Read the First Chapter of 'Three Day Summer'

Last night I got an awesome surprise in the mail...the first pass pages of Three Day Summer! The first pass pages represent the final layout of the book. This is where I actually get to see my manuscript look like a real book for the first time, complete with all the design work that goes into things like chapter headings and page numbers.

In a nutshell, I love it! I think the layout looks super '60s and groovy and really works well with the cover. And to celebrate...I want to share the first chapter of Three Day Summer with you, exactly how it's going to look in the book!

But first...let's ooh and aah over some of these amazing design elements, shall we? (You can click on each photo to see a larger version...)

First, the title page, which is basically a black and white recreation of the cover:

Then there are the awesome chapter headings. Three Day Summer is told from the dual perspective of my two main characters, so each chapter starts with one or the other of their names. I really like how bold they made that.

And, finally, I really like the tiny graphics that are at the top of each page right by the title and my name.

So, without further ado, may I present the first chapter of Three Day Summer:

The Happiest Happenstance

Do you ever feel that some things are just mean to be?

I was delighted to come across this quote today. I'd actually never read it before:

"I almost wish we were butterflies and lived but three summer days--three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain." ~ John Keats

I honestly wish I could tell you I was clever enough to have picked the title of Three Day Summer from that quote because it is just so perfect for the book. But the title really came as a collaboration between my editor and me and was picked from pages and pages of options. And this...well, this is just one of those wonderful serendipitous things. Because it encapsulates so much of what I think the book is about...

And speaking of the book, I am in the middle of copyedits as we speak. This is one of my favorite, albeit most nerve-wracking parts of the publishing process. Nerve-wracking because this is pretty much my last chance to change things before the book goes out into the world and in the hands of readers (there are also first pass pages but, at that point, I'm pretty limited to what I can change). And exciting because...well, really for the same reason! This story will be in the hands of readers soon...

For what it's worth, I'm personally really proud of this book. I feel so much of my heart is on the page. And I'm grateful that I will get to share that soon.

Colored pencils + decoder = copyedits!

A Publishing Timeline

One question I've been asked a lot recently is the most surprising part of getting a book deal. I have a few answers to this, but the most obvious one is how long everything takes. Before I went on this journey, I honestly had no clue what the timing of things would be (and here is where I thank the Apocalypsies for answering my panicked "Should this be taking this long?"s with a resounding yes).

So, in case it's of some interest, I started jotting down when major milestones happened in the genesis of The Mapmaker and the Ghost. Obviously, things vary from publishing house to publishing house. But, from what I can gather, my timing experience from offer to book was pretty standard.

Does any of it surprise you?

June 2009: I sign on with my agent. She starts sending out my manuscript to editors (a different manuscript than The Mapmaker and the Ghost).

July 2009-September 2009: Manuscript #1 gets rejected, though some editors have some very nice/constructive feedback.

September 2009: My agent and I decide to sends out Manuscript #2 (though really it was written before Manuscript #1) to two editors who seemed most interested in MS #1. One editor passes.

December 2009: Editor #2 likes the manuscript but says she wouldn't be able to buy it as is. She will send an edit letter to me in a couple of months to see if I can fix it up.

February 2010: Receive spec edit letter from Editor #2.

May 2010: Hand in revised manuscript to agent, who in turn submits it to Editor #2. My agent gives the editor an exclusive deadline until July.

July 2010: Receive word that though Editor #2 really liked my changes, she is still unable to get full approval from the acquisitions board. She cannot meet the exclusive deadline but will still try. My agent submits the manuscript to a few other houses.

August 2010: Get the call that editor #2 has made an offer!!

September 2010: Offer is accepted (verbally only), editor #2 officially becomes MY editor and I receive my first real edit letter!

November 2010: I hand in my first round of revisions.

December 2010: I receive my second edit letter.

January 2011: I hand in my second round of revisions. I also see the first sketches of my cover art.

February 2011: I receive the copyedited version of the manuscript with a one week turnaround to hand them back in. We settle on a finalized title. I also join the Apocalypsies, a group of 2012 debut children's authors.

March 2011: I receive my contract.

