Reasons, Excuses, and Decisions...

...or, How Can Things Go So Wrong So Quickly.

In January, I scheduled a sale on Feb 20^th for my first book Wilder Mage. Along with a freebie deal for the prequel to the series, Out of Magic, it was supposed to boost sales for my second book, Mage Revealed.

Little did I know the universe was about to implode. It started with my computer gasping its last virtual breaths.

Along with my publisher, Musa.

Decisions, beginning with the computer. Since I’d spent some major bucks on my ‘puter last year, I was reluctant to spend extra dollars on it without a more definite fix. Luckily (?!) Dell took care of that problem and I received a new setup.

Now, if you’ve ever transferred info from one hard drive to another, you know it’s easier than walking down the stairs. Oh wait. I mean falling down the stairs. Gravity kind of takes over and simplifies your journey. The landing is the bugger in the mix. Most of the files transfer easily enough but the programs? Eh, not so much. In other words, the manuscripts that I labored over for months/years were on the desktop but I had no way to open them until I installed the Word program. And email, not so simple. They require the Export/Import feature. Grrr.

With all the work and hair pulling, I’m so glad I bought the new computer and got the stuff transferred cuz, Brother, the old one was going fast. Lots of “He’s dead, Jim”, Windows Explorer has stopped, blue screens, and the chilling FATAL ERROR appeared repeatedly.

Combine that headache with my publisher shutting down and I was busier than a dog chasing twenty squirrels. 

Musa Publishing informed its authors on February 20^th that it was closing its doors. On March 1, all publishing rights reverted to us. So now, what to do with my books?

Submit to another small publisher? I never even considered this venue. Small presses are great. Loved mine for example. But, since bad ones plague our business, research is paramount and I didn’t want to take the time to do this. I was already half-way to self-publishing so why blindly go down the road and stumble into a small press like a desperate petitioner.

Self-Publishing. I’d tested these waters with Out of Magic so I wasn’t totally naive. Only 95%. Luckily, I had help in the form of KMD Webdesigns. Kelly Shorten and Michael Mand were a part of the Musa team and we are very familiar with each other and our relative quirks. I highly, highly recommend their services.

Editor. My next project needs an editor and thankfully, I have that covered as well. Angela Kelly was my editor at Musa and is continuing in that function. Again, very familiar and an outright friend. She is hanging her shingle at KMD too, a definite winner.

Good news. My books are ready for release this Friday, March 20th and my new computer is "fast, fast", as my grandson would say. One month ago, all this hit. Now, I am back to Doin' the Snoopy Dance.

So, nothing is permanent in this life. Especially computers and business ventures.

But good friends are forever.