The Delay with Scary Mary print edition

I'm having issues with the printing of my cover with Lulu. I'm working with them to resolve it, but it is definitely slowing things up.


Here's what the cover is supposed to look like:

This is what I got from Lulu today:

The details of her hair is missing and I can't see the strap across her chest. Everything looks much murkier.

This is the second proof I had done. The first one was darker with less detail, though I could be at fault for a little of that by making the image bluier the first time, but I'm beginning to suspect that the printers do not handle dark covers well. I also wish, wish, wish that we could get them printed in matte instead of glossy. Dark covers are not helped at all by a glossy finish.

Now I'm waiting on Lulu to respond to my help request. I may just have to print another proof. But I hope not. I'm tired of waiting on this, but I do want to get it right.

Working, I swear!

I've developed a nasty aversion to word processors. I can't bring myself to sit and type. I've been writing by hand instead, but the computer is looking less and less like a writing tool to me. I think part of the problem is that I stare at the damn computer all day at work. Today, I wrote thirty freaking emails to different people, most of them in response to something they sent me. I can't come home and stare at text on screen after that all day.

I'm waiting on another proof of SM from Lulu. They messed up the cover the last time, but they nicely refunded me, and I uploaded a new image that hopefully won't be confounded by the printers.

I'm working on a cover for UB for its eventual print run, though I haven't done the first bit of editing on that story. I'm playing with a detail of Gustave Moreau's painting The Unicorns. Not saying the cover will look anything like this in the end, but it's my first idea.