Legend of the 10 Elemental Masters - a behind the scenes look

[zeioIIDX]

Just bought this last night :)

[ulillillia]

If so, you'll have revision 12, the most recent revision and I have no plans on revision 13 for a while either.

[zeioIIDX]

@ulillillia

Awesome, I'm excited to read it!

[ulillillia]

I'm also highly considering making an audio book version of this as well, of which I intend on containing the secrets behind the making of the story. I also have thoughts of making an expanded version of the story - more details, more story, and a few others.

[GameHorder]

i tried reading this book... its sucks

[dagarbos]

A group of chapters is generally called a 'part'

[Moterola]

I just ordered a copy last night!

I wasn't sure if I was going to buy it or not, but after seeing that the price was going to go up, I had to go for it! Also, lulu had a deal going last night, 20% off of all books if you used the code "Cabin".

How much money do you make off of each copy? And how many have you sold so far?

[ulillillia]

I posted that notice to give users 10 days to prepare. Because I didn't get an answer as to when the price change was required to occur, I haven't obtained the "Global Reach" distribution service yet. It may have to change immediately upon getting it or, if you and I are lucky, only when the manufacturing starts. I just finished the 8th round of editing though a 9th is likely as Lulu requires the purchase of a proof copy.

[Moterola]

If you're currently working on the 9th edition, what edition did I purchase?

Also, Lulu already printed my copy and shipped it within 24 hours!

If you wouldn't mind, could you tell me the ISBN number of your book? I'm not sure if Lulu actually assigns one or not. A friend of mine works at a book store and wants to order a bunch of copies to put on the shelves, but he needs the ISBN in order to propose it to his manager.

[ulillillia]

It's version 5, both the first released version and the current. Version 1 was started in June of 1999 and is handwritten. For version 5, I first released it after 6 rounds of editing (the initial writing counts as the first with reading through it again to correct mistakes being the second). Around early October or so, I finished round 7 and released the updates (this is your version). Round 8's edits has yet to be uploaded to Lulu. I'll be starting the distribution preparation tomorrow.

[Moterola]

@ulillillia

Is there any huge differences between my version and the new version? Such as new chapters?

Or is it just spelling/grammar?

[ulillillia]

It's almost entirely just basic grammar things such as having a period instead of an exclamation. Spelling errors are rare for me in the first place unless it's an unknown word. The differences are almost unnoticed. Once I get done eating tomorrow, I'll get the distribution stuff set up though it'll likely be another 2 or 3 months before the entire process is finished and the book gets in stores. By buying it on Lulu, you can get the latest release much earlier and I'll get a bigger profit.

[Moterola]

That's a relief. I thought that the copy that I purchased was going to be missing a new chapter!

I also have another question, but I am going to send it as a private message.

[ulillillia]

The only considerable change is that of the appendix (I forgot about this part). The only difference is that of the stat descriptions in appendix 2 - extra details are added about the stats. The story itself, other than 2 characters in the place covered during act 6 getting named (due to an overlooked detail, of which one character, the main one used, has). This is about all I can think of. You'll see the appendix in the new preview on Lulu, once I finish the ISBN implementation.

[tzaeru]

Hello! Something kept bugging me straight from the beginning. It is mentioned that Knuckles has 40% bigger hands than the average human, but I have very hard time visualizing this, as I am quite dyslexic.

So, is this further explained or perhaps helped with a picture in the books appendices or would it be possible to have a picture of it now?

[ulillillia]

I've released my book on Sep 23, 2009 and with it, a much larger image of the front cover (for my site). You can see that his hands seem a bit big. By 40% bigger, it's 40% larger on each side (thus making the hands about 170% larger by volume.

[tzaeru]

Thank you. Is there listed precise information on the size of the average human hand used as a reference? Or would it be sufficient to assume the Vitruvian Man as an exact, correctly sized source?

[ulillillia]

Just take a ruler to your hand and measure it. I get 4 1/4 inches for my hand's width (1/16-inch margin of error) so multiply that by 1.4 and you get almost 6 inches. I don't know what a "Vitruvian Man" is, never heard of it.

[xxzyzxx]

3:54

[Arono1290]

Just purchased my copy of it. Shame about the 5-15 day shipping.. would have loved hardcover, too!

But this'll work. I look forward to reading it.

