Feast shipping date! (10/31)
over 4 years ago
– Mon, Oct 07, 2019 at 08:27:55 PM
We're closing in on actually shipping Feast -- I need to make 4 batches of marshmallows, 3 batches of soap, and at least one more batch of milk toffee. I can do that. :-) It'll be a nice break from all the computer work that has had me frantically typing for the last week. And I have to write the recipe cards / order them printed. I think I can write them right now, actually, and place the order today. Eep. Getting there!
I am planning on a packing party at my house on October 30th, 7 p.m.. (Local friends, if you'd like to come help pack and be fed a Sri Lankan dinner in thanks, let me know!) Then Stephanie Bailey will be shipping books out on October 31st. Yes, we're doing 'shipping in October' by the skin of our teeth -- thank you for your patience!
I've learned a lot in this process, and one big aspect is that publishing a book is sort of like a house renovation -- everything takes three times as long as you think it will, and costs three times as much! But the results are beautiful.
:-) No regrets!
- Mary Anne
Recipe Postcards
over 4 years ago
– Mon, Sep 23, 2019 at 12:45:11 PM
Working through the checklist for Feast fulfillment this morning, among other things. There's one last thing I need to produce -- I'd promised recipe postcards, and I admit, I sort of lost track of that piece of the project. I think I can get them done pretty quickly, though; I'm going to use some of Pamudu Tennakoon's illustrations, by kind permission, so it's just a matter of figuring out how to effectively design the back, with a recipe for each one, and get them printed.
I've been waffling about the options -- opinions?
Option 1: I could handwrite five recipes, scan those in, and upload them as a photo. That wouldn't take too long, I think. Maybe an hour? My handwriting (printing, not cursive) isn't particularly beautiful (apologies to the 4th grade-teaching nuns at Holy Cross, who tried so hard to give me a beautiful cursive hand -- that and gym were my only C's that year -- it was me, not you!). But it's reasonably legible, at least, and that's kind of a nice personal touch?
Option 2: Alternatively, I could take the recipes, convert them to a nice font, maybe something with a handwritten look to it, and figure out how to get them the right size to go on the back of the cards. Might need to get Ireneto help with the layout of that piece of the project, if so.
I'm not sure if there are other options I'm not thinking of?
I also have to pick 6 images to use from this set. Some of the more interesting images, like the ones for chicken patties and string hoppers, have kind of long recipes that might be hard to fit on a card. I'm thinking maybe:
- the Sri Lankan roasted curry powder with the sketch of me (eep, that's me)
- the beet curry with the beets
- pol (coconut) sambol with the sambol picture
- chai with the tea pickers image
- and then almost any recipe could go with the woman cutting with a knife between her toes (scary, but traditional!), so maybe the ginger-garlic chicken would be a good one to do, as it's a very approachable dish, kid-friendly, and would be nice to have to give away as a card at promo events?
- and for the last, I'm not sure -- hoppers, or prawn vadai or crab curry...?
Thoughts? Preferences?
(I tried to upload the photos here, but ran into some upload issues with Kickstarter's site -- you can see them in this post: https://www.facebook.com/mary.a.mohanraj/posts/10159910517714616)
- Mary Anne
Mary Anne in Montreal! Dropping off books....
over 4 years ago
– Sat, Sep 21, 2019 at 10:42:06 AM
Canada folks -- I know shipping to Canada was outrageous, and so many people opted for ebook rather than print. But I'll be in Toronto in the spring (date TBD), and I'll be in Montreal in a few weeks -- if you'd like to get a paperback or hardcover for pick-up, we can avoid the whole shipping issue.
I'll be there for Scintillation (SF convention) Oct 11 - 13, staying at the Holiday Inn in Chinatown -- if you or a designated friend can come pick up from me then, would love to give you a signed hardcover. :-) At this point, I think it's simplest if we just figure out payment / delivery via comments, so let me know here if you're interested, please! (Happy to also sell you copies of The Stars Change or Perennial.)
(Also, look what an adorable graphic Irene Victoria made for me for my book tour! So cute.)
- Mary Anne
100 Books! (and MA in the Bay Area tomorrow -- want a book?....)
over 4 years ago
– Thu, Sep 12, 2019 at 05:04:49 PM
Hardcovers!!! This is what 100 hardcover cookbooks look like. And yes, I pored over it obsessively tonight until I finally found both a typo and a word choice I’d like to edit, but that just means God won’t smite me down for hubris, because otherwise, this cookbook is pretty close to perfect. :-)
I think I started seriously working on this book in the summer of 2017, so more than two years ago. A long (but tasty) road.
We're not starting serious book events for a bit, but I happen to be going to the Bay Area this weekend, so if you'd like to collect your book in person, let me know! I'll be staying in Mountain View, and would be happy to arrange a hand-off there on Friday the 13th. I'm also planning to attend at least the tail end of Writers with Drinks in San Francisco on Saturday the 14th, so could meet people there. Drop me a line if interested!
Otherwise, we're planning to start shipping out Kickstarter books as soon as I get all my ducks in a row -- review the orders, make sure I've made all the ancillary items, etc. and so on. Within two weeks, if all goes well! There'll also be lots of book events over the next year -- would love to see y'all in person... More on that soon!
