Earlier today I received the following message from an Amazon support rep:
I have checked your cover file and was not able to see what the issue is. I will connect with our Technical Team who will be able to provide more information about what exactly is causing the constant rejection.
Hopefully this nightmare is almost over.
The physical softcover version Cirsova #8 is dangerously close to being late, so I thought I’d show folks why.
The problem we’ve been having is a combination of Createspace’s 24-hour turn-around time on file review and support contact with the fact that they have been inconsistent about what the blocking issues for the cover are.
This was the first issue we had.
I got this twice, even after making some tweaks to text, so I asked what the problem was.
It turns out that reviewers will actually show you the blocking issues they highlighted, but only if you contact them. It turned out that I’d accidentally set an additional 1/8″ bleed (the print area was fine) they thought that a small snip of white outside the bleed meant that I wanted a border; they didn’t highlight the text that was allegedly too close to the edge.
I had a manual and an auto-bleed on when I exported. Oops…
Then I get this:
The advertising images haven’t been a problem for us before, but this time it was because we had the Amazon logo. I also finally get an answer that the date under our artist’s signature is the text that’s too close to the edge; I explain that there’s really nothing I can do about the artists signature and ask if they can cut us some slack.
Below are the images the reviewer sent.
So, the artist’s signature, which is embedded in the art and can’t be moved is too close to the bottom.
Well, there’s room to squeeze in B&N’s web address, where you can also buy Michael’s awesome book.
Now I’m told that to reference Amazon, I need two other places listed. Well, there’s one already, so I add barnesandnoble.com. Notice that there’s nothing mentioned about text too close to the edge blocking the file. I resubmit having done what the last reviewer asked, making sure that there are two additional outlets listed. Then I get this:
What the last reviewer said was a problem is no longer an issue. And something the last reviewer didn’t mention was an issue is now an issue again. We are back to square one…
saywhatagain.gif
Amazon’s support hotline is broken; when you call, it tells you to dial an extension then hit #, but instead of stating an extension, it makes electronic farting noising.
I reached out to social media support, so I’m hoping that someone real will actually call me so this can get straightened out.
We have never had issues like before and hopefully will not again, but this has been so frustrating that I’m ready to tear my hair out.
I’m almost done with the final working draft of Wild Stars III: Time Warmageddon. Soon, we’ll have it into the magazine layout format.
Mark Wheatley’s working on the interior art right now, and we should be getting that back next month.
I’ve just sent the specs to Tim Lim to get started on the cover. As soon as we have a cover ready, we’ll start taking pre-orders.
I’m still wrestling with Createspace over the cover of issue 8. The 24 hour turn-around time is killing me, especially since they didn’t actually answer a question over the weekend, just restated something.
First, we’re gearing up for Wild Stars III: Time Warmaggedon.
This is a high-octane space and time-travel in the vein of Gardner F. Fox, Albert DePina, and Raymond F. Jones. Written by Michael Tierney, whose 4-volume history of the Art of Edgar Rice Burroughs is coming out this summer, and edited by Brian Niemeier (The Soul Cycle) and yours truly, I can assure you this is gonna be one heck of a ride.
What does Brian think about this project?
Wild Stars III: Time Warmageddon is a significant source of all your daily pulp requirements:
The more I’ve read this story, the more I love it. We understand, though, that since this is the newest entry into a franchise that has been around for 35 years, it might not be immediately accessible to new readers, so not only will we be making some of the rare and out-of-print Wild Stars material available, we may even be giving the 2002 comic-run away for free to new fans and old picking up this limited edition of Wild Stars III on Kickstarter.
More details on that soon, but we’re looking at taking pre-orders in June, once we get the cover art in from Tim Lim (yes, that Tim Lim).
In other news…
Cirsova #8 draws ever nearer to being done and ready to go out the door. Actually, it should’ve been ready today, but Amazon is being weird about stuff and they have an obnoxiously long turn-around time for corrections.
But the digital editions are done and there is a pre-order page up.
Issue 9’s art is done and the latest work-file is in the hands of one of our trusty editors.
I’ll be ready to start taking subscription orders for the final issues of Cirsova Volume 1 soonish.
Lastly, here’s a tease for you:
Art by Star Two.
Planetary Defense Commander has just announced the winner of this year’s Planetary Awards:
Best Short Work (short story, novelette, or novella:
The First American, by Schuyler Hernstrom
Best Long Work:
Legionnaire (Galaxy’s Edge) by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole
We’ve got 12 10 slots left for advertisements in Cirsova #8!
We’re trying to get space filled by this Friday.
250 Character Text Advertisement $15
1/4 page Advertisement $25
1/2 page Advertisement $40
Advertisement images should be 300 dpi, with the following measurements:
1/2 Page – 7.5″ w x 4.5″ h or 3.5″ w x 9″ h
1/4 Page – 3.5″ w x 4.5″ h
128 Subscribers will be receiving copies.
Advertisers will receive PDF copies of the issue featuring their advertisement. To keep advertising costs low, we are no longer including physical copies with ad purchase-you are only paying for your adspace. If you would like physical copies, you may add $10 for a single copy or $30 for a bundle of 5.
Contact us at cirsova at yahoo dot com for details.
Things have been… busy…
I’m almost done with the last of our copy editors’ notes on issue 8. I’ve gotta give a special shout out to those guys, because I feel like the magazine would be in the toilet without their help. I’ve been able to start paying them, but I don’t pay them nearly enough for the amount of work they put in to making Cirsova a great zine
I should have the art for both issues 8 and 9 fairly soon. Issue 8 will be coming out on schedule, so yay for that!
I’ve got a big project coming down the pipeline that I’ll be able to talk more about soon. If I don’t have technical issues again, I’ll be announcing it on Saturday on Geek Gab.
The IP team at TeeSpring has taken down the pirated designs. The only place you can buy legit Cirsova merch is TeePublic. (And it’s currently on sale for $6 off Tees).
I keep forgetting to grab my notes to scan them, but I’m hoping to upload my dungeon crawl I’ve been running.