[ulillillia]

It'll cost you a lot if you went with hardcover. Paperback has a base cost of $9.66 but hardcover with generally the same specifications, is $18.16, almost double. Instead of $13.65 for the cheapest, it'd be $22.15, and that's without the 30% base markup (rounded to the nearest common marketing price). Media Mail is slow, very slow. You do have to consider that books can be relatively heavy for their size, especially hardcover where $4.99 shipping for the cheap end is used. Do the math!

[superfatdoe]

its on lulu now go buy it everyone i bought 5 copies

[publicenemy1010]

Man you do everything!

[PureSolace]

Is the book ready? I wanna buy it. Will it be in paperback?

[ulillillia]

When it is ready, you'll see a notice on my site's main index in large, colored text, and possibly even a video of it. It should be happening at any moment now.

[cthulhoo]

Its been 4 months wehere is it.

[ulillillia]

Wrong. It's only been a total of 6 3/4 months by now. Copyright registration should complete at any moment now, though I have a feeling it'll be in August. By then, all of the finishing touches should be done. The final round of editing has also been done (finished barely a week ago). The copyright page (I'm not too sure what goes here) and the back cover (I just need the sales pitch part) the two things left to do.

[desicasyndicat]

I can't wait to read this.

[ulillillia]

There's probably 4 more months to go for copyright registration. Once that's successful, I'm posting it on Lulu as soon as I can, making it take priority over anything except emergencies.

[Keithed200]

Hello ulillillia. I'm a long-time viewer of your channel and I'm happy to hear that you're publishing a book. Would you have any particular literary influences that inspired you to write or is your writing unique to yourself? I had read that you don't particularly read books but I was curious anyway.

[ulillillia]

I started writing this in June or so of 1999 and it's difficult to remember. I started writing back in January of 1996, inspired by a dream, one where I went downriver on a log raft, which occurred only a few months before. I've got this dream in my dream journal and it's the second-oldest recalled dream of all (one from 1993 or 1994 is the oldest). My now 750+ dreams and, more recently, things I do in my mind game are my main sources. One month down, probably another 5 to go....

[Keithed200]

I see. Dreams are usually very fertile material for inspiration, so it should end up being interesting. I wish you good luck with your novel!

[ulillillia]

It took me a while to respond to your message because, at the time, I couldn't read anything (see my most recent "readability troubles" video to see what I mean). It may not be until June of 2009 by the time my book is available (basically, it's as soon as copyright registers).

[tadpoleofdeath]

Hey Ulillillia. I noticed on your web site that the main character of Legend of the 10 Elemental Masters is named Knuckles. Do you think there's any chance of legal problems with Sega if you sell a book with a character named after one of theirs?

[ulillillia]

I've registered copyright successfully twice. 3 things are similar with the Knuckles of Sonic: the name (I've seen it used in cartoons), gliding (the mechanics are a lot different), and that he has fur (a blue-violet instead of red). Sonic doesn't have spell-casting, RPG elements (like HP, status effects, and the such), and the related. I don't have super transformation, or a baddie like Robotnik. There's a lot of differences between the two. I wrote this in 1999, before I heard of Sonic.

[tadpoleofdeath]

That's good to hear. I'm looking forward to reading the book.

[ulillillia]

Even though copyright has been registered twice, there's a lot of change in this version that another registration is needed. I've even posted the algorithm used with gliding (man, that's a tough one to find!) which is obviously a lot different (and much more complicated) than that of Knuckles in Sonic. If you want, you could assist with that "sales pitch" part on the back cover. It's easier for me to write 5 stories (complete and edited) in a year than a 50 to 100-word summary paragraph.

[EvanTeH]

I agree, there are fantastic adaptations and I can't wait for the finalized form. I will pay up to and including $15.99 for your book, and that's not including shipping and handling. Hopefully I would be able to pick it up at a local store in order to save on the cost.

[ulillillia]

If ordered through Lulu, it's most likely going to be from $11.95 to $12.99. It's 260 pages. You won't see it in book stores for quite a while, even after copyright is registered. This is because of the step-by-step process needed before that happens. As to the price you see in retail stores, that I'm the least certain about; it's very likely over $13 though. Since retail often orders things in bulk, which saves them money for extra profits, and a 2x markup, it's likely $15 (no shipping).