- Mary Anne
Time-sensitive Brunch Opportunity! AND an official launch date...
over 4 years ago
– Sat, Sep 07, 2019 at 06:47:00 AM
Small press publishing is complicated, full of ups and downs -- here are some major unanticipated problems with Feast, but also some new fabulousness on offer, one of them TIME-SENSITIVE:
It turns out that I deeply misunderstood the printer, and in order to get the significantly better pricing on the BIG order of 2000 hardcover cookbooks, the books won't be available until end of December. GAH! I have to admit, I sort of freaked out when I realized that, because I had visions of missing all the Christmas / holiday gifting, and not being able to sell the books, and having 2000 books moldering in a warehouse somewhere in Canada. But Kevin managed to talk me down eventually from my financial panic, and I think it's going to be okay.
Here's the new plan:
- we have the Mascot Press books (offset printing, so much lower cost per book) in warehouse at the end of December, barring shipping delays; to be safe, we set our launch date for March 6, 2020 -- when I'm an Honored Guest at FogCon in Walnut Creek (https://fogcon.org). Bay Area folks, I'll be doing a launch party there, and encourage you to attend! There'll be other Bay Area events that same weekend, including at least one in the Mountain View area.
We have a launch date! It is FIRM, dammit.
• I'll continue launch month with a follow-up launch party at ICFA, in Orlando, March 20th weekend, which I also encourage folks to attend. You don't need to be a registered member of the convention to come to my party, but it's a great con, so I encourage folks to take a look (https://www.fantastic-arts.org/annual-conference/). I go every year. I'll also be at WisCon in Madison on Memorial Day weekend, of course (my home con), and Benjamin Rosenbaum and I are planning to do road trip book tour in July -- details pending. We may even record some podcast episodes as we go.
• we hold off on any major publicity until launch time next year. In the meantime, we do have print books in hand -- the Kickstarter edition, each one signed, from my own Serendib Press, should be here by Monday. Eep! Those will be mailed out to Kickstarter supporters. If you haven't filled out the BackerKit info, Kickstarter folks, please do -- there are 6% of you that we're waiting on.
(Absolutely no pressure, Kickstarter peeps, but we'll also be messaging hardcover supporters to ask if you don't mind waiting until the March launch date -- it'll save us a bit of money if so; we'll be sending out ebooks within the month, we're pretty sure, so you'll have the recipes regardless. But totally fine if you want your hardcover books SOON! We'll assume that's the default, unless we hear otherwise from you.)
• we're going to do a special series of Sneak Peek events, giving those in the know (that's you folks!) the chance to pre-order, attend parties, and generally be in on the fun. You get to be part of the exclusive club. :-)Pem and I are still finalizing the list of events, but it's generally places I was already going for other reasons, or near where I live. So here's a few of them:
- I'll be in the Bay Area next weekend, and I wasn't sure, but it looks like I'll have books with me (woot!). I'm planning to stop by Charlie Jane Anders's Writers with Drinks, possibly elsewhere, and will carry a big bag of books with me. If you know you want to pick up a book from me then, please let me know, so I'm sure to bring enough! Paperbacks $25 and hardcovers $40 (unless you pre-ordered, in which case, you get the discounted Kickstarter pricing of $18 and $35).
- The first local sneak peek event is coming up soon, Sunday, September 29th, 3-5 pm. at Jake's Place Books, 142 Harrison Street. Locals, if you haven't had the chance to check out this new LGBT-owned bookstore, you have to swing by! More details on the event soon -- there is some discussion of a cook-off? I will have Sri Lankan treats on hand.
- And one more event, that you only have a few HOURS left to get in on, and which I'm VERY EXCITED about -- my very good friend and member of my writing group, Amanda Daly, is also an incredible cook, and she makes really fabulous bagels. In the last year, she's been holding pop-up bagel events, which always sell out remarkably fast -- people, including me, queue up for these bagels! She's opening a brick-and-mortar store here in Oak Park, which is VERY EXCITING, but also, there have been a host of unanticipated expenses, which I have tremendous sympathy for, having gone through something similar, though on smaller scale, with the cookbook project.
So I'm REALLY EXCITED to offer a Kickstarter reward with Amanda -- for $60, you'll get to support a great local project (two of them!), come to my home, and enjoy a fusion brunch featuring a variety of bagels and cream cheeses paired with an array of Sri Lankan accompaniments (seeni sambol on a bagel turns out to be DELICIOUS), along with mango and passionfruit mimosas, tropical fruit salad, coffee and homemade chai. Plus, you'll get copies of the two previous e-books: The Marshmallows of Serendib and Vegan Serendib, and the opportunity to buy Feast at the discounted Kickstarter price. (Accessibility note: my old Victorian is sadly not wheelchair accessible, and we have a dog and two cats.)
At the time of my posting this, there are just 38 hours left to go on Amanda's Kickstarter -- and lots of other great prizes at different levels, if something else appeals to you. Even if you just want to throw in $1 to help a terrific woman get her small business off the ground, it'd be appreciated! So check it out!
Whew! So that's the update, and as for me and Feast, more soon!
If you'd like to support the development of more mostly Sri Lankan recipes, I'd love to have you join the cookbook club -- for $2 / month, you'll get recipes delivered to your inbox (fairly) regularly: https://www.patreon.com/mohanraj
