E.S. Lell's Blog, page 11
May 17, 2011
Not to sound like I'm complaining....
So,
I received emails from Apple yesterday (after the 13 days of my 10 day waiting period), telling me that all three of my books had incomplete or non-functioning tables of contents, and were therefore rejected from iBooks. Of course, I am rectifying the issue, but here's my problem(s).
Nowhere can I locate a copy of any sort of actual requirements for books to be included in the iBooks store, save for the need of a fresh ISBN, which I have. I can find all manner of 'suggested guidelines' documents, all of which tell you how to format a document to be converted into the best possible ePub file. These documents do include tips on formatting for a table of contents, but do not, ever, list any kind of requirements. And these files are ~from~ Apple~
Second, I currently have 26 books in my iBooks library (small, I know, but I work a lot), that I purchased, or acquired from the iBooks store. Of these 26 books, SIX (6) have tables of contents. Of those six, one of them is not "active", meaning you can't touch a chapter in the table of contents and be instantly whisked away to that chapter in the book. So, 20 books with no table's of contents, 6 with...
Lastly, two of my three novels were already included in the iBooks store without tables of contents! When I was published under Smashwords, with all their terrible formatting, and profit-stealing, Apple accepted the books without question and put them up for sale, sans tables of contents. But now, with me trying to raise the quality of my books on the store, and take a third party out of the system to further make the products I sell higher in quality and quicker to adjust if needed. NOW, suddenly, a table of contents is required?
Needless to say, I'm a little peeved about this. I've sent them an email asking for specific documentation that points out requirements, and where in that document it says a table of contents is required. Meanwhile, I am working to get a table of contents into each book (easy, already done) that will properly export to an ePub document (seemingly much less easy...)
I guess we'll see how it goes, but it looks as if there will be another couple of weeks before the books are available in iBooks. :(
Alright, I'm off to save the world folks...
End of line...
I received emails from Apple yesterday (after the 13 days of my 10 day waiting period), telling me that all three of my books had incomplete or non-functioning tables of contents, and were therefore rejected from iBooks. Of course, I am rectifying the issue, but here's my problem(s).
Nowhere can I locate a copy of any sort of actual requirements for books to be included in the iBooks store, save for the need of a fresh ISBN, which I have. I can find all manner of 'suggested guidelines' documents, all of which tell you how to format a document to be converted into the best possible ePub file. These documents do include tips on formatting for a table of contents, but do not, ever, list any kind of requirements. And these files are ~from~ Apple~
Second, I currently have 26 books in my iBooks library (small, I know, but I work a lot), that I purchased, or acquired from the iBooks store. Of these 26 books, SIX (6) have tables of contents. Of those six, one of them is not "active", meaning you can't touch a chapter in the table of contents and be instantly whisked away to that chapter in the book. So, 20 books with no table's of contents, 6 with...
Lastly, two of my three novels were already included in the iBooks store without tables of contents! When I was published under Smashwords, with all their terrible formatting, and profit-stealing, Apple accepted the books without question and put them up for sale, sans tables of contents. But now, with me trying to raise the quality of my books on the store, and take a third party out of the system to further make the products I sell higher in quality and quicker to adjust if needed. NOW, suddenly, a table of contents is required?
Needless to say, I'm a little peeved about this. I've sent them an email asking for specific documentation that points out requirements, and where in that document it says a table of contents is required. Meanwhile, I am working to get a table of contents into each book (easy, already done) that will properly export to an ePub document (seemingly much less easy...)
I guess we'll see how it goes, but it looks as if there will be another couple of weeks before the books are available in iBooks. :(
Alright, I'm off to save the world folks...
End of line...
May 5, 2011
iBooks, pending...
Okay, so I emailed Bowker and asked them what the expected wait time was for an account approval, and they responded the next day with a message saying they essentially lost me and were very sorry but it was up and running now.
What's 10 days between friends I guess, eh?
Oh well. It's done, the new ISBNs are on record, and all three books have been submitted to Apple for placement in the iBooks store.
Additionally, I have unpublished the books with Smashwords, which means they may soon (but haven't yet) disappear from iBooks for a little while before Apple approves the new versions. (Yes, the first two books were already in iBooks, but the formatting was terrible, the royalties were awful, and I had zero control over any of it). The prices of all electronic books from Kalijor Press have been submitted at a significantly lower rate (excepting Jumah's World which is a charity book, so I can't really change the rate on that one), and I intend to keep them where they are, or lower, never higher.
Stay tuned for an announcement as soon as they go live!
I think that's about it for now. I hope you are all having a great day, and I look forward to seeing you the next time there is opportunity to do so!
