Tanstaafl Press

04/01/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ySowMrqxpk

Alright, my fellow story seekers and magic lovers—my guest is pure fantasy gold! 🎥✨Fantasy fans, get ready! On this episode of Gimme 5, we’re joined by the...

02/03/2025

I've been doing business with KDP (or its predecessor) for over a decade. While there have been a couple of minor hiccups, their customer support has been able to resolve them in VERY short order.

With that preface, I think you know where I'm going with this. I have a brand new book "Weddings and War," book 4 of the Monarchy of America series. I had it loaded onto KDP and ready for purchase on Jan 1. I ordered books so I would have them for RadCon (Feb 14-16) where I am the Publisher Guest of Honor.

The books were originally due 1/27. This was a little longer than normal (I usually have books in 3 weeks, not 4). No message at all until 1/27 when they said, oh, we'll get it to you between 2/6 and 2/10. Now it normally takes 7 calendar days from when they ship it. Today is 2/2 and they haven't shipped the books yet. So, you can understand my concern.

If that isn't troubling enough, because of book schedules, this would be the only NEW title I would have at the convention where I'm publisher GOH... sad. AND this one may not even be available.

I just got transferred to 4 different people who all had no clue. They escalated and will respond in 24hrs. Prior to this in another call, someone told me "Technical difficulties" but I'd have it by the 10th. To quote Colonel Potter from M*A*S*H, "Horse Hockey!"

10/16/2024

Does this make any sense at all? Not that I care, but it seems nonsensical.

08/12/2024

After 3 months on the road, I'm home safe and sound!!! (even though I had two close calls within two hours of home)

08/08/2024

More on The Great Road Trip of 2024 here:

7/18                      Kettering to Louisville, KY              149 miles Other than the insanity of highway 75/71 through Cincinnati, the drive was unremarkable. The usual number of people trying to jump the queues, people turning without signaling, and the like...

07/23/2024

Here is a great one for all you vendors out there. Did a show in Kentucky called OMG!Con. Part of my vendor packet was a form showing the the requirement to pay state taxes.

As a dutiful vendor at the close of the show, I filled out the form and sent in a check to cover my collected taxes.

Now, like a month or so later, KY is calling me saying I need to fill out a temporary vendor permit (after the fact) so that they can do jeopardy assessments for taxes that weren't paid.

So, remember.. already paid but... Government... home to puerile, below average, and broken minds.

07/20/2024

Not a lot ambiguity here. First test... I had this by 2 minutes of 10. I have COVID on the road... Can we say suckage?

07/18/2024

More about The Great Road Trip here:

7/4         Bartlesville to Overland Park, KS                193 miles Before I left, I had an experience… all of the water was out in our park. A water main had broken and they were repairing it. Fortunately, I was able to wait it out. They were all over it and had it fixed...

06/29/2024

Yet more on The Great Road Trip of 2024. Lots of surprises in this episode.

6/21-6/23 SoonerCon Norman, OK SoonerCon is my kind of convention! Lots of attendees. Lots of things to do (panels, workshops, cosplay contests, and even some after-dark more “adult” entertainment [a geeky burlesque and a drag show and more]). I managed to stay up long enough one night to catch ...

06/20/2024

So, more on 2024's Great Road Trip can be found here: https://tanstaaflpress.com/2024/06/20/tgrt-2024-cont/

Come listen to me deal with more drama than any vendor should put up with :P

6/14-6/16 OMG!Con Owensboro, KY Now, back to your regularly scheduled conventions. Owensboro on my part was something of a lark. I’d been waitlisted so I had no space at the show. But, if you’ve done as many shows as I have, there are always one or two vendors that drop out at the last minute [....