First on my mind: Have been tinkering with the cover to Your Name, In Fire. I love the ‘with blood’ version of the cover, which as I type is likely still on the main YNIF page. But forum posters have me really worrying about the thumbnail view, which most readers will see as their first impression of the book. So Sezmra gave me a ‘no blood’, slightly more desaturated version that I think works a bit better as a thumbnail, I guess because there are fewer elements to make out at the smaller size. (All this said: I don’t have the best eye, and further reading suggests I won’t be able to resist the ‘half naked male torso’ marketing tool forever.)

So while I’m happy with the new thumbnail, there are some complications: Apparently it takes FOREVER for Amazon to update the cover image, even after the changes are technically live. So it still shows the old one. That said, Draft2Digital got the new cover pushed to the other outlets (Nook, Kobo, iBooks) already.

Meanwhile, some of the promo sites I booked in a rush last week asked for an image upload, so they have the original one. I’ve contacted them, but I have a feeling I won’t hear back. (It’s that kind of business.)

Other writing stuff: Over the weekend I did something I should have done, literally, about a year and a half ago: I bought a cheap computer desk at OfficeMaxDepotStaples, and set up a private, COMFORTABLE, writing space in the bedroom. I know it sounds stupid that I hadn’t already done this, but there are mitigating factors to my stupidity:

  • I was doing most of my writing at a cafe on the weekends (a lot of YNIF was written there).
  • We have a lot of different types of desks and workspaces in the house already, and it seemed stupid that I couldn’t get one to work for me, and I kept trying. Then blaming myself for not being able to make it work. (Too high, too low, desk location too public with regards to traffic flow of house, etc.).
  • When I was really in a serious inspiration rush, I was happy to sit on the bed with my back against the wall and write in a frenzy.

I think it was Thursday night when I was lying in bed with my iPad watching mindless television, sort of feeling like writing, but not wanting to get set up with the laptop in the bed, which isn’t all that comfortable if one isn’t in the grip of the muse. Then I realized how much time I waste feeling that exact way, usually while watching television with my iPad. And I decided to do something about it.

Got everything set up on Saturday in a way that really suits me. End result: several thousand new words laid down on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Bottom line: When you read those newbie writer advice books/blogs/etc, and they tell you to set aside a dedicated writing space if you can, and to make sure it’s comfortable, private and easy to access–there’s a reason this advice comes at the beginning of the book.

Meanwhile, one week tomorrow till launch. I’ve gotten a few pre-orders, which I didn’t expect since I’m a new author and basically a RL and social-media hermit. The only reason I haven’t sent an official notice to all four of my mailing list subscribers is that I’m trying to make sure I’m really done jiggering with the cover and details on Amazon.

In other writing news: still plugging away at a new(ish) Urban Fantasy short story, which is sort of threatening to become a novella, but I think I’m going to be able to keep it under control.

Also, in the couple of years since I’ve been on Twitter, it’s gotten a little trickier to identify people who are bots/advertising accounts. End result, I followed someone who had liked one of my posts because they seemed like a ‘real’ person, and soon had Direct Messages offering to sell me sex toys. WELL PLAYED SEX TOY BOT.