Update #1

There's not a whole lot to report, actually. It's a lot of groundwork-laying. I can see this blog is going to be at least 40% of me bitching and complaining about the various pitfalls/pratfalls that this process entails.

Will is plugging away at the manuscript, and will be contacting two folks: one for some photography to consider for the cover art, and another for a possible introduction to the book. These are good things.

I wasted a surprising amount of time today with my school.

On the phone: IT says that yes, they have Microsoft Office Suite, which includes Microsoft Publishing, and yes, they have it for Mac--a mere 15$, just swing on by and pick it up. Okay!

On campus: What? No. We don't...no. We don't have that. (Can you check? I talked to someone earlier and they said you had it, for Mac.) I watch the guy pull a CD out of a box marked "Mac Microsoft" in black magic marker on the side, then he goes over to his desk, doesn't look at the CD, looks at his computer monitor for about 30 seconds, turns to me and says "No, not for Mac."

This is situation #67 that student workers in various departments have given me completely false information and wasted my time and energy.

I'm am--as I type this--downloading Scribus. I have no idea if this will help me, or how complicated it will be. In the meantime, a friend is hunting down MS Pub for Mac, although I'm not sure if it exists.

Hmmm...understand, I know nothing about this stuff. I will be learning as I go along, so any luck you've got stashed somewhere that you're not using...feel free to pass that my way.

Anyway...I've narrowed down a few print places on the South Side that I will get quotes from as soon as I know exactly what's going in this thing.

As far as I know, the weekend of April 16, 17, & 18...one of those dates (not yet confirmed) will be the date of the book launch. We are doing it as a class--a sort of "Book Carnival," if you will. But once we've got the date and a space, I'm going to push for an author reading schedule as soon as possible, so I can promote Will & his book on their own.

That's where we are. Huzzah...