End of Line...
What's 10 days between friends I guess, eh?
Oh well. It's done, the new ISBNs are on record, and all three books have been submitted to Apple for placement in the iBooks store.
Additionally, I have unpublished the books with Smashwords, which means they may soon (but haven't yet) disappear from iBooks for a little while before Apple approves the new versions. (Yes, the first two books were already in iBooks, but the formatting was terrible, the royalties were awful, and I had zero control over any of it). The prices of all electronic books from Kalijor Press have been submitted at a significantly lower rate (excepting Jumah's World which is a charity book, so I can't really change the rate on that one), and I intend to keep them where they are, or lower, never higher.
Stay tuned for an announcement as soon as they go live!
I think that's about it for now. I hope you are all having a great day, and I look forward to seeing you the next time there is opportunity to do so!
End of Line...
May 1, 2011
Some News
Okay, just a bit of news to drop real quickly before I hit the hay (odd term that.. hit the hay? Even granting the origin likely stems back to when it was much more common to sleep on, or in, hay, why hit it?).
Anyhow, The second editions of the first and second key are done. Whilst I await approval/activation from Bowker in order to buy more ISBN's so I can publish to iBooks directly through Apple, I went ahead and cleaned up and re-released the Kindle versions. If you have a kindle, and you'd like to check out the books, now is the time.
Also, I have lowered the prices from $6.99, to $2.99, indefinitely. I may go lower in the future, we'll see. I just want to throw it in the face of these big book companies who are behaving like the damn record labels. A bunch of dinosaurs who are afraid the world is about to leave them behind, so they have to squeeze every penny they can, before they can't squeeze any more.
Sorry, didn't mean to rant there. Still, take that! Ya dirty rats! The Third Key is processing through on the Kindle as well, and should be available, at the same $2.99 price, very soon. Apple versions are coming as soon as Bowker decides I'm okay. They're all ready to post to the Apple store, just need ISBN's.
Soon, the print versions will be in second edition as well, with all the new formatting, as many error fixes as we could find, and a little bit of tweaking here and there. But they are still very much the same stories, so no need to rush out and buy copies as soon as they're live. Unless you want to, I guess... I mean, I can't really stop you, but I'd really just prefer you convince between 1 and 50,000 other people to buy copies.
So, I'll post as more changes arise, but that's where we stand just now. Oh! The forums are still down, because some self-important @$$hat hacked the calendar and filled my SQL database to overflowing with stupid pr0n garbage. I'm working on rebuilding them, and getting them overhauled and updated to the newest software version, but there are other things on my plate as well and the forums, as much as I love them, are not so popular as to be a major priority just now. Soon though, so hang in there if you're jonesing.
I think that's about it for now, so I'll get back the hitting of the hay... whatever that means...
End of Line...
Anyhow, The second editions of the first and second key are done. Whilst I await approval/activation from Bowker in order to buy more ISBN's so I can publish to iBooks directly through Apple, I went ahead and cleaned up and re-released the Kindle versions. If you have a kindle, and you'd like to check out the books, now is the time.
Also, I have lowered the prices from $6.99, to $2.99, indefinitely. I may go lower in the future, we'll see. I just want to throw it in the face of these big book companies who are behaving like the damn record labels. A bunch of dinosaurs who are afraid the world is about to leave them behind, so they have to squeeze every penny they can, before they can't squeeze any more.
Sorry, didn't mean to rant there. Still, take that! Ya dirty rats! The Third Key is processing through on the Kindle as well, and should be available, at the same $2.99 price, very soon. Apple versions are coming as soon as Bowker decides I'm okay. They're all ready to post to the Apple store, just need ISBN's.
Soon, the print versions will be in second edition as well, with all the new formatting, as many error fixes as we could find, and a little bit of tweaking here and there. But they are still very much the same stories, so no need to rush out and buy copies as soon as they're live. Unless you want to, I guess... I mean, I can't really stop you, but I'd really just prefer you convince between 1 and 50,000 other people to buy copies.
So, I'll post as more changes arise, but that's where we stand just now. Oh! The forums are still down, because some self-important @$$hat hacked the calendar and filled my SQL database to overflowing with stupid pr0n garbage. I'm working on rebuilding them, and getting them overhauled and updated to the newest software version, but there are other things on my plate as well and the forums, as much as I love them, are not so popular as to be a major priority just now. Soon though, so hang in there if you're jonesing.
I think that's about it for now, so I'll get back the hitting of the hay... whatever that means...
End of Line...
April 27, 2011
And we're waiting.....
