it's been a while, but I'm still definitely here and working on some behind the scenes projects. Today I'd like to introduce something I've been having fun with - publishing our lore on paperback! It's a dream I've had for the longest time, a tangible proof of Mizahar and all the thought that's gone into it. I'm all for progress, but you know... this is electromagnetism. It's going to be lost come the zombie apocalypse.
There are other advantages too, like being able to defend ourselves from plagiarism far better with actual books and actual ISBN numbers.And there's fun to be had for you, too. More about that in a moment. What I have right now is an automatic pipeline for converting lore pages into PDF files ready for publishing, pretty much at the press of a button. I've attached a sample entry for the Svefra entry. Things like quotes and OOC notes convert neatly into this printable format (which, for the tech savvy, is LaTeX obtained through an awful lot of regular expressions). There's even an analytical index at the end of the book.
After much thinking, I've decided to go with The races of Mizahar as the first book. The reasoning being that races are definitely the most complete and used set of articles. Of course, the wiki will always take precedence. Nothing prevents us from publishing a second "edition" in a couple years when enough changes warrant the update. I'm even considering adding QR codes to the entries (aka the checkerboard pictures you can point your smartphone at!) for instant access to the online version. It's nothing too hard, I'm just not sure about the aesthetics.
The observant reader will notice a disturbing lack of pictures in the PDF, though. Two reasons for that: one, we can't confirm the licensing status for all those images. We may be able to publish them here, but printing matter is a different, well... matter. We aren't doing it for profit, but it's still commercial as books cost money. The second reason is one of size: they're way too small for print. Books print at 300 dpi minimum, making most of our pictures smaller than stamps even if we could use them. And here's where the fun starts for the community.
1) It's like the banner making galore! Except this is for the races of Mizahar and the standards are higher. We are looking for at least one image for each race, if possible. They can be drawings, paintings, photo manipulations, etc. You can contribute an image of your own PC, it's perfectly fine. If you are manipulating stock photos, make sure you have the appropriate permissions for publishing. Some things to keep in mind:
- Minimum width: 1200 pixels. Even 2000 if you can make it. Doesn't have to be square, of course. Height depends on the picture's content. The book trimming size is 6" x 9", so if you'd like to occupy the whole page, consider sizes such as 1200x1800 or 2000x3000.
- Unfortunately, there's a conversion to black and white involved. Printing full color would make the book too expensive. We can always make a short artbook in full color if this project proves to be popular. Anyway, make sure the image displays decently in black and white (Bitmap mode in PS). If you are submitting a drawing, you don't have to color it. I'll take care of the conversion, so submit the image in full color. Because we need a cover image in full color too! And you can still upload it to the wiki in color, of course.
- Don't include text. Feel free to include a separate caption with your submission, though. I'll try to accommodate it.
- Please don't be offended if your picture doesn't make the cut. It just might not be suitable for this particular medium.
All contributors will be credited in the book. Also, the best image will be used in full color on the cover. The person whose work ends up on the cover will win a free copy of the book, paid by yours truly.
2) Okay, not everyone has mad visual skills. But you can still help.
The race articles need quite a bit of fixing, typos need vanquished, any inconsistencies should be pointed out, etc. This is invaluable too! (Race authors, this is your chance to include more quotes/last minute additions)I'd like to have the whole thing taken care of before NaNoWriMo kicks in this year... set a date, like September 15th, and just use whatever has come in by that time, and the lore as available on that day. The book currently weighs in at a little over 300 pages and I expect it to grow some more. Its price will depend on its final size, but it should be in the ballpark of $10, give or take a couple bucks. The plan is to have it published through Amazon's CreateSpace service. Google for info!
There are no dumb questions, so don't be afraid to ask. Thanks everyone for reading all the way down!
. I read that bit but then my short term memory failed me 
. Well, I'll try to get some races done and see how you guys like 'em. I am also curious as to whether we should post them in this thread or elsewhere.
