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Catching up...
May. 20th, 2025 07:59 pmWhat's been going on? Oh, nothing much. A tornado missed touching down in my hood on the way to downtown by an uncomfortable margin last week - it ended up not touching down, at all, fortunately for us. Unlike poor St. Louis and elsewhere. I did get from the attic to the basement with essentials, my emergency lamp/charger and 2 elderly confused kitties in 3 minutes, so good to set a preliminary bar to improve upon.
I went to the Independent Book Publisher's Association Pub U Conference on Friday in St. Paul. On the plus side, I met some lovely people and had a nice lunch. I also scored contacts at two book distributors to have chats about how to try and "level up" sales at Queen of Swords Press so I think that part was worthwhile. The one workshop panel I made it to was...an experience. Apparently, they don't really vet their presenters. Or maybe they do and thought this was fine? I went to a panel on fundraising and grant writing for publishers at which: one panelist conducted a sort of revival meeting about writing mission statements and believing in yourself (but nothing about finding sources of funding, applying, etc.); there was a mildly terrifying New Age skinny white lady who had no noticeable publishing experience, but was apparently trying start a cult, and urged us all to ask our personal communities for $5000-$25,000 to “be a part of the process” (head slap! Why didn’t I think of that?); and then there was the moderator who urged us to go through our mail to look for possible local funding sources to approach (I’m sure the fly-by-night realty companies trying to get their hands on my house would tots be interested in our books! Or maybe the gas company!). Then there was the AI panel, about which the less said, the better and which also could have done with several fewer people who were all unquestioningly “shiny toy!” and utterly clueless about the fact that if they get the brave new techbro future they are so excited about, no one will need them (hint: avoid NYU's publishing program. Just saying). Would I go again? Not unless someone else was paying for it.
Saturday was Rochester MN Pride, which was mostly delightful except for being cold and windy. My friend Matt was great and we found a fun new restaurant.
Sunday, I went to breakfast with Caroline Stevermer, who is a marvelous dining companion, and to a matinee of "Things Like This" with another friend. This is a new indie gay romcom in which one of the protagonists is fat, but that is not the central conflict of the story and no one insists that he get skinny to get the guy! It was charmingly uneven and enjoyable.
This week is a mad scramble of stressors - my work contract is up in a couple of weeks, my mortgage just took a healthy leap upward, etc. So I am dealing with it like an adult and fleeing town for part of the weekend. My cat sitter is camping out here by way of a mini vacation for her and I am off to Red Wing, MN to hang out at a delightful Victorian hotel with a whirlpool bath (my sore hip is craving this!), go to tea at the local tea shop, look at antiques, write a bit and such. Oh, and log in to WisCon online for our 4PM Saturday panel on small press publishing. Is this wise? Nope! Very much looking forward to it.
Have a grand holiday weekend, however you're spending it!
I went to the Independent Book Publisher's Association Pub U Conference on Friday in St. Paul. On the plus side, I met some lovely people and had a nice lunch. I also scored contacts at two book distributors to have chats about how to try and "level up" sales at Queen of Swords Press so I think that part was worthwhile. The one workshop panel I made it to was...an experience. Apparently, they don't really vet their presenters. Or maybe they do and thought this was fine? I went to a panel on fundraising and grant writing for publishers at which: one panelist conducted a sort of revival meeting about writing mission statements and believing in yourself (but nothing about finding sources of funding, applying, etc.); there was a mildly terrifying New Age skinny white lady who had no noticeable publishing experience, but was apparently trying start a cult, and urged us all to ask our personal communities for $5000-$25,000 to “be a part of the process” (head slap! Why didn’t I think of that?); and then there was the moderator who urged us to go through our mail to look for possible local funding sources to approach (I’m sure the fly-by-night realty companies trying to get their hands on my house would tots be interested in our books! Or maybe the gas company!). Then there was the AI panel, about which the less said, the better and which also could have done with several fewer people who were all unquestioningly “shiny toy!” and utterly clueless about the fact that if they get the brave new techbro future they are so excited about, no one will need them (hint: avoid NYU's publishing program. Just saying). Would I go again? Not unless someone else was paying for it.
Saturday was Rochester MN Pride, which was mostly delightful except for being cold and windy. My friend Matt was great and we found a fun new restaurant.
Sunday, I went to breakfast with Caroline Stevermer, who is a marvelous dining companion, and to a matinee of "Things Like This" with another friend. This is a new indie gay romcom in which one of the protagonists is fat, but that is not the central conflict of the story and no one insists that he get skinny to get the guy! It was charmingly uneven and enjoyable.
This week is a mad scramble of stressors - my work contract is up in a couple of weeks, my mortgage just took a healthy leap upward, etc. So I am dealing with it like an adult and fleeing town for part of the weekend. My cat sitter is camping out here by way of a mini vacation for her and I am off to Red Wing, MN to hang out at a delightful Victorian hotel with a whirlpool bath (my sore hip is craving this!), go to tea at the local tea shop, look at antiques, write a bit and such. Oh, and log in to WisCon online for our 4PM Saturday panel on small press publishing. Is this wise? Nope! Very much looking forward to it.
Have a grand holiday weekend, however you're spending it!
