My book is finished.

There is still a lot to do. The illustrator suggested I create an account on createspace. It allows you to market the book as either a paperbook or an ebook. They are hooked in with Amazon so it's a really good setup. I started the process but I'm going to step back for a few reasons.

First, create space only does paperback. I really wanted this as hard cover. But I think I can do that later with either a local printer or through a different website.

I got sort of confused with the isbn stuff. I think it is sort of a upc. So, I'd have to do a separate one for paperback vs. hard cover vs. ebook. This is, if I choose to sell it this way.

This is all pretty new to me.

Honestly, though, the main reason for me doing this is just because I want to do it. I don't have any sort of dollar signs in my eyes. If it makes a little money, great. I guess if it makes enough for me to pay for the next one, even better. But, I think a lot of this depends on marketing, which I have no clue about.

tbc................

I've been thinking about this blog and how utterly boring it is. Or, how utterly boring I am.

A person that the illustrator works with has given me suggestions on marketing. She says I need a good "about the author" section. Ugh, I just can't do this at all. What is there to say? I'm a software engineer. That's about it. I have no writing history. Well, maybe some but nothing worth mentioning.

I might just leave this blank. Ugh.

Have your wife write it.

Yeah, I thought about that. Good idea. We've only been married a month so I think she still likes me

You're not a software engineer,

Basically Hemingway, amirite?

In the meantime, work continues as usual.

Yesterday my boss pulled me aside and told me I need to start working on this super duper critical project that is already behind because, well, they all are, and it needs to be finished by the end of the week.

Then, my tech lead sent me an email to tell me to work on this other super duper critical project that is already behind, because, well, they all are, and it needs to be finished by the end of the week.

And, a few minutes later, one of the business peoples sent me an email to tell me to work on this other super duper critical project that is already behind, because, well, they all are, and it needs to be finished by the end of the week.

I pinged my boss to tell him I would begin working on getting 2 more brains and 4 more arms asap. He immediately pinged me back to let me know he was on a conference call and sharing his screen so a bunch of people got to see me be snarky.

Bigger your blog is actually very good. Take it from someone who really is utterly boring.

The only boring thing about your blog is when you don't update it TBH.

Really looking forward to seeing the book!

Thanks guys

About 10 or so years ago, I tried to self publish one of my children's stories. The stories are a series and I had this grand vision of doing them all myself. I hired a friend to do the artwork, bought a fancy printer, and tried to do it all. The final product was pretty crude and I wasn't happy with it. This is just the background for today's fun.

I purchased a domain through BlueHost to try to merchandise the book. I sort of forgot about it but they have been charging my credit card all these years and it is actually still an active website. Now that I've jump started the book series again, I thought I'd go edit it and get it up to speed.

Not so fast......

Of course, there is no way I would remember the password. As with with most online accounts, it's pretty easy to reset. They just send you and email with a reset password. The problem is, I no longer have that email address. It was from the cable provider I used in Austin.

I called tech support and they told me, in a lot more words, tough ****. He then proceeded to lecture me on using an email address from a cable provider. He told me I should use gmail or yahoo mail. Thanks, man. He then told me I can try emailing the billing department. So, I did.

I didn't hear anything from billing so I called sales. The guy I talked to was super helpful. He did indicate it eventually had to go through billing but he thought they would just update my email address and be done with it. He put me on hold and called billing, then told me I should hear back from them pretty quickly.

I did.

To add another twist to the story, when I originally set this self publishing stuff up, I tried to set things up as a business. I created a business name and had a PO box and everything. I honestly cannot recall if I went the whole 9 yards on this and got a tax number or not. I don't think so, but it is in the realm of possibility. I do know for a fact that it is not a viable entity anymore if I ever did.

So, I got this lovely email back from BlueHost

So, basically I've been paying (10 years) for a service that I can't use. I might have to hire a lawyer for this one.

I'm wondering if I can get another web hosting service to transfer my domain? Probably not. I'm unsure where to go from here.

Tell them it's not a real business. Is your name on it at all? Usually there are several contacts on a domain. Is your business the contact for all of them? Any other information you can prove? For instance the old address on it?

Yeah, I've told them it isn't a real business.

Just for grins, I contacted godaddy to see how hard it would be to transfer the domain. Answer - hard. It would normally be easy but since the info (i.e. email address) on my registration isn't valid, they basically can't do it. So, the domain is locked in until I can get this straightened out.

I called bluehost again this morning. The sales staff is pretty helpful but they can't do anything themselves. The guy verified that my name is all over the account and he didn't see why it couldn't be fixed but billing has to do it. Billing wasn't in yet, but I'll be calling back soon.

If your name is all over it then it should be doable. Perhaps a scan of your driver's license or something. But I would just keep escalating it until someone can authorize it with the proof you have.

I just got off the phone with yet another sales guy that told me yet another thing to do.

The sales guys are nice and try to be helpful, but this is sooooo frustrating.

Anyway, he informed me that I need to send a picture of my identification (drivers license) to them and it would all be straightened out. I informed him that billing had already requested specific documentation, none of which included my drivers license. He "assured" me that this was all that needed to be done and all would be fixed.

Call me skeptical

My pony is right there with you.

So......

As of right now,

I don't have a boat I've paid for - no word when.

I don't have a book I've paid for - no word when.

I don't have a website I've paid for - no word if, much less when.

You do have a wife and at least she's already there!

Yes, and she's wonderful.

Stuff like this makes my brain hurt.

Website update. Billing sent me this email.

So, I go to the website and click "forgot password" because, well, I still don't know what my password is.

They have updated my email address (Yeah!), so I get the following email.

If you look carefully, you will see that it is the exact same email.

You can't make this **** up.

Update

After yet another lengthy call with BlueHost, I finally got in. Dragon slayed!

The Illustrator finally acknowledged that I've done everything I can and assured me that the guy uploading the book was on it. Dragon wounded?

I never heard back from the boat dealer so I decided to call the place that is putting on the t-top (the boat should be there now). It went straight to voicemail which informed me that his mailbox was full and I couldn't leave a message. Dragon alive and breathing fire.