So, I am currently waiting for Bowker to approve my account, so I can buy ISBN's directly from them, rather than spending the extra money to go through my publisher. This hang-time is the cause of the current pause in productivity.
I can authorize the second editions for physical print without new ISBN's, but I cannot get the new digital versions live until I have them, and I'd like to get this all done as close to the same time as I can. So... I wait...
In related news, the revisions are done. Once I get the new ISBN's, I am confident that I can have second editions out to teh public in a matter of hours, plus whatever processing time is required on the other end (Apple will review copies before they go live, as will Amazon). There will ~not~ be new cover art for the first key on this edition. I thought about waiting for it, but my cover artist has other stuff to do, which keeps him in his home, so that needs to take priority at times. In the end. I'd rather get the newly formatted (and cheaper) versions of teh books out ASAP, then do a revision for the new cover art later.
All this having been said, I am hopeful that Bowker will get on teh ball, and I can order the ISBN's this week. Here's hoping, at any rate...
End of Line...
I can authorize the second editions for physical print without new ISBN's, but I cannot get the new digital versions live until I have them, and I'd like to get this all done as close to the same time as I can. So... I wait...
In related news, the revisions are done. Once I get the new ISBN's, I am confident that I can have second editions out to teh public in a matter of hours, plus whatever processing time is required on the other end (Apple will review copies before they go live, as will Amazon). There will ~not~ be new cover art for the first key on this edition. I thought about waiting for it, but my cover artist has other stuff to do, which keeps him in his home, so that needs to take priority at times. In the end. I'd rather get the newly formatted (and cheaper) versions of teh books out ASAP, then do a revision for the new cover art later.
All this having been said, I am hopeful that Bowker will get on teh ball, and I can order the ISBN's this week. Here's hoping, at any rate...
End of Line...
April 26, 2011
Still in the works
Okay, things are still moving along.
There ~will~ be a more substantive update coming soon, but I want to make sure that whomever reads this, is assured that I am still working on any one of ten different things, at any given time.
Firstly, the Kalijor forums are currently down. Some...... person..... hacked the site and had the events/calendar page randomly generating spam events at a prodigious rate (the calendar table in the dB was already over 4 GB in size, and events were stacking up at a rate of 3-5 a minute). So, I have taken the forums down pending a clean-out of the guilty code. At the same time, I will be upgrading the forums to a new software version. I hope there will be no data loss, but I cannot say for certain.
Secondly, the second editions of the first and second keys are nearly complete. I have a couple tweaks to make on the second key, then it is live time! If you were at StarFest and asked for a digital copy, it will be forthcoming, imminently. Please stay tuned.
The Third Key is still in the pipe, awaiting approval by the powers that be. Hopefully it will be available in stores soon.
The Fourth Key continues to evolve/be written. No announcement on availability as yet, but hopefully sooner than later (hopefully next summer?).
The website will hopefully be getting another revamp in the near future. No word on when, yet. Still looking for good software.
I hope to have some great prints from Full Spectrum Graphics at Gen Con, as well as some apparel, and maybe a few other odds and ends to bolster the Kalijor product line. Stay tuned for more.
Okay, I am off to work on some... work... oddly enough. I hope you are all well, and look forward to our next interaction!
End of line...
There ~will~ be a more substantive update coming soon, but I want to make sure that whomever reads this, is assured that I am still working on any one of ten different things, at any given time.
Firstly, the Kalijor forums are currently down. Some...... person..... hacked the site and had the events/calendar page randomly generating spam events at a prodigious rate (the calendar table in the dB was already over 4 GB in size, and events were stacking up at a rate of 3-5 a minute). So, I have taken the forums down pending a clean-out of the guilty code. At the same time, I will be upgrading the forums to a new software version. I hope there will be no data loss, but I cannot say for certain.
Secondly, the second editions of the first and second keys are nearly complete. I have a couple tweaks to make on the second key, then it is live time! If you were at StarFest and asked for a digital copy, it will be forthcoming, imminently. Please stay tuned.
The Third Key is still in the pipe, awaiting approval by the powers that be. Hopefully it will be available in stores soon.
The Fourth Key continues to evolve/be written. No announcement on availability as yet, but hopefully sooner than later (hopefully next summer?).
The website will hopefully be getting another revamp in the near future. No word on when, yet. Still looking for good software.
I hope to have some great prints from Full Spectrum Graphics at Gen Con, as well as some apparel, and maybe a few other odds and ends to bolster the Kalijor product line. Stay tuned for more.
Okay, I am off to work on some... work... oddly enough. I hope you are all well, and look forward to our next interaction!
