| 9/1/99 |
Well, kids, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Who would have guessed it's be SO soon?!
Yes, Kiss #1 is sold out. If you still want a copy of #1, please mail me a snail mail letter including your email address, how many copies you want, a check or money order for $24 in the US, or $30 Overseas (postage is included in these prices), and an SASE. I cannot include your name on the reprint list without the money since I will need it to cover the printing outright. When I've accumulated enough orders, I'll have more made. I will keep you posted as to when this will happen. If you have any questions, please email me!
In the meantime, lots of things happening here... I'll also mention that we're still accepting new submissions for fiction, poems, and filks up through November 1st, so you've got 2 months! Time's ticking! The artwork deadline is March 1st of 2000, but I'd appreciate a little warning first so I know you're sending something. If you have any questions, please email me. More later, Sue
|
| 7/26/99 |
Have no fear--I haven't abandoned Kiss. It just looks like I did for the past month or two. Let's just say that mundane life took a serious nosedive recently and I was forced to put everything in my life on hold. In far too many ways I'm being forced to start all over again, and that's not an easy process. I'm still recovering and I'm still finding it difficult to focus or work up the enthusiasm for anything at the moment, but I'm slowing working my way back to normal--or whatever passed for normal before. And considering just how much personal time I've spent on Kiss in the past 9 months, I figured I was due a little leave of absence--right?
So anyway, you're maybe wondering what's going on? Well, Kiss made a strong show at MediaWest Con back at the end of May. We sold 19 copies flat out and I'm quite pleased. Meanwhile, mail orders are definitely where most of the action is happening and I'm proud to announce that I only have 12 copies left. Out of 150, I think that's outstanding, particularly this early in the Kiss fiscal year. ;^) With any luck, they'll all be gone before the end of August. That being said, if you're concerned about getting your order in to me on time, please be sure to include your email address and a SASE along with your order just in case there are no copies left when your order arrives. At that time, I'll contact you via email and inquire if you'd prefer me to mail the check back, rip it up, or hold it and add your name to the list of people who would like a copy if I decide to print more of the first issue. While I can't guarantee that I will print more--it will depend on the demand--I will guarantee the money once I receive it. If I decide NOT to print more, I can mail the money back to you, destroy the check, or even consider it as a preorder for the upcoming issue of Kiss, due out in May of 2000! It's totally up to you. I hope that's dispelled some worries that Kiss was out of business or otherwise some scam online. Have no fear, it's still very active, I'm collecting new submissions all the time, and I've even starting writing my own fiction again--God, it's been ages!! And I wanted to make a special mention here of my sincere thanks to those who freely and gladly offered their support and sympathies. It meant a great deal to me to know that there are people out there--many of whom haven't even MET me--that care, especially at a time when I was starting to think that there was nothing good left in this world. Thanks, guys. You're the greatest! Sue
|
| 5/16/99 |
Well, I'm sorta back. It's been an interesting week or two. Sales have been brisk and we've nearly hit 100 copies spoken for (that's including contribs), and we've already shipped off 26 to MediaWest, and I'd be surprised if they didn't all sell before the end of the Con. That means that we'll have maybe 25 copies left for sale by June. From everything I've learned from other editors about fanzines, that's a stunning achievement. Anyway, that means that I've been busy in my evenings with processing new orders and handling the emails.
We're also slowly beginning to get feedback on the zine. It's all been extremely positive and I'm very pleased--and relieved! I've also started working overtime so I've had to cut back in my fannish time for a while. To top that off, my computer starting suffering serious brain farts (it's getting about that time to sacrifice a virgin to the demon that periodically possesses my PC). I'm just thankful that it waited until AFTER the zine was finished! For a while there I couldn't manage to stay online for longer than 1 or 2 minutes. That makes updating this website or even reading my emails a real challenge. With any luck I'm finally managed to solve that little problem, although I still don't understand why I suddenly am unable to print more copies of the zine flyer. It looks like I'm going to have to recreate it. Maybe I'll do that in my spare time. (Yeah, right!) I've also started thinking about finally finishing my personal webpages, including posting my own stories. I've also started going over my latest story again. I'd really like to finish writing it in time for the next issue of Kiss. We'll see how the summer goes. Ciao for now, Susan |
| 4/25/99 |
It's finished! It's bound!! It's already in the mail!!!
