I’ve got my novella pretty well finalized. I’ve finessed the Virgin Mary business, made predictions rather than nailing it down. So I’m calling this thirty thousand word preview a novella/teaser and I’ll either offer it for free or possibly for ninety-nine cents and a paperdoll with every purchase. I’ll post it here in a bit, I want to run it by my editor first. I am going to start on art this week. I have a question:

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Is it possible to insert vertical art along the edge of a page in an e-book? If not, I will think in terms of a chapter header illustration filling the available width, as in those marvelous ‘Girl who Fell Beneath Fairland’ books. Have you seen them? I admire that illustration tremendously. 

Hi Mimi! This is incredible news!

I cannot wait to see the novella.

Are you considering Book Country as your publisher? If so, I can put you in touch with production folks who can talk you through image insertion and what it entails.

Congrats, Mimi--really well done!!

Lucy

Lucy, I am very inclined to publish through you, for a number of reasons. I'll discuss them in depth and add them here later tonight.

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I will need advice about how to create the ebook, and, beyond the basic process, on what can be achieved (technically) design-wise. I have worked in graphic production, on catalogs, and I have ideas which may not, for all I know, be possible. I am sure you have the necessary expertise for the most sophisticated result possible. For instance, can the ebook handle drop caps? Spot illustration? I have no idea.

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I would like someone to manage the business end and advise on legal matters. I believe you do this, am I right?

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I am planning printed pieces, mailers, bumper stickers, a paper doll. Do you have a mailing list that you are willing to share? Maybe I'd better just mail a bunch of promo pieces to everyone I know and ask them to hand them out t friends.  

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Sly is an ornate, rambling story, not for everyone, but I believe in Sly heart and soul. We all believe in our books, of course, but I do think he’s very special. I'd be overjoyed to to be celebrated by a screwball few for my lunacy, like good old Anna/Amanda McKittrick Ros. I have modified some classic lines in her honor. Would you like to see them? Of course you would:

Hail to thee blithe spirt!

Bird-brain thou ever wert,

mocked for thy o’erwrought oeuvre, yet poured from thy full heart,

in profuse strains, thy batty, unpremeditated art.

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I plan to put a lot of effort into promotional pieces and an online presence but I want to be able to concentrate on writing. I have three books partially written. A few years ago I would have said mostly written but my conception of the central business, my assassination plot, has changed so radically that it needs a heavy rewrite.

--edited by Mimi Speike on 4/22/2015, 12:31 AM--

I'm going to mock up some layouts. Can I email PDFs of them to one of your ebook-savvy people to see if any of my ideas are possible to achieve? I'll also start looking for info on the web.

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I think I understand how it works if you embed an images at the start of a chapter, but what happens if you want a full page illustration? That must be possible. I should think.

--edited by Mimi Speike on 4/22/2015, 1:21 AM--

Hi Mimi,

Send me an email with your questions and PDFs to Lucy@BookCountry.com, and I will put your in touch with someone who can help--I have a feeling that this can be done, but I want to verify with our production team.

How does it feel to be starting the production stage on your book?