Briefs
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Eleista, LLC
I got my new company registered yesterday. Things are still being processed, but it’s looking good. This company will have a DBA (doing business as/fictitious name) of Eleista Publishing, which is what my books will show.
To form your LLC, you have to file your Articles of Organization. This is a fancy document that tells the state your business name, its purpose, duration (perpetual), how it’s managed (members or manager), and a bunch of other things like record keeping and dissolution.
Well! Since I’m a designer, I went all out making sure my Articles of Organization was perfect.
I found a list of ideal fonts for legal documents and, of course, used the professional fonts plebs don’t have access to (plebs are other lawyers…). I researched font size, indents, line spacing, and header styles. And then, I wrote the document using my many resources to cover all of my bases.
With these gleaming three pages of legalese—and a grin on my face—I logged into Utah’s Division of Corporations and Commercial Code and answered their thousand questions, none of which asked for my Articles of Organization.
Turns out… Utah generates this document for you… 😅
(And they use terrible fonts!)
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Votes are in!
I posted the new Dungeon Runner cover yesterday and got a ton of replies (mostly on Twitter). 29 votes in all, 13 for the original cover and 16 for the new cover.
From what I gathered, people like the composition of the original cover, saying it felt more dynamic, tense, and action-oriented. The art is less polished, but the composition is stronger. The portal and light draw the eye.
Those who prefer the second cover more appreciate the better art, the larger character, and more details that reveal the world. Some like the portal design more (it’s more accurate, too).
The reason I posted the covers was to get feedback, and I got lots of it. If you shared your thoughts, thank you!
I’m going to go back to the drawing board and try a few new ideas. For a series about running and exploiting dungeons, I feel the cover should convey that sense of energy that is lost on the new cover. The art is beautiful. In fact, I feel that’s the primary reason why people chose it more. The fact that my old photobashed cover did so well says I don’t have a clear winner.
It’s time to stretch my creative muscles and push the envelope! Wish me luck. :)
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Dungeon Runner 1 Cover
Which do you like more? Be honest! :)
The first image is the original, and the second is the new cover I’ve been working on (still polishing). I designed both. If you dislike one or both, you won’t hurt my feelings.
(Click the image icon below to see the first image, then click the right arrow to see the second.)## Vote ##
Did you vote? Good! Now for my thoughts.
I really like the art quality and colors of the second cover. It looks more professional, something you’d see in a store or library. And I like that the portal is more accurate to the books’ descriptions.
But I have a few reservations.
The original cover is more exciting. It conveys a sense of danger and has a very strong focal point. The new cover feels tame and less adventurous.
I like the original character’s pose, but he looks too small, and I don’t like the quality of the art. The new character looks great but might appear too young (he’s almost 18 in the book). I also don’t love showing character faces…
What are your thoughts?
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I just got this email from Goodreads. It’s kind of sad that all the ads they show are unrelated to books. They have a hyper-targeted audience. Readers. And what do readers want!?
Is… that a cock ring?
I’d love to see Goodreads up their game, but they seem to be stuck. This email is a good example. They know what I like to read, and yet, they send me a bunch of books I have no interest in.
Fantasy and Science Fiction books were shoved to the bottom of the email, below the point where Gmail cut the email for being too long. You’d think the professionals at Goodreads would understand the limits of sending long emails and use a testing service.
If you are unhappy with Goodreads’ ancient system and incompetence, might I suggest checking out The StoryGraph?
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Bad Communication & Potatoes in Dresses
Nine days ago, I reached out to Yen Press. This is the publisher of the Log Horizon US Light Novels. I love the trim size, covers, and feel of these books.
My email praised them for a job well done and asked a simple question. “The back of the books say they were printed in the US. Can you tell me what company prints these books?”
They replied that they were the publisher. I read the tiny email twice, shook my head slowly, and emailed them back. “Are you saying that you are the publisher AND printer? Or do you use a third party to handle printing?”
And they replied (a week later), saying they use a third-party printer, failing to divulge WHICH printer. This obnoxious exchange of emails has inspired the following story of two potato girls.
“Damn girl!” says Taterrella. “That’s a beautiful dress. Where did you get it?”
Ms. Spud blushes. “This old thing? It’s a pretty dress.”
“It… really is. Where did you GET it?”
“I got it from the store.”
Taterrella frowned. “Yes, hon, WHERE?”
“In the USA, of course!”
“Girl, if you don’t answer my damn question, I’m gonna make hashbrowns outa you. You hear me?”
Alright, this was dumb, haha. But really, how beyond stupid can a company be? I LOVE their products. I own many of them. All of their books say they were printed in the US, but they don’t give credit to a specific company. And it seems they are dodging my questions.
All I’m saying is, I’m about to make some damn hashbrowns.
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Sunday Thoughts
Have you ever been blackmailed? About once a week, someone sends one of my 484 passwords to me in the subject line to show how clever they are, then lists their demands.