End of line...
April 21, 2011
Update coming soon, I swear!
So, StarFest was awesome, and I will be offering up a real post-op debriefing here soon. I am busy working to get the second editions of the first two books out, in print, and in ePub/digital formats. The first key is done, and the second key should be done by the end of this weekend.
After that, more will be said here,about StarFest, and other news as well!
Stay tuned for more, and thank you all for your support!
End of line...
After that, more will be said here,about StarFest, and other news as well!
Stay tuned for more, and thank you all for your support!
End of line...
April 10, 2011
StarFest is go!
So, we are all set for StarFest this coming weekend!
The fun begins Friday the 15th, around 4pm at the DTC Mariott! I will be there all weekend, from open to close, and I will have David (the cover artist and much much more), Taeva (the official model for Riana and Katrina), as well as various other supporters there on and off throughout the weekend. As usual, Saturday will be the big day for costumes, attendance, and fun, so if you can only make one day, that's the one to make it happen. Taeva will be there in full Riana cos-play, with tattoos and everything!
StarFest attendees will have the first chance to see, buy, and read the Third Key, as it's still working its way through the book databases and won't be available on shelves for at least another month, maybe a little longer (we are dealing with bureaucracy, after all). So, if you want one sooner than later, you need to get there! If we don't sell out, then I will have a limited quantity to ship from here, so if you can't make it this weekend, you may still be able to get one before they hit shelves. I'll post after the fest and let everyone know how we look for stock.
Also, that big announcement is going to be made at StarFest as well, the one concerning digital copies, and other projects. Again, an announcement will be made after next weekend, if you can't make it down.
Okay, I am off to work on writing and revisions, so I can keep the stories flowing. I'll talk to you all later, and sincerely hope you can make it to StarFest this weekend!
End of Line...
Paul
The fun begins Friday the 15th, around 4pm at the DTC Mariott! I will be there all weekend, from open to close, and I will have David (the cover artist and much much more), Taeva (the official model for Riana and Katrina), as well as various other supporters there on and off throughout the weekend. As usual, Saturday will be the big day for costumes, attendance, and fun, so if you can only make one day, that's the one to make it happen. Taeva will be there in full Riana cos-play, with tattoos and everything!
StarFest attendees will have the first chance to see, buy, and read the Third Key, as it's still working its way through the book databases and won't be available on shelves for at least another month, maybe a little longer (we are dealing with bureaucracy, after all). So, if you want one sooner than later, you need to get there! If we don't sell out, then I will have a limited quantity to ship from here, so if you can't make it this weekend, you may still be able to get one before they hit shelves. I'll post after the fest and let everyone know how we look for stock.
Also, that big announcement is going to be made at StarFest as well, the one concerning digital copies, and other projects. Again, an announcement will be made after next weekend, if you can't make it down.
Okay, I am off to work on writing and revisions, so I can keep the stories flowing. I'll talk to you all later, and sincerely hope you can make it to StarFest this weekend!
End of Line...
Paul
April 3, 2011
Faster than expected!
Well, the publisher keeps getting faster and faster! I ordered 50 books on Monday, was told they would arrive in about 2 weeks and change, and was then informed they had shipped less than 24 hours later I received them Friday, and they look amazing! I am loving the new formatting. It is a little denser, which means less page turning, but the font is still good for easy reading.
Also, the formatting change is saving about 200 pages, which is also great, as it keeps the cost of books down, and saves paper too!
I think we can call that win-win-win!
So, I will have copies of the Third Key at StarFest, beginning the evening of Friday, April 15th (I think they open officially around 3pm) and will be there until the kick us out on Sunday, early evening! If you want a copy, and can make it, do so. Copies will not be available from book stores for another 6-8 weeks, due to the processing time required to get it through all the systems and into the databases.
So, those at StarFest will have a chance to read it before anyone else who wasn't a test reader or editor!
All that said, I also got the formatting down for the ePub version of the book (it's looking very solid now, and handles resizing of the font wonderfully!), so I can now move on to the second editions of the first two books to get the formatting in line, clean upma few odds and ends, and get them ready for the big post-StarFest announcement!
So, I think that's about it, for now. I hope you are all doing wonderfully, and hope to see you all there the weekend of the 15th!
End of Line...
Paul
Also, the formatting change is saving about 200 pages, which is also great, as it keeps the cost of books down, and saves paper too!
I think we can call that win-win-win!