April 2011: I receive my advance check. My deal finally appears in Publisher's Marketplace. Also, I see the first layout of the interior of the book (including title page, chapter heading designs, etc.)

May 2011: I receive first pass pages (the entire book laid out) for proofreading.

June 2011: Cover reveal.

July 2011: My book appears on Amazon and is available for pre-order. I get an official release date and see my jacket copy. I receive my ARCs.

September 2011: I turn in my final proofread.

December 2012: I find out my cover is changing! Also I receive a copy of my first print review which will run in the March issue of Library Media Connection.

February 2012: I reveal my new cover.

March-April 2012: A haze of online marketing blitz. I only partially remember these months.

April 24, 2012: The Mapmaker and the Ghost is released and available for sale almost everywhere!

May 2012: I receive a review from School Library Journal.

How Do I Get Published? The (Very) Basics

I've done a handful of author events over the past few weeks and at every one I've had at least one writer ask me about the steps to take to get published.

So I thought maybe there are some people looking for this sort of information. And, hey, maybe you've somehow stumbled upon my blog while doing it! (In which case, hai, fellow writer).

So here are my 10 very basic short answers to "What do I do to get published?" And, of course, take everything with a grain of salt as there are no real "steps" to anything in life (particularly anything like this). But in my own personal experiences, and after having talked to many other published writers, here are some of the common threads.

1. Have a completed manuscript. It really needs to be the whole book. Not a proposal, not an outline, but a finished story.

2. Polish your manuscript. Take a class. Do an online writing workshop. Find beta readers (in children's books, SCBWI can be a great resource for this). Make sure others have read and commented on your manuscript and that you've at least considered (and in some cases rectified) their issues. You need some eyes with distance because, ultimately, the agent, editor and -- finally -- reader of your book won't be you.

3. Take one more look at the two steps above. You need your manuscript to be in the best shape possible.

4. My opinion: find an agent. It is possible to get published without an agent, but it's much harder. Many less publishing houses accept unsolicited manuscripts. PLUS when you get to the part where you have an offer and you're actually getting published, you will want a good agent who's on your side helping to guide your career and understanding your contracts.

5. And, of course, how do you find your agent? The Internet will be your best friend. Again, for kidlit, I recommend SCBWI -- if you join, you get a very handy cheat sheet of agents, agencies and some of the genres they represent. But any genre you're writing in should have a group like that. Look into it. Look in the acknowledgment sections of your favorite books and find out who those authors' agents are. Compile a list of names of agents who represent your genre and then...

6. Whittle down those names. Find the 6 or 7 agents that you REALLY want to represent you -- the ones that if they offered you representation wouldn't cause you a moment's hesitation. Go to their websites and find out their exact submission policy. FOLLOW IT. I  know this sounds like I'm being completely obvious but you wouldn't believe how many agents get query letters where the directions are not followed at all. They will already like you if you can just do this simple thing. And you want them to like you.

7. Ah, the query letter. That's what most agents will want. Some will want a sampling of the manuscript as well, but almost all will want the "elevator pitch." Keep it short, professional and -- most of all -- interesting. You want this person who reads hundreds of these letters a week to stop and say, "I want to read the story this person is pitching RIGHT NOW." There are tons of resources on the Internet on how to write a great query letter. Again, my manservant Google is your best friend (he can be your manservant too -- I'm big into sharing).

8. Keep track of all the agents you're querying -- the date you queried them, what you sent and, also, their response policy (I used an excel for this). Some may ask you to follow up if you haven't heard after a certain amount of time. Some may have this information on their website. Some may say, "Don't contact me ever! I'll call you." Again, whatever it says -- follow it!

9. Rejections are hard. I'm not going to pretend otherwise. But after you get over the emotional aspect of it, see if you can glean anything useful from the rejection. If it's a form rejection, just tick off a box in your excel and move on. But if it's a personalized rejection with suggestions -- that's actually a GOOD thing. It means a very busy person saw enough potential in you and your work to give you their professional advice. You do not have to take every bit of advice that is thrown out you, but make sure to see if their notes resonate with you. Some agents may even ask you to resubmit if you decide to take them up on their notes. If that's the case, take that very seriously.

