Skyblaze is being packed for shipping; already around 1/5 of the preordered books are either out the door or packed to go by Saturday, March 12. I'm packing around some writing chores and around physical therapy sessions -- progress is being made. At the same time we're also digging out some of the oldest SRM orders that got backlogged while the heart issues were first being dealt with. Thanks much for your patience as we get these things sorted out. New orders for Skyblaze will be taken as soon as the backlogged pre-orders are shipped. Watch the catalog for news.





SRM Publisher's catalog will be undergoing some changes in the next two weeks -- in particular we will be clearing out many of the "leftover" Meisha Merlin books still on hand, which are being superseded by by numerous and current Baen editions. Expect that changes to hit starting around March 15.

I wake today to discover that, while I was sick, I missed a communication. Yep, I apparently missed a communication from SRM's ISP ... and that the catalog website is currently down as a result. We are working to return the catalog to functionality at the usual location. This will teach me to carefully list *every address* I write to from a PO Box in case I change the PO Box ... dealing with this will be today's first order of business after finishing my second cup of coffee.

Meanwhile, I did manage to get to the office briefly yesterday afternoon after a morning run to the printer in Augusta (through driving snow and wind). The heat's been turned back up and I'm ready to take on the doctor's suggested half days for the next couple days ... once the webstuff gets back together.

Yes, orders are still behind. I've got a half dozen to take to the PO on my way *in* to the office today; I'm also going to be checking in with a local store owner to see if their part-time might be available for some sidework while I get caught up.

Hello,

Steve Miller here -- I'm publisher at SRM Publisher.





I apologize to those of you waiting for orders -- many are behind schedule. That's because I run a one person office in Waterville and I'm not in and haven't been in for over a week, doctor's orders. Ignoring the cough and 102 degree fever in favor of packing things didn't work so I'm on a rest-and-drugs regime for this week.

Snail mail, phone calls,and email are pretty far behind; I hope to get back to work Monday the 25th, which means I'll still be behind for sometime thereafter. Repeated emails to multiple addresses won't get answered sooner than single queries and may end up in the spam filters, slowing response for everyone.

This is not an optimal situation, but it is where things stand. Please bear with me.

Steve Miller,
SRM Publisher Ltd.

Right, we're still mailing Halfling Moon -- the bulk of overseas and Canadian orders are shipped. I'm shipping, as much as possible, by order date, though we did run out of one size of mailer which means some of the multi-book orders are waiting for mailers If your order for Halfling Moon was made after November 15 and was for US delivery it likely has not been mailed yet. If it contained orders for multiple copies and was made before November 15 it may still be waiting for mailers.

This also means if you made an order around Christmas or later it is likely that your order will take an extra 10 days or so to get to you while we clear out the 100s of back orders due to late delivery of Halfling Moon.

We've got word that the first several hundred copies of Halfling Moon should be available for us Monday, afternoon, December 28, with the rest possibly following behind before New Year. Please understand that if I pick the books up on Monday afternoon nothing will get shipped until late Tuesday at the earliest, and that packing takes time, especially since so many orders are combined orders.  Additionally, since we sign the pre-orders, signing takes time and energy -- Sharon is in physical therapy, recovering from a rotator-cuff injury, and the therapist is quite clear that the phrase "no pain no gain" is not what she should be concentrating on here.

We'll be starting with the earliest orders,and getting them out as reasonably as we can.

I'm waiting for a phone call from our print house; the color cover proof for Halfling Moon is being run yet again, and may happen today. I supposed the transition from B&W to color covers to be easier by far than it has been -- combined with the attempt to go to a faster schedule without having an in-house assistant the results have been dismaying at best. Once the proof is approved printing can go forth, but the color covers take much longer to do, given the different drying time, than the b&w did.

At this point this page is your best source for information on when Halfling Moon and combined orders including Halfling Moon will be shipped. Forgive me, but the chance of any of these orders arriving in time for Christmas is small. I'm doing what I can to keep the SRM Publisher staff (that's me, myself, and I) upbeat and on top of other orders but the running back, and forth from Waterville to the printer is time consuming.

I'll update this when I have firm information.**

Well, not a firm update, but I did get to see the proof and rather than delay things any more for the relatively minor item I saw (crossing fingers there's not more!) I went ahead and approved it for printing. The word is that they may be able to get a start on late Monday or early Tuesday, but with the drying time top consider there's not much chance we'll see anything until the week after, given Christmas week is a short week for the print staff.

