Today ends a couple day's long layout/design marathon, putting finishing touches on books by aimee herman, Krystal Languell, Carrie Hohmann, and a collab by Jill Darling, Laura Wetherington, and Hannah Ensor. The weather has turned colder, so I feel like everything is diving back under cover, back to work, the winter mind that just pushes on through through the snow and distractions. We are close to actually being on schedule, for once, with releases, so I am hoping to hunker down and make it happen. (It's always easy to get back ahold of the reigns this early in the year, though not so much later on.)
Already, we are getting ready for our open reading period this summer. Already making some prep for a possible inclusion in a panel on chapbooks for AWP (with the likes of Eireanne Lorsung, Molly Sutton Kiefer, Rachel Moritz & Paige Riehl..) Already estimating how many titles I can conceivably take on for 2015 without killing my printers and having a nervous breakdown. We already have some books lined up by previous authors and a handful things that have been solicited that will be coming in I know I want, so it may be a tighter squeeze. I'm hoping to keep up with my reading on a rolling basis so I don't get slammed in the fall. As long as the submissions pool remains relatively the same size as the past couple of years, I should be able to handle it. Other readers to help with the load are always an option, but it makes my control freak all itchy to think of it. I'm way too proprietary when it comes to certain things..but I've accepted this.(of course, since it's me who will be laying out, battling the printer, folding, stapling, trimming, and promoting the books we take on, I indulge myself absolutely.
Otherwise, in addition to birthday festivity planning (the usual obsessing over party dresses, margaritas, mexican food) this week I'm also getting ready for the CPL's Poetry Fest where we'll be hawking some wares at a table in the lobby of Harold Washington Library if you happen to find yourself downtown on Saturday afternoon...
