OK, what do I do now?

[gridlore]

For the first time in months I got up this morning without a deadline looming. I didn't have to rush through mail, didn't have word counts and sidebar ideas clouding my thinking.. it's weird.

Of course, sending the book out was very difficult for me. No matter how many accolades I receive, I'm one of those people who just can't accept that my writing is actually good. I'm always sure that it is going to come back with a note attached saying "you fraud! Give us back our money!"

Well, I could jump on the WoTC proposal.. or write a rough outline for Laws and Lawbreakers. But today, I think I'll play Nethack for a while.

Comments

[rosefox]

Heh. I know all those feelings very well.

You could help me write Javascript....

[isomeme.livejournal.com]

Yet another thing we have in common. I think of it as "impostor syndrome". Over the years it's gotten moderately better, but there are still sleepless nights and moments of daytime panic when I'm sure that they're onto me, that I'm on borrowed time, that everyone is waking up to the fact I don't actually know what I'm doing.

Weird, weird neurological wiring. I presume it's connected to the good stuff somehow, but I wish there were a better design available.

But, meanwhile, gods yes enjoy a day of rest. God took one, after all, and he only worked six days. Slacker. :) And congrats on the book. I can't wait to read it! What's the estimated publication lag?

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Next step is Steve Jackson sending out Benny the Basher to get his money back having the book reviewed and put up on Pyramid for playtest. Tou subsribe, right? If so, you can take part.

After that, I take all the useful comments and corections, and the smoking remains of my first draft covered in burning editorial marks, and write the final. In the mean time, the Art God is bribing the usual tempermental artists to actually put pen on paper (or pixels on screen in Jesse's case).

I have thirty days from receipt of the corrected first draft to submit the final. This deadline will be met.

After that, it goes into "production." I have no idea what it means, except that at some point the book goes to the Error Insertion Team. They make sure the book has the federally mandated amount of typos in a RPG product. They book then goes to the printer. I get the first copy delievered to SJG, autographed by Steve and Loren. Then the rest of y'all can buy it.

Since you contributed, I'll send you your freebie once I get the balance of my comp copies

Somewhere in here, I get paid. Figure about 3 to 5 months for the book to hit the street

Oh, Thanks!

[sailorjim.livejournal.com]

You mean it doesn't get any better?!?

Ooogh!

Re: Oh, Thanks!

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

It's what keeps us honest. I can think of an author, intials are LN, who has developed the "I wrote it, it must be good" attitude. His last few novels stank on ice.

When I met Harry Turtledove at Baycon, we were chatting about the Great War - American Empire series. I was amazed to hear him say that he was nervous about the reception The Center Cannot Hold might receive. This guy is a genius! He told me he agaonizes over everyword, and can't read his own reviews.

If Turtledove can do it, I think we're allowed