Life catch-up
Well despite the promise I made to myself late in September that I would update this journal on a more regular basis, i have somehow managed to ignore it for over a month. My only excuse is that it's been a hell of a busy, and eventful month. Well it's time to rectify that situation....
The Writing Life
The last time I posted here I was in New York for the New York ComicCon. It was a fantastic, busy, and successful weekend during which I managed to chat to several editors, publishers, and fellow comics creators.
Personal highlights from the weekend included:
- A handshake deal on my next book project for Hermes Press.
- A couple of editors I've been talking to for a while eventually agreed to take a look at some pitches.
- Conversations with a publisher about some upcoming all-ages comics projects. (Since the con we've exchanged NDA documents and have a call scheduled to talk about other potential opportunities.)
- Conversations with another pop-culture non-fiction publisher on some potential ideas, one of which they liked enough to ask for a sample chapter and full proposal.
- Meeting an on-line artist friend in person for the first time and deciding to work on a web-comic project together.
I stayed in New York for a few days after the con, and managed to arrange a meeting with an editor at Del-Ray who I met at San Diego ComicCon a few years ago. She was gracious enough to make time for me, listen to some pitches. I came out of that meeting with requests for proposals and sample pages for a couple of original graphic novel projects, plus a proposal for a prose anthology book that I'm involved in.
All around a lot of follow-ups, pitches, and proposals to work on over the coming months.
The Technical Communications Life
After New York it was on to Philadelphia where I was attending the annual XML Conference. I was primarily there as a track manager for the conference, but we also chose the event for the official launch of my new book from XML Press.
Working on "WIKI: Grow Your Own For Fun & Profit" has been a blast, and I'm delighted that it's now available in both print and eBook versions.
Now it's time to actively start work on writing my next XML Press book, "The Content Pool" which is scheduled to be published in May next year.
The projected publication date is aimed so we can launch the book at next year's STC Summit, where I am track manager for the Education and Web Technology tracks. The Summit has been another area where I've been busy over the last two weeks, for as well as my Track Manager duties, I am also involved as the Deputy Program Director this year.
The Traveling Life
The week after the XML Conference in Philadelphia I started the new day job as a Senior Digital Publishing Consultant at PTC/Arbortext. Things got up to speed very quickly and after a week's training in Ann Arbor, MI, I was then off to Peoria, IL as part of a major new project being undertaken at Caterpillar. I will be heading back up north on a regular basis over the coming months (in fact I'm returning to Peoria a week tomorrow) - so I will need to stock up on a few sweaters!! The return to working as part of a large corporation is taking a little adjusting to - but I am excited by both the technical and personal challenges and opportunities ahead.
I know I mentioned a while back about trying to write some travel entries on this blog under the "Travels With The Laptop" banner. To be honest, while I managed it for my trip to San Diego - the subsequent trips to New York, Philadelphia, Ann Arbor and Peoria have gone unrecorded simply because they have been so busy, and I have so many other writing projects that are taking priority. I may still try and make some notes about places I visit in the future, but they won't be as detailed, nor will I necessarily write about every city I end up in.
The Writing Life
The last time I posted here I was in New York for the New York ComicCon. It was a fantastic, busy, and successful weekend during which I managed to chat to several editors, publishers, and fellow comics creators.
Personal highlights from the weekend included:
- A handshake deal on my next book project for Hermes Press.
- A couple of editors I've been talking to for a while eventually agreed to take a look at some pitches.
- Conversations with a publisher about some upcoming all-ages comics projects. (Since the con we've exchanged NDA documents and have a call scheduled to talk about other potential opportunities.)
- Conversations with another pop-culture non-fiction publisher on some potential ideas, one of which they liked enough to ask for a sample chapter and full proposal.
- Meeting an on-line artist friend in person for the first time and deciding to work on a web-comic project together.
I stayed in New York for a few days after the con, and managed to arrange a meeting with an editor at Del-Ray who I met at San Diego ComicCon a few years ago. She was gracious enough to make time for me, listen to some pitches. I came out of that meeting with requests for proposals and sample pages for a couple of original graphic novel projects, plus a proposal for a prose anthology book that I'm involved in.
All around a lot of follow-ups, pitches, and proposals to work on over the coming months.
The Technical Communications Life
After New York it was on to Philadelphia where I was attending the annual XML Conference. I was primarily there as a track manager for the conference, but we also chose the event for the official launch of my new book from XML Press.
Working on "WIKI: Grow Your Own For Fun & Profit" has been a blast, and I'm delighted that it's now available in both print and eBook versions.
Now it's time to actively start work on writing my next XML Press book, "The Content Pool" which is scheduled to be published in May next year.
The projected publication date is aimed so we can launch the book at next year's STC Summit, where I am track manager for the Education and Web Technology tracks. The Summit has been another area where I've been busy over the last two weeks, for as well as my Track Manager duties, I am also involved as the Deputy Program Director this year.
The Traveling Life
The week after the XML Conference in Philadelphia I started the new day job as a Senior Digital Publishing Consultant at PTC/Arbortext. Things got up to speed very quickly and after a week's training in Ann Arbor, MI, I was then off to Peoria, IL as part of a major new project being undertaken at Caterpillar. I will be heading back up north on a regular basis over the coming months (in fact I'm returning to Peoria a week tomorrow) - so I will need to stock up on a few sweaters!! The return to working as part of a large corporation is taking a little adjusting to - but I am excited by both the technical and personal challenges and opportunities ahead.
I know I mentioned a while back about trying to write some travel entries on this blog under the "Travels With The Laptop" banner. To be honest, while I managed it for my trip to San Diego - the subsequent trips to New York, Philadelphia, Ann Arbor and Peoria have gone unrecorded simply because they have been so busy, and I have so many other writing projects that are taking priority. I may still try and make some notes about places I visit in the future, but they won't be as detailed, nor will I necessarily write about every city I end up in.