So, I will have copies of the Third Key at StarFest, beginning the evening of Friday, April 15th (I think they open officially around 3pm) and will be there until the kick us out on Sunday, early evening! If you want a copy, and can make it, do so. Copies will not be available from book stores for another 6-8 weeks, due to the processing time required to get it through all the systems and into the databases.
So, those at StarFest will have a chance to read it before anyone else who wasn't a test reader or editor!
All that said, I also got the formatting down for the ePub version of the book (it's looking very solid now, and handles resizing of the font wonderfully!), so I can now move on to the second editions of the first two books to get the formatting in line, clean upma few odds and ends, and get them ready for the big post-StarFest announcement!
So, I think that's about it, for now. I hope you are all doing wonderfully, and hope to see you all there the weekend of the 15th!
End of Line...
Paul
March 28, 2011
Done!
So David, the amazing force behind www.fullspectrumarts.com came through in style today!
I am ecstatic to announce that The Third Key of Kalijor is 'in the can', to use the vernacular. The cover art came in today, and looks phenomenal! I was able to get all of the files updated and uploaded, and copies ordered. It looks like, if everything in the printing and shipping process takes the maximum amount of time, we will have copies available the day before StarFest.
It's close, but I'll take it! I was pretty worried there for a little bit, but I kept calm (albeit with plenty of venting upon friends and loved ones, thank you all for your understanding), and collected. So here we go everybody, round three, with only two more to go for this story to be wrapped up (don't worry, there're plenty more tales from Kalijor after the keys have been handled)!
I've been receiving plenty of emails and notes form folks excited to see the new book, and I am very pleased to say that we are really working hard at outdoing ourselves on these as we go forward. We keep learning from industry insiders, and fans alike, and there are big plans for the future of the series, as well as the world of Kalijor.
Some insight into what's in the works:
-Second editions of the first and second keys (fixing some issues with text and punctuation, etc, inside the books, plus refreshing the cover art of the first book to bring it in line with the others), these will include new formatting to bring the books' interiors in line with the new style of the third key, and I think you are all going to love it!
-Re-releasing the digital editions! All of the digital editions of the Kalijor books will be re-released after StarFest. These new editions will have much better, tighter formatting, and take better advantage of all the benefits of digital publishing, including tables of contents, and a significant reduction in white space and empty pages.
-Repricing of digital editions! As part of the above revamp, there will be a huge change (for the better) in pricing on the digital editions of the books (if you haven't bought one yet, and you can wait a month or so, then you should do so. Or, buy a hard copy and send proof that you have it, and I'll send you the digital copy of your choice)!
-A new iOS app is in the works that will allow you to enjoy not just my own prosaic musings on a regular basis, but those of other, equally crazy, folks as well! Look for a preview at StarFest. I have it in my hands now, and it looks amazing!
-The first ever Kalijor COnvention short story book will be on hand at StarFest. It's a short story that will only be available at conventions (until we have enough of them to publish a short story collection, but that will have different cover art).
-The first Kalijor graphic novel is still in production. If we can have it in time for Nan Desu Kan, then we will be there, but we aren't rushing this one, because we want it to be amazing, so we'll see.
-Plenty more, that I can't talk about yet, so stay tuned!
I am ecstatic to announce that The Third Key of Kalijor is 'in the can', to use the vernacular. The cover art came in today, and looks phenomenal! I was able to get all of the files updated and uploaded, and copies ordered. It looks like, if everything in the printing and shipping process takes the maximum amount of time, we will have copies available the day before StarFest.
It's close, but I'll take it! I was pretty worried there for a little bit, but I kept calm (albeit with plenty of venting upon friends and loved ones, thank you all for your understanding), and collected. So here we go everybody, round three, with only two more to go for this story to be wrapped up (don't worry, there're plenty more tales from Kalijor after the keys have been handled)!
I've been receiving plenty of emails and notes form folks excited to see the new book, and I am very pleased to say that we are really working hard at outdoing ourselves on these as we go forward. We keep learning from industry insiders, and fans alike, and there are big plans for the future of the series, as well as the world of Kalijor.
Some insight into what's in the works:
-Second editions of the first and second keys (fixing some issues with text and punctuation, etc, inside the books, plus refreshing the cover art of the first book to bring it in line with the others), these will include new formatting to bring the books' interiors in line with the new style of the third key, and I think you are all going to love it!
-Re-releasing the digital editions! All of the digital editions of the Kalijor books will be re-released after StarFest. These new editions will have much better, tighter formatting, and take better advantage of all the benefits of digital publishing, including tables of contents, and a significant reduction in white space and empty pages.