[SirSinister]

Can you make a book about a wizard saving the earth ok thanks

[ulillillia]

That's almost kind of what this story is. It's not quite though, but it's somewhat close. I've registered for copyright but I now have to wait several months for it to register successfully.

[SirSinister]

no shut up and make a book about the wizard saving the earth from the sun or some shit.

make him black

[artable3]

you deleted some errors from your page

[artable3]

good adaptations to your channel page.

[ulillillia]

I'm still confused. What adaptations are you referring to?

[artable3]

ulillillia, can you please update your youtube channel page? It is full of inaccuracies. it is quite confusing. Thanks very much ulillillia. Keep up the great work. x

[ulillillia]

I very rarely think about the channel page. I could move some of the stuff in the channel description in a kind of "notices" section if YouTube has one. Their contact form vanished so I can't suggest or troubleshoot anything....

[artable3]

thanks, i think you have made good adaptations.

[ulillillia]

?? Adaptations to what? I'm confused.

[KingBuffer]

that's not HTML notation, that's in hexidecimal

[ulillillia]

HTML notes it in RGB format using 6 digits, as 4080FF, to get a sky blue color. Hexadecimal would have this noted as 0xFF8040FF which is much different (BGRA format) although it is still the same color. The "0x" part at the start is the main difference, along with using 32 bits instead of 24.

[KingBuffer]

nope its hexademical. sorry nig

[ulillillia]

It is in hexadecimal format (after all, it uses the digits 0 through 9 and the letters A through F), but this design is used with web pages and HTML, not with C programming. You can't have "Variable = 162B7E;" as you'll just get compiler errors. If it was "Variable = 0x00162B7E;" you won't (though you have to watch the byte order).

[basilisk128]

It's a confusion between the color space (RGB24, RGBA32, ARGB32, BGRA32) and the numeral system (decimal, hexadecimal).

Games can use any color space that the graphics API supports for textures, but html usually only supports RGB 24.

[ulillillia]

When I name colors, I use the ARGB32 system, as you call it (I just reference it as ARGB). In programming, I use BGRA, after the format TGA and BMP files use.

[jchill2]

I will buy this, but if it doesn't find a publisher by next christmas, you should release it in some way.

[ulillillia]

It's copyright registration that's going to take a long time, a good fraction of a year. Lulu is almost certainly going to be my publisher. I now mostly just need assistance with the "sales pitch" part of the back cover.

[mystapler]

Actually, I think the copyright process has been sped up. Check out the website of the government's copyright office. I forget the address, but they do let you submit your copyrightable material online.

[ulillillia]

Yep, but they don't say how much of an improvement there is. I registered for copyright yesterday. The old paper form method is expected to take 8 months. I'm estimating that it's going to take 6 months. Even if it was just 4 months, it's still a pretty good fraction of a year.... I lost my motive for editing and from this, I, a few days after this, submitted my story for copyright registration. The back cover of my book is what I'm mainly in need of assistance with....

[deepblue69uk]

Go for it. If you have some good ideas and you want to share them...go and publish it. I doubt if you recall what I said to you ages ago. Though I think I said, the world needs eccentrics and people that think outside the box. It's how we progress as a species. Maybe you will contribute in that way or maybe not. Who knows. Just have a go and see where it leads.

[kamkasil]

I'll definitely buy this, Ulillillia, I hope you do well with this book!

[tiamat22580]

anything you make is awesome

[dogpissblanket]

cant wait for this ulillillia, you got another buyer right here

audio book would be sweet

keep on ululating ulillillia!

[BastardMonk]

I plan on buying this.

[smaptey1]

please tell me you're going to have an audio-book

[ulillillia]

It's not an audio book, though I could make one. It'll likely span across a few audio CD's as it would take a long time.... A converted MP3 at 64 Kbps ABR mono is likely going to take a long time to download due to the roughly 6 hours and 170 MB file size expected....

[smaptey1]

I'm excited to see the finished product

[ulillillia]

Yesterday, I finished round 4 of editing and now I'm starting round 5, already in scene 8. This round is for improving the smoothness of flow, clarity, and grammar. I'm not finding a lot of mistakes, so round 6 may be the last one I need. Finish the back cover and I'm ready to send it to copyright for registering. Once that's done and processed, I'm ready to release it. I'm down to 260 pages (ignoring the self-notes section), from nearly 300.

[tooplex]

I have a few questions i would like to ask please.