I never engage, which must be frustrating because they’re trying so hard to connect and form a long-lasting relationship with their exploitee.
I’m sure they’re just lonely.
I should reply with a happy haiku or something to brighten their day. Yes. Brilliant idea!
Blackmail fades fast,
Joy and peace forever last,
Smile, dear friend, smile.Courtesy of ChatGPT. I’m too lazy to actually write something. Don’t judge; it’s Sunday. This is my day of rest…
But you have to admit, the little AI did a splendid job. I got stuck at Mister Blackmailer, which fits the five-syllable requirement, but the person might be female. You never know with these things, and I don’t want to assume their gender.
In any case, it fills me with happiness knowing that after all the thousands of emails they’ve sent, a considerate somebody (AKA me) replied with a thoughtful message. :)
With that, I hope YOU have a wonderful day full of joy and peace. Smile, dear friend, smile.
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Arachnomancer’s Second Anniversary! 🥳
Octoralis (Dhane’s soul spider) <Let us have big party, Daddy!>
Dhane sighed. “You just want me to wear a dress again…”
<You wear dress? Daddy pretty in dress!>
“That was a disguise! I’m most definitely never wearing a dress again, even the one that makes me look like I have boobs.”
“Of course I touched them! I was curious.”
<Okay, I no complain. No pretty dress with boobs! But party?>
“I… guess we could do something.”
<Good-good-good! I invited my friends!>
“Wait, what!”
Wow, two years! I think everyone’s first thought is, “Damn, son, you’re slow. Where’s the third book?” I’d like to kindly direct you to Bookworm to Badass (which takes place in the same’ish world), written by an amazing guy (or so I’ve heard).
I wanted to have the new Arachnomancer cover ready for today, but it’s not quite there yet. Expect that to come //**. Oh, that’s right, I can’t give dates because I’m terrible at hitting deadlines. 😭
It’ll come when it comes.
Happy anniversary! Let’s make today Give-a-Spider-a-Hug Day. Umm, good luck with that! :)
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I went to the eye doctor yesterday.
The doctor said that my left eye twitching is a sign of stress. Alas, we don’t agree on this. I think it’s a sign I’m becoming a villain. The first sign came rather early in life, in my twenties, when I lost my hair. This is just the next step toward infamy.
You know what villains do to those who don’t leave reviews, right? Well, I’ll let you marinate in speculation and fear for now.
I feel the need to buy a trenchcoat or replace a tooth with a golden one. Yes…
In more serious news, I’m excited to be getting glasses! They’ll be here in about two weeks and should help reduce my eye strain. Things are fine close up, but when I go on my daily walk, it’s uncomfortable trying to focus on anything further away.
What the doctor showed me was a night and day difference. Things were crisp! I like crisp. Crisp is good. I think this will also help reduce the mild headaches I get throughout the day.
Alright, now I need a cool villain-sounding departure saying…
“I have a world to destroy, and I’m already running late.”
/Spins quickly to let the trenchcoat flap and walks away/
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Every Dungeon Runner book includes one or two guides that provide details about the world. I thought this would be a fun way to reveal interesting game features and answer reader questions.
But reading the manual doesn’t really evoke excitement. As such, I added two characters, John and Gabe, who are TOTALLY not based on real people (AKA not the trolls in my writing group who bully me every day…).
These guys add a bit more context. Their messages were written before everyone digitized. It also allows me to make fun of myself, such as the guide on calendars and how John very much hates all the crazy month and day names.
Well! These conversations are getting an upgrade in the upcoming Dungeon Runner soft relaunch. The software I use to format my books—Vellum—added a new feature to allow for actual chat bubbles.
Here’s a screenshot of what that looks like. :)
Click the image icon below to see the chat bubbles!
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Dungeon Runner Print.
So here’s a behind-the-scenes look. Along with the soft relaunch of Dungeon Runner (new covers coming!), I’ve been studying the look and feel of books I like.
Since Dungeon Runner books are novellas, I love the idea of using the trim size (width and height) of Light Novels. This is 5.5 inches by 8.25 inches, smaller than our typical 6x9 novels.
Log Horizon and So I’m a Spider, So What? both have a matte finish. It looks and feels great. I like it so much that I contacted the company to see who prints their books. Alas, they weren’t that helpful, saying, “We publish our books.” Oh, is that so? I didn’t know…
But a printed book is more than just trim size and finish. It’s all the little details inside. Scene breaks and chapter headings have unique graphics. And since these are Light Novels, they include full-page art. This is why I asked (yesterday) if people liked having art in their fiction books.
The answer to that, by the way, was a resounding Yes. ~70% of 35 people like art in their fiction. ~6% don’t. And the rest don’t have a preference.
I think using the Dungeon Runner’s flame guy as a scene break graphic will look nice. :) I have lots to do, but once I have something to show, I’ll let you know!
Click the image icon below to see the Light Novels.