-Repricing of digital editions! As part of the above revamp, there will be a huge change (for the better) in pricing on the digital editions of the books (if you haven't bought one yet, and you can wait a month or so, then you should do so. Or, buy a hard copy and send proof that you have it, and I'll send you the digital copy of your choice)!
-A new iOS app is in the works that will allow you to enjoy not just my own prosaic musings on a regular basis, but those of other, equally crazy, folks as well! Look for a preview at StarFest. I have it in my hands now, and it looks amazing!
-The first ever Kalijor COnvention short story book will be on hand at StarFest. It's a short story that will only be available at conventions (until we have enough of them to publish a short story collection, but that will have different cover art).
-The first Kalijor graphic novel is still in production. If we can have it in time for Nan Desu Kan, then we will be there, but we aren't rushing this one, because we want it to be amazing, so we'll see.
-Plenty more, that I can't talk about yet, so stay tuned!
March 20, 2011
Riana=Mary-Sue? Maybe, read and find out!
Just to pass the time. A Mary-Sue test for Riana, the main character in the Kalijor Novels. If you don't know what Mary-Sue means, note me and I'll give you the low-down.
[ ] They are possessed by an angel
[ ] They are possessed by a demon
[ ] They are a werewolf/vampire/faerie
[x] They are physically strong.
[x] They have a rare hair/fur color
[x] Their eyes are an unusual color
[ ] This happens to be red
[ ] Their eyes change color
[ ] They have wings
[ ] They can grow extra body parts/shapeshift
[ ] They are immortal (This is unconfirmed and still, as yet, undecided, so I'm not checking it.)
[ ] (if a female) they have large boobs (I've never really specified, so I'm not checking this one either. I leave it in the hands of the individual reader.)
[ ] (if a male) they are very muscular
[x] They are very attractive to the opposite gender. (Probably true. Although she's actually kind of creepy too. She's perfectly symmetrical, which people just aren't meant to be... Checking it just in case.)
[ ] They are telekinetic/pyrokinetic/etc
[ ] They have sixth sense/can mind-read/etc
[x] They have an object of some sort that gives them powers (The artifacts she is collecting give her powers, yes, but none of them are really all that amazing yet.)
[x] They have a special ability/power, but they don't know about it yet (This is a 'kind-of'. Checking it just to be safe.)
[ ] They were bestowed/cursed with these powers
[ ] They are a healer
[ ] They are from a very rich/royal family (Technically, yes, but it really has nothing what-so-ever to do with the story, so not checking it.)
[ ] They don't know that they are from a very rich/royal background
[x] They have lost one/both of their parents
[ ] They ran away from home
[ ] Their parents are cruel, uncaring, abusive etc.
[ ] They witnessed one/both of their parent's death
[ ] They are part angel/demon/faerie/some other mythical creature
[ ] They never knew their parents (Never knew one of them, but they're getting to know one another now, so it's all good. Not checking this one.)
[ ] They were abused/spoiled as a child
[x] They are very attractive to the same gender (at least in one case, thus far. And the same creepiness is likely to apply here as to the opposite gender one. Checking it just to be safe.)
[ ] They have lots of friends/no friends
[ ] They are emo/cutesy
[ ] They look much younger/older than they really are. (She's an elf and a cyborg, so does this really apply? Both are very long lived and remain physically young forever... Not checking this one as it's by race, not some special feature...)
[x] They are currently in a relationship (Yes, but I'm not sure why this applies to this particular case study...)
[ ] They have lots if morals and state them a fair bit for example: 'I would rather be with my friends than with my boyfriend/girlfriend' 'Nothing matters more to me than my friends/family' 'I wouldn't hesitate to die in place of a friend' etc. It's fine if your OC has these beliefs/values, but if they constantly say them out loud/preach them to others, then we have a problem.
[ ] They have a mental disorder
[ ] They have an emotional disorder
[ ] They struggle to stay sane
[ ] They are a psycho
[ ] They have multiple personalities
[x] They are very intelligent (I guess, technically. She has a computer-aided brain. So, yes, she's smart. But she's also very, very dumb..... Checking it, just in case....)
[ ] They have hallucinations (She thinks she has visions, but they aren't. Not checking this one...)
[ ] They can summon spirits/demons/angels etc.
[ ] They have an unusual/unrealistic pet
[ ] They have a guardian spirit
[ ] They have a 'special type' of soul
[ ] Their soul is not the same as them
[ ] They can talk to spirits/ghosts
[ ] Some part of their body glows (only when casting spells... Not checking this one....)
[ ] They have a rare/unusual name
[ ] They were born on an important date, such as New Year's Eve, Midsummers Night, The Winter Solstace etc.