10. Did you get rejections from all 6 or 7 of your top agents? Take another look at your manuscript. Really consider doing another round of edits. Then find 6 or 7 other agents who would be a great fit for you. Repeat steps 6-10.

Do you have any other questions? Ask in the comments section and, if I can answer them, I will!

Confessions of a New Book Mommy

I was working from home yesterday when the mailman came and basically rendered me useless for the rest of the day (luckily, it was in the late afternoon).

Because...he brought with him an actual, genuine, hardcover copy of my final book.

Squeeeeeee!

I knocked on it and everything. Yup, it's real.

Immediately, like the overprotective mother I am, I made it make friends.

True that it's cavorting with those above its station, but I figure it could pick up a few pointers.

Then I took some pictures of it naked and posted it on Facebook.

Then I took pictures of it from every other conceivable angle.

Sneak peek at the inside map!

And, finally, I shoved it in other people's faces and asked, "Isn't it pretty?!"

I think I'm going to like this book mommy thing.

About the New Cover

As you might have seen on The Story Siren earlier this week, The Mapmaker and the Ghost has a finalized jacket. It also has a new cover.



I first found out the cover was changing at the very end of December. There were various reasons for this, the main one being that booksellers and the marketing team were worried that the old cover was too crowded.

If you've been following this blog for a while, you might remember that I did a rather giddy weeklong series of posts when my cover was first revealed, detailing the whole process from initial sketches to final art. (You can find the sketches here, an interview with the illustrator here, an interview with the designer here, and my initial reveal here.)

So...I have to be completely honest. When I first found out that my cover was changing, I was reeling. I think it’s a little bit akin to having a baby, doting on how perfect that baby looks for six months, and then, one day, having the baby’s face completely change on you (I smell a prequel to Face-Off...). It’s jarring to say the least. This is what I was used to seeing:

And what arrived in my inbox in December was a mock-up of this:

From ten characters down to three. I missed the other seven so much that, emotionally, it was hard for me to come to terms with the change.

But, here's the thing. I genuinely believe that all the wonderful people at Walker know how to package and sell a book infinitely more than I do. They have sold many, many books. I have sold none.

And the other truth is, I probably never should have become so attached to my original cover to begin with. Covers change, especially if I'm lucky enough to have the book go into reprints and stick around for a while. It's what's inside that really counts (sound familiar?) and it's what's inside that I can ultimately control.

All that being said, the new cover has gotten tons of positive responses (see what I mean about Walker knowing what they're doing) and I've been able to see the silver lining, too. I still adore the illustrations and I'm SO GLAD that did not change. I'm also infinitely relieved that they found room for the rest of my characters on the back. And I'm madly in love with the back cover copy. It's quirky and adorable and (I think) captures the voice of the book so well.

I hope my book's facelift compels even more kids to pick it up! And, more importantly, I hope they love the adventure they find inside.

Release Dates May Seem Closer Than They Appear

See that little countdown clock on the right? -->

It's telling me that The Mapmaker and the Ghost is coming out in 200 days (or actually 199 days and change...or, depending on when you're reading this, some entirely different amount of days.)

200 still seems like kind of a big number but it also...gulp...doesn't. In fact, I've now reached the point where I actually believe April 24th may be here before I know it.

You see, I've now become aware of time's wily ways. Before I graduated high school, everything took f.o.r.e.v.e.r. Each grade lasted years. Summer vacations lasted multiple seasons. But the minute I went to college, bam! I became one of those adults who marveled at "how quickly time flies." [15-year-old Sarvenaz shakes her head at me in disgust]

So. 200 days. Wow! [nervous giggle] Wow.

The Call

A year ago last week is the day I got "the call"--the one from my agent that said there had been an offer on my manuscript.

It started out as an email first, actually, with just a subject line: "Call me." Right away, I kinda knew something unusual must be happening. My agent didn't usually call to discuss rejections: she just forwarded them to me or kept me posted on the progress report. I was at work (on a particularly busy day) so I snagged a conference room, and with my heart somewhere in my throat,  dialed her number.