What can I say? This past week has been a mad rush of days. After staying up until midnight since I got back from vacation, trying to make last-minute changes or corrections, I stumbled into the printers on Friday morning! My intention was to attempt to work in my normal capacity that day, then pick up whatever was ready so that we'd have something to work on over the weekend. Needless to say, it was hardly a normal day, especially when over $1000 in printing costs is being spent--I couldn't help but worry about what I might possibly have missed, or if I'd inserted the correct number of slipsheets so that the pages would be in the right order and on the right side, etc. There was no margin for error if I'd somehow screwed up the page order or some other major mistake--I could not afford to reprint everything. I got off work a little early and rushed to the printers. Believe it or not, they were just wrapping up the last copy, which was even faster than they'd anticipated (Monday was the estimated time in which they'd finish the run). The docutech copies were amazingly clear and clean and I was exteremly happy with the quality, as well as the speed. So we loaded all four boxes of paper into my little hatchback and waddled back to my apartment. I had managed to borrow my company's binding machine to add to the one I'd already purchased. I then relaxed that night, putzed around with getting things set up and organized (who me?!) and made two test copies. I was extremely pleased with the results. Then I relaxed and watch a movie with my beau. Saturday morning Kristin and our friend Marie (also a contributor) showed up and we began the binding process in earnest while Marie created the address database (I'd been using index cards up until that point since it was more portable), printed mailing labels, prepped the envelopes, and in general kept us company. Except for the occasional break, we worked hard all day and knocked off around midnight. They spent the night on my sleeper-sofa, and then this morning we picked up where we'd left off. I'm still quite amazed by just how smoothly this entire process worked--but then I'd put so much forethought into this that it just sort of fell into place. By 2:00 PM we'd actually finished binding the last copy (150!) and were stuffing envelopes and writing personal messages to the contributors. And by 5:00 PM we'd loaded the mailable packages into Kristin's car and they were gone. Now I'm left with cleaning up, storing the unsold copies, prepping the package of zines to be sold at MediaWest, and just basking in the knowledge that this book is finished! But I suspect I'm going to be finding these damned little white confetti pieces of punched paper for the next six months! So in other words, if you were a contibutor or have already paid in full, your copy will be in the mail on Monday. If you have only paid a deposit or if you are a contributor who did not reach the 3-page requirement for a 100% contrib copy, a flyer will be in the mail Tuesday morning (I'm just too exhausted to mess with it anymore tonight). And there you have it. Now, here comes YOUR part. I want feedback--both positive and negative. Of course we'd PREFER positive, but then we can't learn and get better if we don't know what's wrong in the first place, now can we? Our contributors also want feedback, for the same reasons. They want to know if their effort was appreciated and enjoyed--it's the only reward they get for doing this! Nobody's making money writing/drawing/editing Star Wars fanwork, so all we get is the thrill and joy of knowing that some other fan enjoyed it. LOCs are the bread of life. I will continue to maintain our LOC page here, and we do intend to include a LOC section in the next issue as well. Please help us with this feedback (emails or snailmails are fine). I think that's about it for tonight. Thanks again to those who bravely sent in early orders--you helped make this entire project possible. I'm going to soak in the bathtub for an hour. ;^) Fly casual! Sue
|
| 4/25/99 |
Well, I'm back from a much-needed 3-day vacation. Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, was charming and just what I needed. The beach was wonderful--if a bit on the chilly side for the end of April (never got warmer than the high 50s and was very windy). We were never able to go outside without a jacket, we could actually see our breath during first day, and there was a nice thunderstorm that night--but that doesn't mean you can't be romantic and relax anyway, right?! It finally warmed up this morning we went down to the beach with a good beach umbrella, a blanket, and a football, and had a wonderful. Still had to keep the sweatshirt and jeans on, but the sun was warm if you stayed out of the wind. I even managed to get a sunburn on my face! ;^)
Anyway, I did as instructed and left the zine in the care of my co-editor for the entire time. Kristin is going over our first printed draft, and I've already sized the artwork and decided where to insert each piece. Now it's just a matter of making any last-minute corrections, printing out the final draft on a laser printer, cutting and pasting the artwork onto the laser-printed version, making copies of those pages with the cut-and-paste, then taking the master copy to the printers. With any luck that will be by this week Thursday. We'll hopefully have the copies back by Friday night, and then it's punch and bind time! I've already purchased our own Ibco binding machine, and I've managed to talk my office into letting me borrow the company binding machine as well, so we'll have two machines going. It's going to take time but I hope to have everybody's preordered copies in the mail by the first weekend of May (it's also going to depend on when I can get to the post office during business hours). Whew! Okay, I'm recharged and ready to wrap this sucker up!! Susan
|
| 4/19/99 |
Houston, we have count down.
