The Writing Life: Proof Copies, Contracts, Release Date Given for Awesome Museum

Today brings some of the ancillary aspects of writing, the major bit being to go over proof sheets from CEMETERY RIOTS for “The Re-Possessed” (cf. May 5, et al.), my tale of the business side of Victorian funerals.  First, to be sure, one must find an honest undertaker — but then the bereaved must be certain that he is honest himself as well.  If things stay on schedule the book is expected later this month, so corrections, if any, should go back tonight.

Then, unrelated, an acceptance and contract came today, the latter of which must be read over, signed, and popped into the mail tomorrow.  For what, one may ask?  But here’s the odd part.  That must be a secret, at least for a few days in deference to other writers who may still be awaiting word.  Which is fair enough.  So stay tuned and, in time, all will be revealed.

And then, speaking of timetables, I now have an expected release date for “Bubba Claus Conquers the Martians” and Upper Rubber Boots Books’s THE MUSEUM OF ALL THINGS AWESOME AND THAT GO BOOM (cf. March 17, et al.).  “Bubba Claus,” of course, is a Christmas story — in this case one that also has zombies — and so, for visions of sleighs and snow (or at least a space shuttle) in the height of summer, it’s slated for publication next month on July 26.