1: Will there be any way to buy the book worldwide or will it just be sold in the US?

2:Whens the next time we can expect another gameplay video

3:Are you planning on making more books in the future?

Thanks for the video. Really enjoyed it. Looking forward to more.

[ulillillia]

1. It appears as if Lulu ships worldwide so you can get it pretty much anywhere (not sure about Antarctica though...).

2. After I stop working on my book (from finishing or active neutralization), and after I update my website. I have to get more PS1 memory cards so I can play FF8 that I just found....

3. I currently really don't have any plans for further books. My "Wonderful Adventure" series are too poor in quality and the other is intended for my 3D RPG game.

[CBoyardee]

i will buy your book when it gets published.

[intenssi]

make sure you let us know when it's available. i am buying one for sure.

[ulillillia]

Keep a watch on my website's blog, especially the main index where I plan on having it at the top in big, bold text.

[wergersnee]

can't wait 2 buy this!!!!!!!

[sheryiff]

hi ulillillia! i hope you get published man, good luck

[slimealot]

You know you don't need to officially register your copyright, right? In Berne Convention signatory countries, you automatically obtain a copyright as soon as you release an original work. Officially registering it just grants you additional protection that you probably wouldn't ever need, and you can do it after you release the book anyway. Look copyright up on your wikipedia. Peace out ul-dog.

[ulillillia]

It's better to be safe than sorry, in my opinion. In one day, and this includes TV, eating, and occasional unrelated side tasks, I went from scene 4 to 13 so the story shouldn't take long to read. If you are on an 8-hour flight going to the opposite side of the world, you could read the whole thing during both the trip there and back if you're a somewhat fast reader (i.e. 130 words per minute, unlike my slow 90-100).

[googliachi]

welcome back

[pantherownersclub]

Killer

[Newt0rz]

is this your first published book?

[ulillillia]

It's not published yet and won't be for several months. Why so long? Copyright takes that long to register and I'm not releasing it until registration is complete.

[tadpoleofdeath]

That looks like a lot of writing you have so far. How much have you written total, and how long do you expect the finished product to be?

[ulillillia]

I stated this in the video - about 270 pages (265 to 275 is the most likely range (for a 6x9 size), a moderate size). I'm currently editing it, fixing any errors, clarifying things, and making any other changes as needed. I recorded this video just about to start scene 4. I'm now, at the moment I typed this, starting scene 8.

[ShinerCCC]

What song is playing in the background? I thought it was from Super Castlevania IV at first...

Also I will probably buy this, the physical immediacy of books makes them convenient sometimes.

[ulillillia]

Hint: Sonic 3. The song is played back at 66% true speed.

[Cybershell13]

Thanks for the update, glad to see you're not dead. I hope to someday read your story.

[revspikejonez]

You told us everything about the book, except for anything about the book. What is it ABOUT?

[ulillillia]

I didn't realize I left that out. I edited the video description to include this. More details are on my website (though those relate to version 3 (written in 2002) rather than version 5 (written in 2008).

[JHamhock]

The next higher order above chapters could be a 'volume', or you could go old-style and call that a 'book' and the story would be called 'a story in five books' or what have you.

[Roly426]

Yes in fact I have been wondering what you've been up to. And infinite loops aren't often the cause of large CPU usage. Programs run on finite loops, finite because they end when the program is closed.

[ulillillia]

This goes on for minutes and it happens upon clicking on the menus, resizing the image window, and a few others. This shouldn't take much more than a few milliseconds to process, not minutes. Some programs, especially games, run on infinite loops (how else are you supposed to get an up-to-date view of the scenery), but they have timing measures involved.

[Maldunn]

Good to hear from you again, keep up the good work!

[ManfredMitchum]

your name is Nick Smith? cool.

[freebryd]

can i be in it?

[ulillillia]

I originally wrote this in 1999 - I didn't have internet at the time (let alone E-mail, my website, or anything) so it's highly unlikely any of you will be in it.

[freebryd]

a simple no would suffice. but how about a cameo. just throw me in there. have me making a sandcastle in the background or something.

[hektopekto]

Can you send me a copy?

[ulillillia]

You'll have to buy it when I release it, but it won't be available for quite while - copyright must process first.

[penenator]

Please keep us updated, ulillillia.

[KoRL12]

i love you

[Obakedake]

Looking forward to it!

[Ketsui]

Good luck.