[ ] They have a twin/sibling that they were separated from at birth/a young age
[ ] They are connected with a certain element
[ ] They are connected with a certain animal
[ ] They always dress like a certain 'label'
[ ] They look quite a bit like a character from a popular anime/manga
[ ] They are a race/species that is discriminated against/misunderstood
[ ] They have a certain power that is misunderstood/feared
[ ] They live/lived on the streets at some point in their lives
[ ] They are hiding from someone/something
[ ] They have a rare blood type
[ ] They cry blood
[ ] Certain noises/smells/situations/etc make their powers activate/give them a nervous breakdown
[ ] They are from a different country to where they live
[ ] They are very mysterious/dark
[ ] They are very lively/happy
[x] Their mood changes a lot/very quickly (She is a drama queen at times, yes... Just to be safe...)
[ ] They are very patient
[ ] They are from a long line of (insert profession/power here)
[ ] They have a piece of jewelry/clothing that they always wear
[ ] They have amnesia
[ ] They have some sort of permanent medical condition
[ ] The have a curse upon them
[x] They are involved in some sort of prophecy (Aren't we all though? *Looks hopeful*)
[x] They are 'the chosen one' (Again, nobody knows for sure... Can I half-check one? No? Alright, I'll check it.....)
[ ] They have insomnia (She doesn't have insomnia, she just doesn't need as much sleep as most other people! I'm not checking this one, as insomnia is indicative of a disorder, which she does not have.)
Overall points: 12
Take points off your OCs overall score if they fit any of the following statements:
[ ] They smoke
[ ] They are an alcoholic
[ ] They are overweight
[ ] They are addicted to drugs
[x] They have a short temper (Yep! She flies off the handle at a moment's notice. Actually, she may be a bit bi-polar...)
[ ] They enjoy bullying others
[ ] They do not care much about others
[ ] They are emotionless
Point Reductions: 1
Final score: 11
Results: Balanced Character (actually a bit of a surprise. I always thought Riana was a bit Mary-Sue. I should find another dozen assessments and average the results to get a better sample.... I'll uh.... get right on that, and get back to y'all...)
___________________________________________
< 5 Anti-Sue
Your character may be a bit on the boring side. Of course, this does depend, but generally if they are scoring that low, it wouldn't hurt to 'spice them up' a bit ^^
6-15 Balanced Character
If your OC scored around here, then they are probably quite a well-balanced and interesting character. Those scoring in the higher end of this category may be a bit too much though.
16-25 Borderline Mary-Sue
We have a problem. You need to tone your character down. They are most likely a bit annoying to others, too.
26 < Mary-Sue
____________________________________________
Okay, I think that's about it, so I'll leave you with this.
StarFest: April 15-17
GenCon Indianapolis: August 4-7
Mile Hi Con: October 21-23
Catch us there!
End of Line...
[ ] They are possessed by an angel
[ ] They are possessed by a demon
[ ] They are a werewolf/vampire/faerie
[x] They are physically strong.
[x] They have a rare hair/fur color
[x] Their eyes are an unusual color
[ ] This happens to be red
[ ] Their eyes change color
[ ] They have wings
[ ] They can grow extra body parts/shapeshift
[ ] They are immortal (This is unconfirmed and still, as yet, undecided, so I'm not checking it.)
[ ] (if a female) they have large boobs (I've never really specified, so I'm not checking this one either. I leave it in the hands of the individual reader.)
[ ] (if a male) they are very muscular
[x] They are very attractive to the opposite gender. (Probably true. Although she's actually kind of creepy too. She's perfectly symmetrical, which people just aren't meant to be... Checking it just in case.)
[ ] They are telekinetic/pyrokinetic/etc
[ ] They have sixth sense/can mind-read/etc
[x] They have an object of some sort that gives them powers (The artifacts she is collecting give her powers, yes, but none of them are really all that amazing yet.)
[x] They have a special ability/power, but they don't know about it yet (This is a 'kind-of'. Checking it just to be safe.)
[ ] They were bestowed/cursed with these powers
[ ] They are a healer
[ ] They are from a very rich/royal family (Technically, yes, but it really has nothing what-so-ever to do with the story, so not checking it.)
[ ] They don't know that they are from a very rich/royal background
[x] They have lost one/both of their parents
[ ] They ran away from home
[ ] Their parents are cruel, uncaring, abusive etc.
[ ] They witnessed one/both of their parent's death
[ ] They are part angel/demon/faerie/some other mythical creature
[ ] They never knew their parents (Never knew one of them, but they're getting to know one another now, so it's all good. Not checking this one.)
