The Problem with Books These Days

For an indie business, weekends are just another workday. But I suppose with the pandemic and so many people working at home, perhaps that’s true of everyone these days.

I finished the index work on Prealgebra & Geometry Games, and I think I might have the book layout under control. Time to order a proof copy.

I can get an instant digital proof. It looks just like the file I already have on my computer. But the physical book is a whole different thing from a computer file. There are always surprises.

So I want to see a real proof — an actual paperback copy — before I release a book to readers. Wouldn’t you?

And that may be a problem.

The book industry is in a world of trouble these days, as you can read here. (If you hit a paywall, try deleting your cookies. That sometimes works.)

My printer isn’t one of the troubled companies mentioned in that article. They’re doing just fine, even expanding. But they’re overloaded with printing requests and backorders. Nobody can guess how long it will take to get a book printed and shipped.

So it’s a case of hurry-up-and-wait.

I hurried to finish the work, and now I’m waiting to see how it turns out. Then I can hurry through proofreading, so I can place the big order for all those books people ordered in the Kickstarter. And then wait again, for them to ship — so I can hurry and get them mailed (I hope!) before the holiday rush.

At least the rest of the weekend can be a day of rest. And playing with the new doggy. Sounds like fun!

CREDITS: “Book wall” photo (top) by Patrick Tomasso via Unsplash.com.