Tea with McNair

• an inspiring life

And a perspiring "Day In the Life" of John Lasseter (Pixar Animation Studios co-founder and Grand Creative Poobah.) Lasserter was just examined by a team of top medical and forensic specialists who declared John the World's Oldest Child.

This documentary is short, informative, educational, and most inspiring.

• hatch! second edition arrives next week

My publishing partner called today to strategizes shipping second edition copies of HATCH! directly to me to have with me at the Writing for the Soul writers conference next week at the BROaDMOOR Hotel here in "The Springs." (Still not to late to register and join us here in the Rockies, 14-17 March at WFTS Conference.)

    In getting ready to go to press with the second edition a few of us re-read the text. I read at a modest rate on a regular basis, but slowed it down even more to double check the HATCH! text for pot holes (missing words: found three) and grammarical errors. (Am I the only writer in the English language that is bothered by the "fact" that grammar as a noun inherits a magic "t" when it morphs into an adjective?) I also found a subtitle that was set as a part of the text in my favorite, elegant Goudy Old Style and not our playful subtitle font "Desiger" (not misspelled)

    There were more than a few passages I might like to have reshaped, shortened, move this paragraph up two slots and jettison that graph all together. But in noe of those instances would the improved the objective of the chapter in any measurable way. Chances are when I read it again—if I read it again—I would have given thought to reverting to the original configuration. 

    In more than a few spots I was reminded of the prolixity of my phraseology. Ah ...yeah. As the ever-malpropian Mayor Shinn in The Music Mann is wont to say, "Watch you phraseology!"

    That's why our beneficent Creator fashioned editors on the eighth day of Creation—following a nap.

    To all who jump in and bought signed copies of the first edition you have a book that is full, reich, remarkable version of what I believe about human creativity as a team process (a.k.a. brainstorming.) I like to think those first editions will, in some way become collector's copies. There were full six typos caught on the back cover by my friend Mr. B'Jenkins within the first hour after I dropped off a copy at his Writing Stable. I'm glad he found (and we fixed) those bits as well.

    First Edition Trivia: There was one tiny graphic anomaly on the front cover. Likely most will only spot with a side-by-side comparison of the first and second edition. It probably only bothered me and my co-designing partner Prof. Simpich of Old Colorado City. It was, however tiny, worth adjusting. Thank you, Lisa!

    Through all this, from our first breakfast at Village Inn, through numerous parking lot hand offs of computer disks, checks, and other pre-press items, my new friend Karen Pickering has been patient, detailed (though never condescending) and thorough. As V.P. and Director of Operations for Book Villages I first contacted her merely to assist me in securing copyright and and ISBN number. She was willing and more than capable of doing just that, Then she told me about the full compliment of services they offered in the burgeoning world of what is now called "DIY" (do it yourself) publishing. The Book Villages team has decades—maybe centuries—of publishing experience that includes years in the trenches at David C. Cook, Nav Press and others. BV is producing a wide array of items from colorful gift books to tradition hard cover, dust jacketed tomes and softcover twins as well as e-books. (Fear not, "eHATCH!" is coming.)

    Prior to connecting with Karen Pickering and Book Villages I had looked at other outfits to produce the actual hard copy editions of HATCH! My book designer (interior), Lisa Barnes/Niddy Griddy Design connected me with Karen.

    After nineteen rejections from "all the right publishers" it was literary agent, Mark O, Sweney, that first said, "This book needs to be in print! Do whatever you can, McNair to get it out there." We even had some enthusiastic editors, at big publishing houses in New York who were excited about HATCH! Alas, the way in is getting narrower and narrower. They were unable to convince the "committee" to green light little brainstorming treatise.

    So next week the new and modestly improved (fixed) edition of HATCH! will be here. There are still copies of the soon-to-be-a-collector's-item first edition available, but hurry.

    My preferred way for you to get HATCH! is through the exciting new Givington's, the "Generosity Shop" online story. Along with most of the latest and recent best sellers, they carry great coffee, mugs, gifts and fashions (mostly hand-crafted from the third world) Givington's donates 50% of their profits to a charity you select on their site. The launched on "Black Friday" and are growing quickly and enormously as friends to friends. Thier prices are on par with other online book stores, but none are giving to important causes like the ones on the Givington's site.

    Thanks to all who have posted reviews on "Amazonk"—I am greatly encouraged by your words on my words. If you have not yet weighed in, go now Amazon/Hatch.

    My new email newsletter will launch soon and I hope to include snap shots of readers with HATCH! in interesting, curious, and dangerous places.