As of midnight November 15, here are the Top Ten sellers at srmpublisher.com for first half of November
1	Halfling Moon by Sharon lee and Steve Miller
2	Misfits by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
3	Eidolon, Adventures in the Liaden Universe Number 14
4	Dragon's Bones by James A. Hetley
5	Liaden Universe ® Companion Volume 2 trade paperback
6	Dragon Tide, Adventures in the Liaden Universe Number 13
7	Liaden Universe Companion Volume 1 mass market
8	Plan B
9	Crystal Dragon trade paper
10	Balance of Trade

On the Year to date, the top 10 sellers through November 15 are:

1	Misfits by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
2	Halfling Moon by Sharon lee and Steve Miller
3	Eidolon, Adventures in the Liaden Universe Number 14
4	Dragon Tide, Adventures in the Liaden Universe Number 13
5	Double Vision by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
6	Liaden Universe ® Companion Volume 2 trade paperback
7	Liaden Universe Companion Volume 1 mass market
8	Allies, Adventures in TheLiaden Universe ® Number 12
9	Calamity's Child
10	Partners in Necessity by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

I'd like to point out that we snuck Double Vision in pretty quick when there was a break in the schedule -- you may want to rush right over and make sure you have one for you and one for a gift come the holidays!

Also, watch for a sneak peek at the cover for The Fox in The Attic later this week ...

We're pleased and relieved that James A. Hetley's Dragon's Bones is safely returned from the printer and is available for sale

at the SRM Publisher catalog site...


We're also working on the next two chapbooks -- The Fox in the Attic, by Jean Ann Pollard, due in December, and Halfling Moon, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, due late this month. Halfloong Moon, is of course, Liaden Universe Adventure.

Our next chapbook, Misfits, is at the printer for a hardcopy proof, which I hope to see Wednesday. Assuming all is well then, we'll be able to print by the end of the week and begin shipping next Monday, the 28th. You can still preorder at srmpublisher.com.

The chapbook beyond that, Dragon's Bones, by James A. Hetley, is in process and will be getting to the proof network shortly -- it is due in October. it will be available for preorder within the next ten days.

The Yule, 2009 Lee and Miller chapbook has been titled Hafling Moon, and is set to have two stories: Hidden Resources and Moon on The Hills ... it is set for a November publication date.

The Fox in The Attic, by Jean Ann Pollard, is due in early December.

Watch for upcoming sales in time for the winter holidays.

WorldCon Wow!

This week -- starting Thursday -- is Worldcon # 67, in Montreal. Called Anticipation, this one ought to be a good time for all those eastern folks who couldn't make it to Denver or Japan, as well as the folks who never miss a Worldcon. We're glad to be going!

Schedules --

SRM Publisher will be at WorldCon -- watch for our Saturday presentation if you'll be there.
Officially that looks like:
When: Sat 12:30 Location: P-524C
Title: SRM Publisher
All Participants: Steve Miller, Lawrence Schoen, Thomas Easton

...and yes, still not sure what we'll be doing besides a show and tell, discussion of small press publishing, perhaps reading form
SRM Publisher titles... this will be a wildly informal thing, and I hope you'll be there. We may also have news about the Friends of Liad breakfast set for Sunday, if all goes well.

Coupons --

and what's a convention with a show special? Since the customs maze looked a little hard for us to navigate at the same time we were finishing several books as writers *and* as publisher, we won't have a table. BUT -- yes, but, we still have a show special. Watch for the postcards with a coupon code on the back, good for discounts at the srmpublisher.com website. Yes, because we won't be at the convention selling books directly, we've decided to share the show specials with anyone with the coupon code .. and ... that coupon code
is Worldcon Wow  ... yes, Worldcon Wow ... remember it: Worldcon Wow .

So the way that works is that through August 15 we'll give anyone ordering thought the SRM Publisher website a 20% discount on anything in the catalog, including the Misfits subscription. Since the entire staff of SRM Publisher will be at Worldcon, we won't be shipping until after August 15.  IF YOU DO NOT ORDER THROUGH THE INTERNET WE WILL TAKE COUPON CODE ORDERS BY MAIL THAT ARE POSTMARKED BY AUGUST 16.

Oh ... right... Misfits should appear in late September -- we're going through final proofing this month, I promise. Really! This will be the first print editon of the novella that has only appeared in electronic format to date.

Blogs --

Our hotel charges for internet access, but we expect to be online at least every other day during the convention and our personal blogs as well as this one may be updated (or not) as time permits. News when we have it.