Not enough hours in the day . . .

The latest thoughts and ramblings from the Palladium Books staff.

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Kevin
Yeah, The Publisher Guy
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Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2004 5:18 pm

Not enough hours in the day . . .

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There are just not enough hours in the darn day. I got work about 7:30 A.M. all geared to get back to work on Tome Grotesque. Kathy has already processed all the orders from the day and night before. I’ve left them on Julius’ desk and gotten to work pulling orders when he gets in at 9:00 A.M.

I go over my (too long) “to do list for the day,” and check and answer my email. I’m at 9:00 A.M. when Julius gets in. I have him help me unload four cases of 96 inch flourescent light bulbs I purchased at Lowe’s the night before. We chat a bit and remember I have to do a new press release for the distributors and you folks online, before I get to work on Tome Grotesque.

Three telephone calls later, I’m fast at work on the press releases.

Around 10:00 A.M. Julius knocks on my office door to tell me that our printer called to say Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp was done a bit early and could be delivered today around 11:00 A.M. today. I okay the delivery and go back to work on the press releases.

Then the Julius knocks to tell me the lighting guys will be arriving around noon. Something like 24 flourescent lights had burned out over the last month in the warehouse and we needed someone to come in and replace the bulbs. I ain’t doin’ it! I’m afraid of heights, so climbing up 25 feet on a ladder is OUT of the question. Ultimately it’s safer to hire professionals who know what the heck they are doing.

Around 11:00 A.M. I talk briefly to Alex and Wayne to bring ‘em up to speed and let ‘em know what they can expect for their schedule the rest of the day. Alex has to call a handful of distributors who still haven’t gotten us their orders for Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp as well as some follow up work. Julius is prepping the online orders so they can ship today. Distributor orders will go out tomorrow. Wayne’s working on the designs of the Open House certificates of confirmation and some other stuff.

Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp arrives around 11:30 A.M. It looks FANTASTIC! Great Scott Johnson cover. Hank (my dad) decides its our best cover ever (he usually makes that decree 5-6 times a year, but it’s good to know he approves). Todd Yoho (co-author) will be thrilled and Jeff Russell will finally see his art in print. You guys and gals out there will love it too. This baby is packed with ideas, adventures, monsters, great artwork and good stuff all around. This one of those books that just came together like a dream. Nice.

Light fixture guys arrive at noon. Price and the job is confirmed and they get to work.

Hank (my dad and warehouse guy) brings me today’s mail before we get to work on shipping the new Rifts book. I sort it, pull checks, toss bills to the side for now (I wish forever), and Hank runs to the bank to make the day’s deposit.

Wayne and I go to the back of the warehouse where we sort through 25 cases of books, pulling those that are damaged, and then rebox and retape cases for tomorrow’s distributor shipment. Alex tapes up another eight cases. Julius and Hank are working on mail order. When I’m done with initial sorting, I pull complimentary copies and contributor copies, indicate how many copies go to whom, and Hank and Julius will pack ‘em up and ship ‘em out later in the afternoon. All of you folks who had orders with us, your books went out TODAY.

By now it’s 2:00 P.M. and we have a ballast problem with a few of the light fixtures; additional costs, time and repairs. Hank is done for the day and goes home (I can only work the 75 year old fella so many hours a day – wimp), Wayne’s run out to lunch.

I cut a few checks, answer a few more telephone calls and get back to work on the Press Releases.

3:30 P.M. the lighting guys are done, I pay for the work, but they want to chat a bit. They love the place (who doesn’t) and what we do. I have to be polite.

Around 4:00 Julius has run off the post office. UPS has already come and gone, and DHL has called to say they’re running late. Alex has fielded a couple dozen telephone calls and order questions. And I’m almost done with both press releases when my pal, Jeffry Scott Hansen pops in. He’s a full time police officer, part-time budding young writer (novels) and all-around good guy. He and I are working a new RPG project (Warpath: Urban Jungle – more on that in our latest press release posting tomorrow, February 8, 2006), but today he’s just popped in to say hi. We end up chatting for hour (we often do when we get together), during which I realize I haven’t eaten yet today, so Jeff follows me to the kitchen where I pop some delicious leftovers into the microwave and chow down a few minutes later.

5:10 P.M. I have to talk to three of my freelance artists on the phone before I can get back to the job at hand. We have three different books in various stages of production and I have to keep everything rolling along smoothly.

By 6:05 P.M. I’m back putting the finishing touches on the “online” version of the press release. Wayne and Alex have already edited the Distributor’s version and Wayne’s working on formatting and dropping in the artwork.

6:30 P.M. I’m done with the Press Releases, Julius has left for the day, but Alex and Wayne are still plugging along. We discuss a few things,

6:50 P.M. I sit back at my computer and I get the idea to write this Murmur from the Megaverse.

7:20 P.M. my bookkeeping troubleshooter calls to make an appointment to come in tomorrow to do some bookkeeping and tax stuff. I hate taxes, but I give her the go ahead.

7:45 P.M. I’m done with this murmur and will post it shortly.

It’s almost 8:00 P.M. I’m tired and I haven’t had a chance to write a word on Tome Grotesque today. At this point, I’ll probably answer some more email, do the copyright application for Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp and call it a night. I should get outta here around 8:30 P.M., have a late dinner with my girl around 9:30, and veg out watching Commander in Chief and Boston Legal (Lost and Invasion tomorrow night, I can hardly wait because they are both great shows). Wayne and Alex are still here too, though Wayne should be leaving in the next half hour.

And this was an easy day. Thought you might find it interesting.

Kevin Siembieda -- One Tired Publisher
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