Category: news

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Winding Down The Year

Lioness looking pensive

It’s halfway through October, and creeping ever closer to the day on which I will close the doors on The Scribbling Lion for good. I still have several excellent books in stock, and I’ve set the prices as low as I can afford to drop them; there’s even a coupon on a couple of them, for folks who watch my new YouTube channel or subscribe to my newsletter.

(Haven’t done that yet? Here you go!)

(Legal yadda yadda, consent to contact you via email, etc etc, you know the drill by now)

Since I won’t be going out of state to any conventions at this point, I’ve closed out my sales tax accounts in Maryland, South Carolina, and North Carolina. All that’s left is Virginia. I’ll shut that door at the end of December, after Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, this is an excellent time to clear out my inventory with orders. How about SISTERS OF THE WILD SAGE, a magical collection of stories by Nicole Givens Kurtz? Or CITY OF WEIRD, a fantastical anthology of weird Portland tales? I still have cookbooks, one copy each of THE HEARTHSTONE INNKEEPER’S COOKBOOK and STAR WARS: GALAXY’S EDGE. If you’re more interested in epic fantasy, I have all seven books of the CHILDREN OF THE DESERT series — five main, two side novellas — in stock and ready to ship. I have the second and third books of Angela P Wade’s EDWARD RED MAGE series in stock — if you want the first book, just contact me. It’ll be a bit of a wait, given holiday printing demands, along with shipping mayhem, so order that sooner than later!

Wander through the shop, as there are many more titles to be had than what I can reasonably list here. I’d planned on a busy convention season in 2020!

By the way, if you’re missing convention companionship, take a look at ConTinual, an ongoing virtual convention that’s running over on Facebook. There are panels, and seminars, and meet & greets, and a vendor room, and live performances, just like an in person convention. I’ll be presenting on at least one panel in November, so keep an eye out for that!

In person conventions coming back in 2021 is dubious, in my opinion; the economic reality of many conventions is that they run on such a thin margin that this year has completely destroyed their savings buffer. If they’re lucky, their host hotel released them from the contract and they have a chance at starting up again next year; if not, the funds to run a convention just aren’t there. Also, a high proportion of the vendors, writers, and artists that draw attendance in the first place are just as desperately dry, and are, like The Scribbling Lion, effectively out of business.

So virtual meetings, or much smaller meetings in person, are going to be the way forward at least through 2021, I think. It’s going to be an interesting year….

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End Of The Line

It’s been coming for a while now.

The Scribbling Lion is closing.

(But NOT The Irregular Update!)

(Updates added as of 9/1/2020)

This is a devastating decision for me, but it’s not a surprise. My strength has always been in hand-selling, using face to face conversations and in-person networking to sell stock and raise interest in The Scribbling Lion’s mission of helping small press and indie authors.

With the conventions I count on closing for COVID-19, I’m left with online sales — and I truly just can’t comfortably connect with customers online. There’s too much missing from the conversation when I can’t see faces and gestures.

So at the end of the year, I’m shutting the doors for The Scribbling Lion and moving on to other projects. It’s been a good run. I’ve learned a lot, I’ve made a few people happy, I’ve raised awareness of some excellent authors.

I’ve reopened the web store. I hope you’ll take a moment to browse the inventory and order something! Again, I’m not restocking or back ordering anything, so what you see is all there is.

Most orders will be shipped via Retro Daddio in Williamsburg; locals are welcome to arrange pickup at the store to save on shipping charges*. There may be a delay in shipping times, given the current strain on the USPS and the fact that we only ship via media mail.
(RD is not shipping my stock at this point, I am. I can still arrange a dropoff at RD to save on shipping, but you need to contact me directly for that option.)

*Be aware: RD’s is currently only open by appointment, so advance planning is required to pick up a purchase.

