Okay, I just heard back from my soon to be new partner, and that final question/issue is fully resolved, and I will be signing the contracts and sending them off tomorrow morning. Then I just have to wait for snail mail to get them to him (he is in the UK, and no he is not anybody I ever worked with before, in any capacity). Once he receives the contracts and signs them, he will send my copy back, and he will also be sending me his logo (which has to go on the cover), and his text for the credits page and the UPC/barcode stuff.
So, on March 1st, I will release version 0.8 of the Open Beta. This WILL be the final Beta version, and technically, it will actually be the final version other than typo corrections and the addition of the stuff required for my print partner. (yes, I am forcing myself to stop tweaking the damn rules... heheh)
While I cannot give an exact date yet for the release of the final version, I know that it shouldn't be more than two or three weeks at the most.
My partner will be selling print versions of Novus, and participating in the bits-n-mortar program. He will also be selling copies from his website and he has warehouses in both the UK and the US to allow for easier, less expensive shipping.
Additionally, I will retain my rights to sell POD version from OneBookShelf (i.e. RPGNow/DriveThruRPG).
Official announcement will likely occur shortly before final version of Novus is released.