I figured today would be a total loss when I woke up feeling like someone had punched the back of my throat with a barbed-wire glove. But, I stayed home and rested and dabbled in podcast editing and rested some more, and by the end of the day I felt pretty OK! So I decided to take the plunge tonight and try to finish off the final wave of copy edits to GameSpite Quarterly #1. Mission: accomplished.
I’ve become more and more embarrassed about GameSpite Year One, Vol. 1‘s complete lack of copy editing as the link circulates more about the Internet. The book was never supposed to sell more than a few dozen copies; certainly I didn’t expect it to elicit as much attention as it has. I would have read it over a bit more carefully if I’d known that anyone outside of this site’s readership would ever care. As with so many things about that first book, though, I’ve been forced to chalk it up as a learning experience, a mistake that won’t be repeated. For the first issue of the quarterly magazine, I’ve completed two copy edit passes: one by me in a rough, misshapen proof copy of the book (see above: the cover printing is mis-sized, as you can tell by the way the text bleeds beyond the edges), and one by volunteer Patrick Carr, who wanted to hone his copy edit skillz. Um, I mean, skills.
I’m thoroughly confident in the results. So confident, in fact, that a few minutes ago I uploaded the book and ordered a few copies for myself. However! The book is not yet ready for public dissemination, because (1) I’m still putting the finishing touches on the bonus content for the hardcover edition, and (2) I have vowed to get the last few hardback copies of Year One, Vol. 1 in the mail before I accept orders for the new book. Yeah. They’re still not all in the mail. It’s kind of embarrassing. But with this issue completed, my weeknights and weekends will again be slightly more free, so I can get back to all my other obligations. Maybe one of these days I’ll even try to enjoy some free time, who knows.
Anyway, the end is in sight, and I’m pretty happy about it. A lot of people put a lot of effort into this thing, and the results are much better than the previous book. Think of this as Mega Man 2 to the previous volume’s Mega Man. Don’t worry, I’m going to try to put the kibosh on the parallels before we hit the equivalent of Mega Man 4.
Sorry if I have been going on about this thing too much. It’s basically all I’ve been doing with my spare time these past few weeks, so I don’t have much else to write about. Um… howsabout that E3, huh? Yep.
I do hope you intend to keep offering Gamespite in print, I’m very excited to get a copy of this!
Looks great! Should we expect the order link to go live before or after E3 (I ask because I know that you’re swamped during the next couple weeks with “official” work)?
Is that neutral color of the hardback version’s cover supposed to be representative of the funky dirty-eggshell-and-cigarettes color of the original Game Boy casing? If so, that’s the hot shit.
Perhaps you should say “Megaman 5” just to be sure to get a game where most people were feeling the fatigue.
I initially read the edit note in your picture as “This phrase should be less pretentious,” which made me chuckle a bit, ’cause that’s just a little bit pretentious.
I’m really looking forward to this, still have to get the first one, but my love for the Game Boy means this thing is going to be a must buy for me.
Mudron: Actually, it’s more of a dirty green, like the screen.
flamecondor: Wow, you’re not kidding about loving the Game Boy. I dig your blog series.
Sigh, I *liked* Megaman 4. Pharaoh Man for life.
parish: Thanks man glad you like it.
Looks great! I’m holding my order for the Vol.1 to save on the delivery charge so I’d like to know if it will be possible to order Gamespite Year One and this one in the same time?
BTW, thanks for the passion you put in all the Retronauts Podcats and in Verbal Spew, it’s really inspiring.
PS: Pardon my english, I’m French and I’m a better reader than writer.
The Mega Man 4 hate has got to stop! Its more consistent than Mega Man 3 and has none of the technical issues. You can start the razzing with Mega Man 5. I have spoken.
I believe the shipping cost for two books is no more expensive than the shipping for one… maybe a small amount more, but it’s definitely cheaper to pick up more than one book at a time.
This may sound crazy, but on the Hardcover’s still available?
I couldn’t find a link. I may have missed out.
Sorry, chief, the old hardcovers sold out ages ago. They’ll probably be available indefinitely for the quarterly.
Awesome with the hardcovers, I would kick myself if I missed out on the hardcover of this. May as well pick up both issue one and this at the same time i guess.
I noticed the Twitter feed said the final edit of the book was uploaded to Blurb yesterday. Any idea when orders will go live?