I would be lying if I said I hadn't imagined that call (or, really, that email) for a long, long time. I always thought I'd cry. The funny thing was: I didn't. I was too shocked. I called a few key people and told them in a shaky voice. And then I had to go back to work (which was basically completely impossible, by the by). And then I was struck with a sense of, now what? Do I tell people? What if I tell people and it falls through? OMG, what if it does fall through? Even with those thoughts rapidly chasing themselves around in my head, I had a huge dopey grin on my face.

So. What have I learned in the past year? Lots of things. For example, contracts and advance checks take a LOT longer than I ever expected. (Mine came after I had turned in all my edits...and that's pretty normal!) You can absolutely still get rejections and have insecurities and all those other things that were happening before you were getting published. Writing is hard and requires a time commitment and sacrifices and sometimes tearing your hair out in frustration...just like it always did.

But there's something I wrote in my very first post on this blog that is probably the truest thing I've learned from this experience: it's not everyday that a major, lifelong dream comes true. And no matter what little snags or frustrations come along, I've never lost sight of that sense of wonder and gratitude. And I hope I never do. I hope that wherever life takes me, whatever work I'm doing 10 or 20 years from now, or whatever has happened along the way by then, I'll never forget that on August 31, 2010, something truly wonderful happened to me.

I'm humbled. And thankful. And still a little shocked...I know this because, after all this time, I still haven't cried!

The Writer, the Editor and the Art of Collaboration

When I was 17, I was very shy and had lots of writing I had hardly shown anyone. I applied to six colleges with an undeclared major and then NYU film school. My decision was that if I got into NYU's film program, that it was "meant to be." And, if not, I'd go elsewhere and pursue another major (English, most likely).

I got into NYU and I loved the 4 years I spent there. But there were three lessons I learned almost right away at film school:

1) I wanted to be a writer, not a director.
2) I needed to get a thick skin...and fast. Not only was I showing my work to people, I was showing my work to some of the most talented and creative kids and professors in the country. Taking constructive criticism well was a must for survival.
3) Filmmaking is an extremely collaborative art. All you have to do is to sit through the credits of a major motion picture to see that for yourself.

Like I said, I loved film school and I loved screenwriting. When I decided to branch out and try my hand at novels, one of the thoughts I had was that prose writing was much less collaborative and required many less personalities to contend with.

In some ways, that's true. But in other ways that I did not expect, it's actually not.

Although my name will be on the cover of The Mapmaker and the Ghost, there is still a team of people that have made those pages happen. The most important of which is my editor.

The editor is not just the person who corrects your grammar and helps you weed out your awkward phrasing. The most important job of the editor is to help shape the story with an objective eye into the best that it can be.

And a really great editor (and I truly believe mine is top-notch) does that in an extraordinary way. When I received my editorial letters from Stacy, I was surprised with how broad the suggestions were. Of course there were line edits, too, but with the actual story, her notes never said, this is what should happen: a, b, and then c. Her notes said things like, the ending isn't as satisfying as it could be. Can the book be leading to something bigger?

At first, notes like that can be incredibly daunting. But, slowly, as I let them sink in, I found my mind opening up to new story possibilities I hadn't thought of before. It was like she removed some boulders which then rerouted the stream and made the book that much more flowing and dynamic.

For me, it's a wonderful feeling. The book is still my story, but it is also SO much better because of the collaboration.

In fact, I think Stacy deserves her own "title card."

So, thank you:

Editor

Stacy Cantor Abrams

If you have an editor, what has the process been like for you? And, if not, do you have any questions about the process?

Catalogue Copy

Last week when I received my ARCs, I noticed there was a little something extra in the box:

It's the Winter 2012 Bloomsbury/Walker catalogue!

Incidentally, that cover art belongs to my fellow Apocalypsie Megan Miranda's Fracture. I've been lucky enough to read an ARC of this book and it's absolutely stunning. I can totally see why Bloomsbury chose to make Delaney (Megan's main character) their cover girl!

And look what's on page 33.

It's so pretty and colorful and full page-like!

My favorite part is that Bloomsbury does these Debut Discovery "From the Editor's Desk" notes for all their debut authors. Here's a close-up of mine.

 Oh, I love it. Thanks, Stacy!

Now, is it considered bad form to ask your editor to blurb your book?

