Ilona Andrews posted this about her morning, so I thought I’d add my own version of events ;). This could be the start of a joke called “How Many Emails Does It Take To Finalize A Convention Booklet?” The answer would be LOTS.
I’ll start off by copying Ilona’s format on her blog. So, Jeaniene, you were up at 7:30am. Did you start writing right away?
No.
Why not?
Because I am one of the Host authors for Nola StoryCon and it was my job to proofread the convention booklet before we finalize it for printing. After carefully looking it over last night, I sent this email to fellow Host author and BFF Ilona Andrews. As you can see, I start out with a laughable amount of confidence.
Me last night: Here is the proof of the convention booklet! I’ve looked it over and everything’s great. Isn’t it pretty?
Ilona’s reply this morning. Why am I the only Host author without an ad in it?
Me: (stupidly replying before my first cup of coffee, hence my brain is still asleep): Oh, it’s there. Your publisher did it. *Then, AFTER I sent the email and drank my coffee, it finally occurs to me to double-check the booklet. Wouldn’t you know it, there’s no ad for Ilona in it!
Me: *emails designer* Hold off on sending this in for finalization! We’re missing an ad.
Me: *emails Ilona again* Okay, my bad. Your publisher didn’t do the ad and you might have forgotten to send it in because you’ve been so busy. Looks, here is where I emailed you last month reminding you to do the ad. :::smugly encloses screenshot:::
Ilona’s reply: And here is where I sent you the finished ad last month. :::encloses screenshot that deflates my prior smugness:::
Me: Oh sh*t! SO sorry. All right, send me the ad again and I’ll put it in the booklet.
Ilona: *sends the ad*
Me: *Forwards the ad to the designer* Here we go, we’re all set now!
Ilona: *emails again 20 minutes later* Wait, I need to redo the ad!
Me: *emails designer* Hold off on the ad for Ilona! A new one is coming.
Ilona: *sends new ad an hour later*
Me: *doing other work, doesn’t notice it*
Ilona: *20 minutes after sending new ad* Wait, I have the date wrong! I have to send you a new ad!
Me: *snickering because now I don’t feel so bad about screwing up before*
Ilona: *20 minutes later again* Wait, the date isn’t centered right! Hold off on sending. I need to do another ad!
Me: *snickering again because Ilona is SUCH a perfectionist when it comes to things like this*
Ilona:*calling me instead of emailing this time* Okay, NOW I have the right ad! Delete all my other emails. This latest one is the winner.
Me: *sends latest ad to designer* Okay, we’re finally good to go now!
Designer’s reply: YOU SURE?
And that, dear friends, is how many emails (and phone calls!) it apparently takes to properly proofread a convention booklet. As you can imagine, Ilona and I won’t be quitting our day jobs any time soon to become full-time event planners ;).
I love hearing how BIG authors like you and Ilona have some of the same issues that us little up and coming authors have. Only on a much BIGGER scale!!!
Even though written in the same format, I love the differences in your styles. You explain with asterisks and details while she add a dragon picture. Both effective and both fill me with warm fuzzies since this is why you guys are my favorite authors.
I cannot wait for Nola Storycon!
NolaStoryCon will be my much needed fun break in between me moving cross country and redoing a house. Cannot wait to hug you all.
The two of you (three) are so amazing! Im so excited for storycon and am sure no matter what yall do it will be amazing!
You both crack me up!
After all that I’m amazed you are still friends! Good thing!
Ilona stalker-fan here. You have no idea how much I want to see that booklet. Now I need to dig up a friend in NO and see if they are going to the convention and then see if they can snag a spare booklet for me. You guys kill me 🙂
So excited for NOLA! Can’t wait to see you all there!
Funny, funny. Wish I could go and meet yall, have fun!! Right now I’m re-reading your Vladimir books they are awesome!! Safe travers too. Cheer, Meliss
I wrote Vlad, but auto correct spelled it wrong along with my fat finger of cheer which should be Cheers! I lived in Scotland for a while and I think it is more “happy” plus cheerio is great;)
Truly wonderful that two of my favourite authors are BFF:)
This was a good giggle to start my rather busy morning on. I love reading some of the stuff you two get up to! 🙂
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed reading both sides of this! I needed a good laugh today and I got it.
Fyi-Night Prince series. I just finished re reading all of the books and what an enjoyable roller-coaster ride they were. I love the intricate personalities you have made for Vlad and Leila. I love Vlad’s perspective and Leila’s spunk and she is a perfect match for Vlad. Bound by Flames must have been a hard book to write due to all the hardships the characters had to experience. Thank you for taking the time to do it so well. Lastly, even when you have to deal with dark subjects you do intermingle some humorous scenes into your books, and if my family is around they often wonder why I start laughing out loud all of a sudden while reading. Thus it’s my pleasure to tell them reading is better than tv and they need to sit and read to see what I mean. Have a great weekend and I hope you are feeling better. Cheers!
Thanks so much for the kind words! Reminds me of what author Charlaine Harris once said:”Here’s to reading, the cheapest vacation you can buy.” 🙂
I’ll high five Charlaine on that one! I’m a little addicted to reading. Cheerio!
Wait actually your books are so well written that I totally sympathize with the characters feeling sad, mad, and happy. Actually when reading a humorous scene, it has made me guffaw, or sometimes yelp in surprise and then laugh with my shoulders shaking uncontrollably, that those happy endorphins have been released through out my body. Cat and Bones book 2 the wedding scene particularly comes to mind 😉 Take care
I love both Ilona and Jeaniene books. And this cracks me up to no end. Don’t worry conversations love this happen all the time. Love you both. Now I’m trying to figure out how to get this pamplet.
Sigh I would so love to go to NOLA to see so many of my favourite authors all in one place…but the plane flight would be a bit long to justify it…If I was already going to the States I would so be there.
I agree I wish I could go to the event but I can’t this year. Maybe when my daughter is older I can bring her to 1. She’s just started to read YA books and she was surprised that I had read The Lunar Chronicles ha ha ha. Anyway Im glad y’all are putting on the event and we know it involves a lot of behind the scenes work. Cheers
*giggles
You should see my other half before coffee. It’s actually pretty funny. After coffee, he’s an engineer. Having done some events and event planning for a local charity, I can appreciate staring at something multiple times throughout a day and missing an obvious error.
Thankfully, there’s ice cream. 🙂
Have a good one!
Roseann