June 2011 – State of the Nate

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. Sounds like the perfect time for an update!

• Writing: I took the initiative to re-prioritize a few projects, so that bought me a bit of breathing room. I have two stories out making the rounds and one I need to revise and resubmit. I have a project due for another publisher in a few weeks, but I feel in control of it, so no pressure there. I have one story I’m looking to finish for my own peace of mind, one I was invited to write for a super-secret project, and one I’m collaborating on for submission somewhere else. I’m still trying to find some time to work on the novel, but it’s been coming in fits lately, so fingers crossed I get back to it very soon. Oh, and I have a podcast script due end of the month as well. Wonder where I’ll be from now until, oh, 4th of July? Writing.
• Editing: I finished up a guest editing gig (which I’ll get to announce soon), and I’ll be hip deep in editing Cobalt City Dark Carnival for Timid Pirate when submissions close end of June. We still have a bit of room if you haven’t submitted yet. I’ve been promised stories for Libertine, Knockabout, and Gallows but haven’t seen them yet. And to the best of my knowledge no one is touching Archon, Huntsman, Louis Malenfant, or Gato Loco. I would love to see a take on any of th0se characters. Fingers crossed I see something else I like soon. Once I have the stories I need, I get to knit them together and work on a special project for the anthology with a few, hand-picked authors.
• Publisher: Marketing and promoting…always with the marketing and promoting. We’re looking at the budget and picking out which conventions to appear at. Most people who take a bite out of Timid Pirate like what they taste, and that’s reassuring. We just need to get more exposure, and figuring that out goes hand in hand with exploring new distribution models. A lot of work going on behind the scenes. A lot of planning. One thing I’m excited to have on the table — we’re looking to represent at Emerald City Comic Con in 2012.
• Random Geekery: I contributed to this awesome Kickstarter for an awesome RPG. I was fortunate enough to play an advance version of the game, and I’m psyched to see the book coming out soon. I’m looking forward to running a few random one-shot games at venues around Seattle in late summer, early fall. Around that time I’ll also be diving into the world of digital comics (as a reader, not a writer), with the relaunch of DC’s whole line. I grew up a DC fan in a time when all my friends were Marvel junkies. Sure, I read X-Men and the occasional Spider-Man book, but my heart was really with the big DC team books like Legion of Superheroes or Teen Titans (during the truly legendary Marv Wolfman / George Perez era). Seeing some of the things that DC is doing, I’m genuinely thrilled in a way I haven’t been about comics in a long time. While I feel there are some potential missteps, there are also a lot of things they’re doing right. I point specifically to historical books, teen books, folding the Wildstorm universe into the main DCU, and the return of a new Static series (Dakota City represent!).
• Music: On top of it all, there are two fantastic concerts coming up in the next month. I already have my tickets for Neko Case on July 10th, and The Damnwells are playing my favorite joint, The Tractor Tavern on July 22nd. Not a bad month for music at all!

I now return you to your regularly scheduled blog posts.