Week 37 Update
PERSONAL STUFF:
This is kind of a bittersweet week coming up for me.
- On the one hand, I have to leave Carla up here in the North to make the trek back to the Ottawa area for the next three weeks.
- This is so that I can gather my gear and head back up there in a semi-permanent fashion though. Once I have the packing taken care of, I’ll be primed to handle the craziness of a Northern Ontario winter, and I’ll be able to spend most of my free time with her. Which is the big payoff for the short-term heartache.
- In addition to packing, I also have to contend with my taxes and other outstanding red tape that I’ve been dreading for months. An old adage of Mark Oakley’s comes to mind: it would be nice to just throw money at the problem and make it go away. Sadly, we’re still in the bootstrap level of operations, so I have to take care of it myself.
FLASHLIGHT STUFF:
- Trying to keep on top of stuff. I’ve been successfully answering all inquiries within the same day so far, despite the mass of questions. The best part of giving personal attention to these matters though is that the answer is always my words, not an interpretation of them. Teachers have been so supportive of the project and understanding of what we’re providing. It’s totally worth it and I don’t ever want to delegate this part to anyone else.
- The email list is cleaned up and all of the schools that have replied are now removed from it. Ready for round two, as soon as Rob and I can figure out how to resolve some of the bouncebacks and prevent the same thing happening again.
UPCOMING FLASHLIGHT STUFF:
- Once I’m down South I have to prepare a special, password-protected, invitation-only PDF of the entire contents for the Ministry of Education and Curriculum Services to view. I really want them to see what Flashlight Comics Magazine is going to be, so they will be able to confidently explain it to anyone in the Education field who asks them about it.
- Preparing to pitch the book to potential sponsors. Every scrap of information in Guy Kawasaki’s “Art of the Start” has either been insanely useful or reassuring to me because that’s what I’m already doing. I’m planning a trip to Toronto for the week of the 18th to the 24th, and I hope to set up some meetings before I go.
- Also while in Toronto, I hope to get hold of some of the people at the various media outlets [television and newspapers primarily] and let them know how we’re doing now! It’s still within the back-to-school news cycle, so I may entice them a little with what’s occurred since we last spoke.
- Also, that Sunday is The Word on the Street. A super-cool, cross-Canada, day-long outdoor literacy celebration. I haven’t been to this since my self-publishing days, and only as an exhibitor, never as an attendee. There’ll not only be my favourite stuff there [great things to read], but also a lot of people who can help us get the word out… onto the… street.
I can’t believe I wrote that.
UPCOMING PERSONAL STUFF:
- Heading to Toronto also means I get to touch base socially with most of the Ironlungfish Press/Flashlight gang. That’ll be terrific, since they’re some of my best friends, as well as some of the most talented, enthusiastic people anyone could ever have the good fortune of working alongside.
- Finally, the dessert to this great feast. I’ll be heading up North at the end of this and get to spend the rest of my time with Carla.
Life is pretty good, I’d say.