LCCN

Got some advice that it would probably be good to get an LCCN (Library of Congress Control / Card / Catalog Number- I've heard it called all three). Application for the LCCN must be completed before the book is published. The process takes a few days but this should be the last stop on the road to release. Having an LCCN makes the book more accessible to school and public libraries. Submitting the application for an LCCN also means that a copy of the book will be sent to THE Library of Congress for archiving. There is no guarantee the book will be accepted into the library's collection, still, I will receive the number (which is worth while). I'm expecting my LCCN will arrive in the next five days, then I will have to submit and approve the final version, a process that takes @48 hours.

This extra time that I didn't expect to have has allowed me to make a few final color tweaks and to add some additional content. The printed book will now include a section with images for arts and crafts. Each page has been labeled 'okay to duplicate' so educators should also be able to make use of these without issue. Each 'crafts' page suggests copying and cutting out the picture and includes a warning that cutting should never be done without an adult present. I hope everyone likes these a lot and finds interesting things to do with them all!

Fingers Crossed

The third proof order is supposed to arrive later today. With all the effort that went in to the print revisions I'm really, REALLY hoping it will be 'production-ready'. So today I will be impatient, try to work on other projects, basically anything to occupy the time between now and when UPS arrives...

First Edition Discounted

I'm dropping the prices on all of my Galloree designs for a while. This is partly in anticipation of the second edition images which are coming soon, and partly because the first samples we received were very dark. Most of the images printed just fine but the witch appears almost in grayscale and much of her detail is lost. So, to keep it simple, everything's been reduced. Some of the 1st Edition images will be removed from the store when the second editions are added so if you want a black, black cat, or a dark, dark witch, now is the time to get them.

I've also dropped the prices at the CAT Press store for the time being.

First Galloree order arrived today...

We ordered test prints on Tote Bags and Sweatshirts of the witch and Jack.
The order was placed Feb. 24 making the turnaround @11 days, pretty quick!

The XL sweatshirt is a good size for me, it's a little too big on Mom. The quality of the shirt is very good. The hood (when it's down) just barely touches the top of the printed design on the back, as planned.

The tote bags are nice and big and they seem good and sturdy.

These were created with artwork from the 1st Edition so they are a little darker than I would like, but some people may prefer the dark design so these will be updated / renamed as "First Edition (Dark)" and I may limit the colors of products the images can be applied to.

So over the next few days I'll be making new designs using 2nd Edition images and applying them to the Galloree shop. Each will include "Second Edition (Lighter)" in it's name or description.

We also ordered a coffee mug with Widget, the snow dog to commemorate the record snowfall of 2015 and it looks really great, vibrant print on a diner style (straight side) 15 oz mug. Super happy with it!

delivery date...

Should arrive mid-week.
This is going to be proof for a "Second edition First time in print".

Final(?) Proof... Ready!

Oh my, it is so different!
Pretty much every page has undergone a major overhaul... in a roundabout way.
There has also been a lot of formatting done to accommodate the printing requirements of a broader variety of distribution channels.
End result?
-It looks very, very nice. I think I may actually be able to go to sleep when my head hits the pillow tonight.
How will it look in print?
-I am hoping my printer has given me a pretty accurate representation of what I can expect from the printing team. I've printed, revised, and printed again just about every page. Each time cleaning up images and tuning in the various adjustments to make it print in brighter colors and with better definition.
What now?
-It will take about (another) week to get this proof back. In the meantime I'll try to get some of the revised images into the Galloree shop as designs so they can be applied to anything.

Rounding Home...

Been hammering out the print issues with Halloween and thinking maybe another day or two to finish dialing it in. Most of the pages have been lightened a lot, and they've also been sharpened up to hold that detail. I've got maybe another half day's of planned fixes planned at this time, and all day tomorrow to think of more. If I don't find any new issues I'll be sending off -with fingers crossed- the 'final' proof order.

-wish me luck and inspiration