By the way, Firefox's spell check keeps wanting me to spell catalogue without a 'ue' at the end. But I refuse, Firefox. I have looked it up and both are technically correct so you can just continue to chase your own tail, my friend.

An Excerpt!

Update: Now with a longer excerpt!

As anyone who's ever even queried knows, the publishing process is S.L.O.W.  And sometimes that can be frustrating. But sometimes, it's kind of delightful because there are so many little things to get excited about along the way.

For example, I saw the genre my book will be placed in for the first time last week when I saw my catalog copy. It is: Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic.

Which is, obviously, awesome.

And although I had already seen the layout of the pages, I hadn't seen that the very first page would contain an excerpt--an excerpt that actually happens to be from one of my favorite scenes.

And one I will share with you now:

When Goldenrod was certain that there really was no one else there besides herself, she put her foot one step in the direction she was going.

"Well, really. You are going the wrong way, you know," a polite voice said.

Standing there was a tall, elegant man. He was dressed in very old-fashioned clothing: a maroon coat with tails, a beige scarf around his neck, tan pants, and high brown boots, and he leaned on a thin, elegant cane. But perhaps the most extraordinary thing about him was that he was rather transparent.

To her surprise, and probably the man's, Goldenrod actually found herself quite calm. In fact, the first words out of her mouth were, "Wrong way for what?"

"Your quest, of course," the tall, transparent man said with a smile.

The two stared at each other. Finally, after another few moments of study, Goldenrod spoke again. “Do I know you?”

“You might. Or you might not. It’s hard for me to keep up with the state of the education system these days,” the man said.

Goldenrod continued to stare. She was certain that the man’s face was familiar.

"I must say," he continued, "I am rather impressed with how splendidly you are handling my appearance. Then again, I suppose you would handle it that way if you were the right man--excuse me, the right girl--for the job."

"Are you--"

In a flash, the man was gone.

Does it pique your interest at all?

If so, you may be interested to know that although I have received only one ARC (currently going back and forth between sitting in a place of honor on my bookshelf and being ogled at by me), my editor let me know that there are a few more coming my way. Which means that I do plan on running a giveaway or two in the future. So stay tuned!

I Go Away for One Weekend and Suddenly There's a Release Date, Jacket Copy and...an ARC!

This weekend, I went away for a short beach trip with 13 of my very favorite people. It was glorious fun and I did NOT bring my laptop. Just my iPhone.

About an hour after we arrived, I noticed that one of my fellow Class of 2K12ers had emailed to say that the Bloomsbury/Walker Winter 2012 catalog was online. And guess what it included?

My book. With jacket copy. And a release date!!

The first thing I wanted to do was blog about it, but I came to my senses eventually: by which I mean that I realized enjoying the gorgeous beach trumped spending hours trying to compose a post on my iPhone.

But now I'm home. And though I'm very sad that my short vacation is over, I'm very happy to be able to share the following.

My jacket copy!

The Goonies meets Holes when a simple summer outing turns into a wild adventure!

Goldenrod Moram loves nothing better than a good quest. Intrepid, curious, and full of a well-honed sense of adventure, she decides to start her own exploring team fashioned after her idols, the explorers Lewis and Clark, and to map the forest right behind her home. This task is complicated, however, by a series of unique events—a chance encounter with a mysterious old lady has her searching for a legendary blue rose. Another encounter lands her in the middle of a ragtag gang of brilliant troublemakers. And when she stumbles upon none other than the ghost of Meriwether Lewis himself, Goldenrod knows this will be anything but an ordinary summer . . . or an ordinary quest. Debut author Sarvenaz Tash combines an edge-of-your-seat adventure, a uniquely clever voice, and an unforgettable cast of characters to prove that sometimes the best adventures of all are waiting right in your own backyard.

The Goonies meets Holes?! For real? I honestly got a little teary when I read that for the first time.

I love the rest of my editor's copy, too. It almost makes me want to read the book. And, trust me, I may be at the point where it'll be somewhere between 8-10 years before I ever want to read this book again.

But wait, there's more! I also got my release date. READY?!

The Mapmaker and the Ghost will be hitting bookstores on:

4/24/2012

Oh, how I love the perfect symmetry of that date. Like how each of its numbers is divisible by four. How the first three digits (424) were the first three digits of my home phone number growing up. How I was born on the 24th and April 24th just happens to be my half-birthday. Um, yeah. So, I'm a bit of a math geek (shocking, I know) and I like patterns.

