publishing – Page 17 – Steven Savage

Book Update 1/12/2010

January 12, 2010 by Steven Savage

Awhile ago I complained about no updates to the Warhammer 40K MMO. Time to make sure I post updates on the Fan To Pro book.

I've been working on this since the summer – it got delayed as, when 80% complete, I decided my design didn't work. So I sat down and rewrote the whole thing. Frankly it's much better.

So here's the update, and I'll have new ones every now and then until publication.

The contents of the book are mostly done. I want to add a bit more, especially a few more resource sections for "best resources." I have best books and best online resources, but I want to think over if I need more.
The intro needs to be rewritten. Oddly, its the part I'm least happy with.
The book is edited otherwise. All the additions are new sections. I fansourced the book editing out.
There will be an intro from my co-blogger, Bonnie, who has been through all of this with me.
'm debating if the book needs an index. The chapters are very clearly organized and differentiated, and I don't know if the book needs an index.
The cover is proving to be a pain to come up with. Since I expect most sales to be online, that actually changes the kind of cover one wants to use.
I realized I need to develop a better plan to make people aware of the book, and have been researching that.

Here's what I've learned:

The archetypal book you think of doesn't exist in reality. Books vary based on many factors. I, loving indexes, find it odd that I'm thinking of leaving one out.
It's actually easy to write a book if you come up with a detailed outline first then write that to flesh it out. It's a lot like good fiction.
There's quite a few self-publishing options. Lulu.com managed to be a best-of-breed type. Their success, however, also acted as a beacon to others to figure out how to make their self-publishing work.
Covers are a pain. There's really no formula or plan to them.

The current publication date will be somewhere late March/early April 2010. The unsurety comes from how fast I can get my proof. I am using Lulu.com – so expect a review out of that.

So that's where I am. A few more months and we're there.

– Steven Savage

We Are All Publishers

December 9, 2009 by Steven Savage

Almost anything we progeeks are into can be considered a form of publishing. Knowing this is important to our careers.

That may sound strange when your interest doesn't come out as a book or a magazine, so stick with me here as I take a look at just what publishing is.

Datesims have a rather creepy reputation in the US. The ones we see from Japan often contain questionable content. By questionable of course I mean soul-searing horror that would make Cthulu call for his mommy and curl up in a blanket. Yes I know there are Datesims that don't have objectionable content, you just don't hear about them that much.

Except I'm thinking Datesims may have more of a future. I'm not talking that people will begin playing them instead of Modern Warfare 2. But I'm thinking that the time may be right for more of them in . . . well places that aren't Japan. Oh, and datesims that aren't of a prurient nature.

Before you get scared, let me explain my logic.

Datesims are casual games. Casual gaming has obviously been on the increase.
Their relatively simple nature would let them take advantage of the increased use of Downloadable content – reducing the cost, reducing the investment.
Let's be honest, the standard Datesim is not overly complex as a piece of technology.
Romance is always a big genre, and companies doing romance novels (Hey, Harlequin, want ANOTHER initiative?) could jump on the bandwagon.
Their multimedia nature may tie-in well to people's interests.

So the reason I think Datesims have a future could be summed up as, I think they're viable because you can deliver them fast and cheap, they'd have good appeal, and you have audiences that would be interested in them. If anything, I see the marketing being a bit troublesome – you'd probably have to call them "interactive romance novels" or something.

I don't see them as being big business (though I see the "interactive novel" idea having more of a future), but I think they may be a viable product for some companies, and a valuable addition to publishers of romance novels and products. After all, if you got a modern anime-style artist to do a Datesim/romance with hunky vampires, and it cost $10 with the purchase of a novel, and maybe had unlockable desktops and themes – yeah, I think it'd sell.

– Steven Savage