Saturday, October 19, 2013

Day 286 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author/publisher,
Dane F. Baylis

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG!

WITH LUCK WE'LL GET TO THE DOWNHILL PART PRETTY SOON BECAUSE I'M RUNNING OUT OF STEAM!

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Work on the chapbook progresses. Is it going as fast as I'd like? No, but that's due in part to my OCD nature when it comes to my writing and the necessities of domestic life. There were errands to be run, which was fine, except for a moment or two. I'm feeling the pressure a little so I tend to get a touch testy. My bad. Got to reign in the lunatic in the back office, I guess.
 
One of the errands was a trip to the library. I wanted to get some references to check on copyright and a few other things. I found Dan Poynter's book, The Self-Publishing Manual. It's a perennially updated reference with a ton of info. Another source is Mark Levine's The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.

What have I learned from these in regard to copyright registration? First, that the online method is definitely more economical and faster, for one thing. Second, from the date something is post marked it is considered registered, even though the lead time for a response from The Library of Congress is stated as six months. With the shutdown of the government, this will probably be longer until things sort themselves out and the backlog is worked through. Last, I learned that an original work is legally considered copyrighted from the date of execution. The filing is just another protection for the author or artist. The cost is only $35.00, but that's another consideration in the pricing of what is supposed to be a "cheap book".

As far as compiling the poems to complete the book, did I mention OCD? I read every one of them as an author. That means that I see where this needs tweaking, that needs changing, maybe I'm wrong about that other being in, or this one being out. But let's face it, my name is going to be on it and I want the best I can accomplish to represent who I am as an author. So, I'm trudging along, working out the kinks and glitches, and trying to maintain my diminished reserves of calm sanity. I know, "Wah! I asked for it."

Tonight I'm going to take a break from the keys to sit down and produce a good rendering for my cover art. That, a bowl of popcorn, a DVD on the old TV. I'll pick up the heavy lifting again later, or tomorrow. As much as you can overwork something in the initial creative phase, you can work it to death in the presentation stage. All things in moderation, eh?

Anyway, things are, for all intents and purposes, moving along well. I expect to make my timetable with some breathing room and, if I can figure it out, I may even offer this "wunderkind" of mine for sale through PayPal. Lucky you, getting the opportunity to send me your hard earned dollars! I can hear the collective gasp across the literary world!

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Meanwhile...live, love, write. Oh, hold the applause until I actually do something. Okay?

 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the
page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.

Tomorrow,

Dane F. Baylis
Author/Publisher.

 

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