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Sunday, August 28, 1999
Okay! I'm back. Sorta, kinda.
I'm still clocking a lot of hours with the whole computer thang but the web project are in pretty good shape. In June, we launched a web directory service for Assemblies of God missionaries (agmd.org). We're still getting missionaries on-line with that one.
And in August, we launched a web directory for all 12,000 Assemblies of God churches (AGfinder.org). It's kept be busy but things are easing down a bit. I've also started a new consulting job with Springfield Workshop, Inc. It's a sheltered workshop here in Springfield and looks to be a very interesting project given all the rules and regulations of the Department of Labor.
Also . . . big news in the publishing business. Recently developments in publishing technology have made it possible to produce a reasonably priced 300 page bound trade paperback in 60 seconds! It's actually feasible now to print books one-at-a-time!!
The consequences for the publishing industry are absolutely revolutionary. With this new technology, practically *anybody* can get their novel published because the costs have plummetted. In addition--with outfits like Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com willing to carry practically any book--there are even distribution channels available.
Of course, the age-old problem remains of getting through the "ground-noise" and convincing reader to buy a *particular* book. Still, for the person who wants to self-publish, the cost has suddenly gone from thousands to hundreds (at least as I understand it.)
Make me wonder if I shouldn't dig out that manuscript for my first novel The Son, the Wind and the Reign, give it another editing pass and try my hand at publishing! From the sounds of it--even it I could only sell a few hundred copies, it would at least break even! As Winnie-the-Pooh says . . . "Think, think, think . . ."
I started a few new topics last week. Hope I can remember them all! Gordon Lawyer is heading up the Rocky and Bullwinkle topic. Matt Pesti is handling "V". And Joel Croteau is looking after Sailor Moon.
By the way, one of our own, Wendy Graham has been named editor of FTL. You can visit FTL at http://www.ftlmagazine.com/ . Drop by and take a look!!
As always, I wouldn't want to conclude this little set of announcements without paying homage to the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful moderators of the Nitpickers Guild! (Couldn't keep this going without them!) They are:
Nick Angeloni (nangeloni@nitcentral.com) Action Figures
Andre Blackburn (ablackburn@nitcentral.com) American Gothic
Chris Booton (cbooton@nitcentral.com), Spiderman
Joel Boutiere (jboutiere@nitcentral.com), X-Files
Charles Cabe (ccabe@nitcentral.com), Star Wars
Michael Cheyne (mcheyne@nitcentral.com) Mike's Movies, Twilight Zone, G.I. Joe
Andrew Corcoran (acorcoran@nitcentral.com), Red Dwarf
Joanna Cravit (jcravit@nitcentral.com) , The Kitchen Sink, ER
Joel Croteau (jcroteau@nitcentral.com), Sailor Moon.
Phillip Culley (pculley@nitcentral.com) Blake 7
Robert Donahou (rdonahou@nitcentral.com), Star Trek Novels section
Chris George (cgeorge@nitcentral.com), DS9
Jo-Hanna Goettsche (jgoettsche@nitcentral.com), Futurama
Ben Jackson (bjackson@nitcentral.com), Mystery Science Theater 3000, Dilbert
Lee Jamilkowski (ljamilkowski@nitcentral.com), Sliders
Edward Jefferson (ejefferson@nitcentral.com) Sci-fi Novels
Beth Karras (bkarras@nitcentral.com), Homocide.
Yehuda Katz (ykatz@nitcentral.com), Dark Skies
Roland Khorshidianzadeh (rkhor@nitcentral.com) Dragonball Z
Murray Leeder (mleeder@nitcentral.com), The Trek Animated Series
Mike Konczemski (mkonczewski@nitcentral.com), Doctor Who
Gordon Lawyer (glawyer@nitcentral.com) Fantasy Novels, Allo Allo, Rocky and Bullwinkle
Aaron Nadler (anadler@nitcentral.com), Sliders
Amos Painter (apainter@nitcentral.com), Earth: Final Conflict
Matthew Patterson (mpatterson@nitcentral.com), Seven Days, SeaQuest DSV, Console Video Games
Matt Pesti (mpesti@nitcentral.com), V
Todd Pence (tpence@nitcentral.com) , Space 1999
Declan Quinn (dquinn@nitcentral.com, Stargate SG-1 topic
Jon Raines (jraines@nitcentral.com) Classic Trek; Next Gen
Tim Riggins (triggins@nitcentral.com), Highlander, Early Edition, Robotech
Nicholas Setzer (nsetzer@nitcentral.com), Profiler
Amanda Sinclair (asinclaire@nitcentral.com), Quantum Leap; Buffy, the Vampire Slayer; Johnny Quest, The Real Adventures; Gundam
D. Stuart (ubiqtysync@nitcentral.com) Reboot, Outer Limits
Richie Vest (rvest@nitcentral.com), Voyager; Babylon 5
(If I've somehow missed someone on this list, please, please, let me know!!!)
United We Nitpick!
Phil
P.S. While you're surfing, be sure to stop by my Shameless Plugs page!