Well, even though we have to squint, we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The layout is about finished (thanks to Sue!), the artwork is in (for the most part), and we're talking about sending this thing off to the printers within the next two weeks. Although we're still aiming for a deadline of the first week of May, please keep in mind that means we'll have it finished by then--if you've ordered one (and by the way, thank you!), give it a week after that for it to reach you. It's looking wonderful, by the way. We've hit our goal of around 225 pages, and it's absolutely full of great material. Sue is off next weekend for a well-deserved vacation at the beach (and I've ordered her NOT to take the final draft with her--do you hear that, Sue?), [Yeah yeah, leave me alone.SZ] but after that, we're going to be punching and binding like mad. By the end of next month, everyone should have their copy in their hands. Kristin
|
| 4/10/99 |
Nope, not dead yet--although god knows my personal and professional lives are conspiring against me.
Just wanted to give a quick update since the last entry. I've got most of the layout finished now, as well as the last of the proofreading edits entered. I'm currently trying to integrate the artwork into the formatting--which isn't nearly as easy as I'd hoped it might be. I'd hoped to scan all the artwork in and then insert in the document. But I've found that not only is my scanner TOO good (it picks up dents in the paper!) which means I have to spend hours cleaning up the artwork, but if I want to scan at a higher DPI for better printing, I evidently don't have enough RAM (who ever thought 64 wouldn't be enough?!) to handle the manipulation. Grrr! Looks like it's back to good old cut-and-paste! Plus, despite the late date, I'm still waiting on artwork. I've been very lenient this time around about the deadline (most of us are newbies), but I've already learned my lesson for the next issue. Deadlines are there for a reason--my sanity! At this point I'm going to have to assume that if I don't have it by next weekend, it isn't going in the zine. It's a shame, but I can't hold back production any longer--we'll be lucky to make the deadline as it is. Because I'm following professional standards for publishing composition, even one piece of artwork can totally throw off the page layout, which means that I'd have to redo everything again. Frankly, it's not worth MY effort or time. Hmmm, can you tell it's been a frustrating week? Here's to May! I need a vacation! Susan
|
| 4/1/99 |
Hello from Sue's silent partner (no comments, Sue).
I just wanted to jump in and say the edits are almost done (finally!), and that I'm absolutely thrilled with the results. Our submission response was great, and it's been a delight to read stories from so many talented authors. I believe we have what we originally intended: a collection of stories that we would loudly recommend if we ran across them elsewhere. And, as Sue mentioned, the artwork is incredible. I know I'm biased, but I'd say we're going to have a collection of illos to rival those of almost any 'zine published in the last ten years. We're expecting the last of the artwork in sometime this week or next, and then it's off to the printers (and THEN back to Sue's for a lot of hole punching). Although it may be somewhat optimistic, we're still gunning to get most of them finished the first week in May. If you don't mind, think good thoughts for us, ok? Regards, Kristin
|
| 4/1/99 |
April is here! Eeeek! Four weeks and counting.
Evidently Angelfire has a limit to the amount of webspace PER page because I've seemed to hit a ceiling on space and it's not letting me add any more to this page. Thus I've been forced to create a second "archive" page with all the earlier journal entries. Follow the link below for all the history. Today I received packages of artwork from both Liz and Dani--I envy their talent! We really have some stunning artwork for this round. I'm also beginning to wonder about our original goal of printing only 100 copies. At this moment, 65 copies are already spoken for (I've gotten 4 more orders since Saturday), including contributor copies. The zine isn't even released yet! So far these are solely website-generated orders; we're only now just beginning to tap into the off-line fan network now that the flyers are beginning to circulate. MediaWest is two months away! It's looking more and more like we'll have to bump up the run to 150 copies. Any complaints? I thought not. Hmmm, no kidding about the hole punching comment from my Evil Twin. We're going out this weekend to buy the binding machine and various binding materials, etc. Che-ching! It'll pay for itself soon enough, but we're not looking forward to the actual work. When you can only punch ~15 pages at a time, and you're doing over 100 copies of a book that's over 100 pages thick--well, YOU do the math. We'll be having a little binding "party" (a slick way to trick our local friends into helping out) around the first weekend of May--drop me a line if you're in the neighborhood! Which reminds me--while we are still AIMING for May 1st as our release date, please don't expect your copy to be sitting on your doorstep when you wake up that morning. We're a small operation here (basically me, my monkey man, and two cats most of the time) and therefore can only process so many at a time. Please be patient, for it will be in your hands before mid-May if not sooner. For those who have sent in only a $10 deposit, please remember that I cannot send your copy until you pay the remaining cost. I'm so glad it's Spring!! And in another month I'll have my weekends back--at least until the NEXT issue. Woo hoo! Sue |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