PLEASE: if you run into any trouble ordering, let me know immediately so that I can fix the problem. Twitter is the fastest way to reach me (@scribblinglion), or via email (lioness@thescribblinglion.com). If you call, leave a message, as I don’t answer unknown numbers.

RETRO DADDIO IS ALSO CLOSING AT THE END OF 2020. SHOP THERE NOW!

Atomacon 2020 and GriffinCon 2020 will be my last conventions as The Scribbling Lion.

If those two events fall through, I won’t replace them with anything else. (They fell through.)

My table at Retro Daddio will remain in place until the end of 2020, but I will not be reordering or refilling any stock. (Given circumstances, I have pulled my table from Retro already.)

I will hold to my promise and not return any stock to the authors, unless they specifically request for me to do so. (I hate to break this promise, but I am beginning to return inventory to publishers at this point. )

In December, I will run a closeout sale on anything remaining in inventory; anything left Jan 1 gets donated, probably to a convention.

If you’re interested in anything on my shelves, don’t wait for December. Many items are already down to a single copy, and I’m really hoping that this announcement will prompt a wave of orders.

Q: What happens to Leona R Wisoker’s self-published work when TSL closes?
I am looking into whether to create a new company for my self-published ventures, as I have several more projects in the works as we speak. It would be simpler, in many ways, to separate that from the bookstore. The hardest part will be coming up with a new name!

Q: What happens to The Irregular Update?
This newsletter will continue as before, focusing on great books and writing related news; it just won’t have any buy links. There may be a broader spectrum of information, mainly gardening and cooking. The main theme will remain firmly tied to literature, so as long as that’s what you’re enjoying, stick around!

Q: Why not hold a fundraiser, apply for a small business loan, set up a Ko-fi, or create a Patreon in order to stay in business?
Because I’m not good at those things, and I don’t think they’d bring in enough to help in the long run. Also, I know when it’s time to cut my losses and let go, and this is that time, my friends. As I said above, it’s been a good run. I’m tremendously grateful to all of you for helping The Scribbling Lion stay open this long.

Do you have other questions? Please drop me a line at lioness@thescribblinglion.com, or catch up with me on Twitter (@scribblinglion). I’ll answer as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your support, and please spread the word. I’d very much like to sell out of inventory before the end of the year!

Take care and stay safe,

Leona R Wisoker
lioness@thescribblinglion.com
https://www.thescribblinglion.com

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Congratulations to Devo Spice!

Cover art for album The Anarchist's Jokebook by Devo Spice

“Spider Verses” by Devo Spice, featuring Creative Mind Frame aka 1-Up, Insane Ian, Bonnie Gordon, TV’s Kyle, LEX the Lexicon Artist, and the great Luke Ski is the #1 most requested song of 2019 on The Dr. Demento Show! Read more, and get a coupon for the album, here!

Congratulations to everyone who worked on this song, that’s a huge achievement! Well done!

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The Shop is Back!

The Lioness Is Pleased

I’ve finally gotten enough of the crazed cats to run in a sufficiently straight-ish line to where I am rebooting The Shop. I’m still adding inventory as I have time and energy, and I’m still kicking dust off the edges and making things pretty, but there’s enough there to be going on with for now. Please take a look, let me know what you think, and definitely alert me to any glitches!

Thanks for your help and your support! This is where it gets FUN again!

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Upcoming Stuff!

AtomaCon2018

We’re stretching our legs after a bit of a social-withdrawal nap; Stuff’s Been Going On, you know how it goes. But it’s time to look ahead to the last convention we’ll be appearing at this year: AtomaCon of SouthCarolina! The Scribbling Lion will have a table there, and Leona R Wisoker will be on panels. Other folks to see while at the convention include Gail Z Martin (always an excellent panelist!), John Hartness (I’m considering starting a betting pool on what color his hair will be this time!), Gray Rinehart (definitely go listen to his music performances!), Misty Massey (whose books are on our shortlist of “we want to sell these!”), Nicole Kurtz (also an amazing panelist!), Darin Kennedy (whose work is not on our table ONLY because he’s got his own this time around),  and SO many others. Note that we didn’t mention their writing talents, because, HEY, of course they’re fantastic or we wouldn’t be calling them out by name. They’re all very, very good panelists who truly love meeting their fans and fellow geeks.

