear back, I can just delete it then add it back with the new cover. At least I think I can.

Some greater use of Shelfari, an Amazon thing, might be in the cards, to see if it improves visibility of my books. Researching advertising services might be another thing I’ll spend a little time on.

So writing continues, though every day I’m seeing less and less reason to go on with it.

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