[ ] They were abused/spoiled as a child
[x] They are very attractive to the same gender (at least in one case, thus far. And the same creepiness is likely to apply here as to the opposite gender one. Checking it just to be safe.)
[ ] They have lots of friends/no friends
[ ] They are emo/cutesy
[ ] They look much younger/older than they really are. (She's an elf and a cyborg, so does this really apply? Both are very long lived and remain physically young forever... Not checking this one as it's by race, not some special feature...)
[x] They are currently in a relationship (Yes, but I'm not sure why this applies to this particular case study...)
[ ] They have lots if morals and state them a fair bit for example: 'I would rather be with my friends than with my boyfriend/girlfriend' 'Nothing matters more to me than my friends/family' 'I wouldn't hesitate to die in place of a friend' etc. It's fine if your OC has these beliefs/values, but if they constantly say them out loud/preach them to others, then we have a problem.
[ ] They have a mental disorder
[ ] They have an emotional disorder
[ ] They struggle to stay sane
[ ] They are a psycho
[ ] They have multiple personalities
[x] They are very intelligent (I guess, technically. She has a computer-aided brain. So, yes, she's smart. But she's also very, very dumb..... Checking it, just in case....)
[ ] They have hallucinations (She thinks she has visions, but they aren't. Not checking this one...)
[ ] They can summon spirits/demons/angels etc.
[ ] They have an unusual/unrealistic pet
[ ] They have a guardian spirit
[ ] They have a 'special type' of soul
[ ] Their soul is not the same as them
[ ] They can talk to spirits/ghosts
[ ] Some part of their body glows (only when casting spells... Not checking this one....)
[ ] They have a rare/unusual name
[ ] They were born on an important date, such as New Year's Eve, Midsummers Night, The Winter Solstace etc.
[ ] They have a twin/sibling that they were separated from at birth/a young age
[ ] They are connected with a certain element
[ ] They are connected with a certain animal
[ ] They always dress like a certain 'label'
[ ] They look quite a bit like a character from a popular anime/manga
[ ] They are a race/species that is discriminated against/misunderstood
[ ] They have a certain power that is misunderstood/feared
[ ] They live/lived on the streets at some point in their lives
[ ] They are hiding from someone/something
[ ] They have a rare blood type
[ ] They cry blood
[ ] Certain noises/smells/situations/etc make their powers activate/give them a nervous breakdown
[ ] They are from a different country to where they live
[ ] They are very mysterious/dark
[ ] They are very lively/happy
[x] Their mood changes a lot/very quickly (She is a drama queen at times, yes... Just to be safe...)
[ ] They are very patient
[ ] They are from a long line of (insert profession/power here)
[ ] They have a piece of jewelry/clothing that they always wear
[ ] They have amnesia
[ ] They have some sort of permanent medical condition
[ ] The have a curse upon them
[x] They are involved in some sort of prophecy (Aren't we all though? *Looks hopeful*)
[x] They are 'the chosen one' (Again, nobody knows for sure... Can I half-check one? No? Alright, I'll check it.....)
[ ] They have insomnia (She doesn't have insomnia, she just doesn't need as much sleep as most other people! I'm not checking this one, as insomnia is indicative of a disorder, which she does not have.)
Overall points: 12
Take points off your OCs overall score if they fit any of the following statements:
[ ] They smoke
[ ] They are an alcoholic
[ ] They are overweight
[ ] They are addicted to drugs
[x] They have a short temper (Yep! She flies off the handle at a moment's notice. Actually, she may be a bit bi-polar...)
[ ] They enjoy bullying others
[ ] They do not care much about others
[ ] They are emotionless
Point Reductions: 1
Final score: 11
Results: Balanced Character (actually a bit of a surprise. I always thought Riana was a bit Mary-Sue. I should find another dozen assessments and average the results to get a better sample.... I'll uh.... get right on that, and get back to y'all...)
___________________________________________
< 5 Anti-Sue
Your character may be a bit on the boring side. Of course, this does depend, but generally if they are scoring that low, it wouldn't hurt to 'spice them up' a bit ^^
6-15 Balanced Character
If your OC scored around here, then they are probably quite a well-balanced and interesting character. Those scoring in the higher end of this category may be a bit too much though.
16-25 Borderline Mary-Sue
We have a problem. You need to tone your character down. They are most likely a bit annoying to others, too.
26 < Mary-Sue
____________________________________________
Okay, I think that's about it, so I'll leave you with this.
StarFest: April 15-17
GenCon Indianapolis: August 4-7
Mile Hi Con: October 21-23
Catch us there!
End of Line...