The staff at Atomacon are some of the best folks we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, from the standpoint of being a vendor and a panelist. This convention really ought to be on your To Do list this year, if it’s not already. Go follow the convention Facebook page for the latest updates!

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It’s Cookin’!

Feeding The Muse: Recipes For Authors, Recipes By Authors

*kicks door open*

*takes a deep breath*

LET’S GET COOKING!

In just a few days, Feeding The Muse: Recipes For Authors, Recipes By Authors will launch, and I’m mad-squirrelly with excitement. It’s been a long road and a strange one, but the result is incredible: a collection of recipes from nine different authors, each with their own voice and opinion, techniques and priorities. Allen L Wold talks about the role family and travel have had in developing his recipes. Jonah Knight offers tips on managing a healthy breakfast in a hurry. Steven Savage lines up tidy step by step instructions. Then there’s the more “eh, about yay” approach from Leona R Wisoker and Edward Morris. Gail Martin offers up a recipe that would fit just fine into her Deadly Curiosities series. Elektra Hammond’s entry showcases her usual precision and passion. Danny Birt’s recipes are … well, they’re very Danny Birt, is all we can say, and we love them all. Malcolm Gin rounds out the collection with a taste of Hapa Home Cooking.

The recipes range from vegan to completely omnivorous, from simple to complex, from comfort food to something you can throw together in a hotel while at a convention (without stinking out your roomates, even!).  Feeding The Muse is only going to be available in ebook form at this time.

Official release date is July 31. The price is currently set at $1.99; we have no plans to change that for at least a month, but it may go up slightly in October. So grab your copy now, and get ready to enjoy the eclectic kitchen wisdom of the Nine Writers!

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Cookbook Progress!

Feeding The Muse: Recipes For Authors, Recipes By Authors

I haven’t been shouting about it yet, but those folks in the know have been asking about when Feeding The Muse: Recipes For Authors, Recipes By Authors, is going to launch. I’m delighted to report that the last few learning curves have been rounded, and the last few wrinkles are being ironed out. IN OTHER WORDS, my ever-shifting deadline (remember, Those Who Knew, I’d originally planned this for January? HAH.) — is growing roots. I’m not going to tempt Fate (I’ve already irritated the Muses, and god help me if I annoy Fate one more time!) by setting out a hard date, but I’ll lean in and whisper: very soon now. Very, very soon.

Here’s the cover art. I can give you that much. And a few snips of what’s inside. I’M SO EXCITED by the way, this is a FUN collection!

Stay tuned for updates. Soon. Sooooooooooon.

 

 

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The Only Harmless Great Thing

…will be back in inventory soon. We’ve just placed another order. Since it’s SO damn good, and sold SO well at RavenCon last weekend…  it’s worth restocking. Watch for it to reappear in our Amazon page catalog!

And if you’re interested in reading more work by Brooke Bolander, we’ve also just added a page to our Pack listings for her, with a list of alllll sorts of awesome free fiction you can go read RIGHT NOW.  Here it is.

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Headed out to RavenCon 2018

We’re up and loading, and by this afternoon we’ll have our table all ready set go at RavenCon of WIlliamsburg! Come by and see the newest inventory, and check out the sales on older stuff. We have a huge list of books we want to bring on board, and a need to create space … remember, we only allow ourselves twenty titles at a time these days … so this is a very, VERY good time to stop by and, well, buy.

Besides, we want to hear about what you’ve been up to! Leona has bronchitis (non contagious!) so her voice is sharply limited, and for once she’s probably going to listen more than talk. Definitely something to take advantage of! 🙂

See you soon!