Dear Etherfriends,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the change of seasons this Fifth Month. Or, if like me spring brings out your most sincere feelings of ‘bah humbug,’ I hope you are at least surviving.

Up on my mountain, the snows are long melted, the sun has been insisting on shining even though it usually doesn’t assault me on such a high percentage of days until mid-June, and the temperature keeps trying to creep up on me. But I’m trying not to drown in my angst over that and instead focus on things that are within my control.

Ethernotes: Got any examples of something in your control?

Andy: I do! I can control how I introduce myself. And I’m doing that. Starting now, I’ve retired the name Andora and henceforth will simply be Andy.

Ethernotes: Groovy. Makes sense. It is what everyone calls you.

Andy: Yep! Related to that, I’ve changed my website address. The old site, andorabrokaw.com, will disappear soon and the new site, andybrokaw.com, is already up! I think it looks much snazzier than its predecessor.

Ethernotes: Oh… It does! That doesn’t change me though, does it?

Andy: Not directly? My new blogging software allows me to send emails through it, so I’m taking you off of mailerlite in favor of doing that. But I’ll be porting your subscribers over to it without them needing to do anything.

Ethernotes: Nifty, nifty…

The Harmony of Falling Snow: You did something to me, didn’t you? I feel different. Cleaner somehow?

Andy: I changed your appearance a smidge. Most noticeably, your cover now lists your author as Andy Brokaw. But I took the edition change as an opportunity to tidy up your interior some too. You now have fewer mistakes and nicer formatting.

Harmony: I certainly appreciate that. Will people who bought the old me get the new me magically sent to them?

Andy: That depends on where they bought you. If they got you for Kindle, then yes. If they got you for Kobo, then maybe? If they got you on itch.io or Ko-fi, then they’ll need to go to the site and download the new version. And if they got you on Smashwords…

Harmony: The way you’re wincing makes me think the news there is bad.

Andy: To be on Smashwords, one has to go through Draft2Digital. And due to their recent policy change, I’m no longer using them. So I updated Smashwords before I left Draft2Digital, but I’m not sure what happens when something gets taken down. Anyone who did order through Smashwords can write to me, though, and I’ll send them a brand new epub.

Harmony: Sounds like a reasonable accommodation. But what about people who bought print copies?

Andy: They now have First Editions!

Harmony: But won’t get an update?

Andy: That’s not really how printed materials work… BUT anyone with a print copy who wants the updated version can email me and I’ll send them a new copy for printing costs plus shipping. It might take a while, however, as I’m still waiting for the copies I ordered to get to me and then will be using media mail unless asked to pay for something faster.

Winter’s First Verse: And what about me? I feel neglected.

Andy: I have spent more time getting the new website up and Harmony resituated than I expected to. But I’m ready to focus on cleaning up a bit and getting you ready for beta readers now.

Winter: Beta readers? Plural?

Andy: Yes! My dear Amanda has been a great help, but it’s time for more eyes than hers.

Winter: Did you hear that, Etherfriends? They want people to READ ME!

Andy: I do. So if anyone on this list is interested in providing feedback on a pre-publication draft of Winter’s First Verse, please let me know!

Ethernotes: Care to expand on what you mean by feedback? Are you wanting editors?

Andy: I do not want editors. At least not the type that are looking for typos and missed punctuation. What I want is people who can give me big picture feedback about the things that worked or didn’t work for them, places the narrative bogs down, loose ends that never get wrapped up, a character who acts unexpectedly or illogically, etc.

Ethernotes: And these people will get?

Andy: My eternal gratitude and a returned favor of similar scale.

Melody of Shining Stars: I don’t suppose you’re planning to remember I exist at some point…

Andy: I remember you exist. While Winter is with the betas, I intend to work on your next draft. Obviously, I upended your first act by moving most of it to Winter’s, but Winter may change details throughout you. I won’t be sure until I get back into your files.

Melody: Which you’re doing soon?

Andy: I expect to wrap up this pass through of Winter within a fortnight, so relatively soon, yes.

Melody: Huzzah!

Winter: Lovely! Now, could you stop typing this thing. I think you’ve said all you need to say and I’m waiting for you to check “Revise Chapter 7” off your to-do list. It’s been there for three days.

Andy: It has. And off I go to do that…