And, finally, when I arrived home, it wasn't to a UPS slip like I suspected. But to an honest-to-god package. Which held...

THIS:

 Oh. That is an ARC. Otherwise known as a galley. Otherwise known as a REAL BOOK.

You know what you can do with a real book? You can read it!

A Dramatization

You can put it on a shelf next to other REAL BOOKS.

You can stare at the spine where it says things like your name and your awesome release date.

Which may have compelled me to create a little countdown widget like so:

So, um, you know. It's pretty cool. If you're into that sort of thing.

21st Century Author

There are many things about being called an author that are wonderful...not the least of which is that I share a job title with some pretty profound people. But lately, I've been wondering things like, what if Charlotte Bronte had debuted in 2012? What, for that matter, if J.K. Rowling had? Would they all have blogs, Facebook fan pages and Twitter accounts? Would William Faulkner be vlogging away on his YouTube channel? Would Truman Capote be running giveaways on Goodreads?

I say...yes. Probably. Though not every debut author I know has those things, the truth is that most do. Technology and social media have changed everything, most especially marketing. And, of course, publishing itself has changed. There are so many ways for authors (and artists of all sorts) to connect directly with their fans now. And a lot do. Especially those of us who are just starting out in the business and trying to get our names out there.

So what would the internetz look like if all of the authors on your bookshelves where debuting next year? I've got an idea! (Click on the images to make them bigger.)

Proofreading: A Tale of Horror

You guys, there is something really, really scary lurking in my house right now.

It...

Is...

THIS.

That pile of pages is my typeset manuscript. It's been edited, it's been copyedited, it's been formatted and now...IT WAITS...

...for me to proofread it.

I haven't read this book in about three months. Truth be told, I haven't even thought about this story much since I've been immersed in writing the first draft (shudder) of another one. And this is my final chance to read and change anything before the ARCs go to print.

Let me just reiterate the terrifying words in that expository paragraph: final and first draft. Did I mention FINAL?! For a notorious reviser like me (hello 26 drafts), I can't even imagine the horrors of what I'll find in there. What if I hate it? What if I want to change Chapter 2 for the 14th time? What if I realize that by this time next year this will go out into the world and I will have to go into hiding from mortification?

I think I might have to pull a Joey Tribbiani and put this puppy in the freezer for a little while.

Although, I did stop screaming long enough to snap this shot of the first page. Look at the cool crop marks and other indecipherable printer's notes (not to mention the lovely design and font which I still can't get over).

</freakout>

</geekout>

Ha! Who am I kidding? The geekout will never end, no matter what HTML says.

My Title Page!!

This just might be my favorite blog day EVER!

Not only did I announce the amazing and oh-so-worthy winners of my Geek-Off BUT my editor just told me that I can share my title page.

So, are you ready?

ZOMG! I don't know about you, but I LOVE IT. That font makes me teary, it's so lovely. And then there's my name. And the compass rose.

I haven't met the art director who's responsible for this yet but, when I do, I hope she's prepared for hugs.

AUTHORized

So, apparently, my book deal got announced in Publishers Marketplace yesterday. This is what it said:

Sarvenaz Tash's THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST, about a girl who sets out to make the most accurate map of her hometown that ever existed, and discovers that there is no adventure without danger, pitched as MATILDA meets THE GOONIES, to Stacy Cantor Abrams at Walker Children's, for publication in April 2012, by Marissa Walsh at FinePrint Literary Management (World).

You might be wondering, "what do you mean your deal got announced? Haven't you been pestering us all with Tweets, and blog posts, and Facebook fan pages that you're an author now?"

To which I'll say, "Ooh. Speaking of Facebook fan pages, I have one now! It's at www.facebook.com/sarvenaztash. Won't you like me?"

Then I'll grin sheepishly and answer your real question.

Deals don't get announced in Publishers Marketplace (or Publishers Weekly if it's a high-profile deal), until it's really official. And it's not really official until you and your publishing house have both signed the contract (usually brokered by your agent, if you have one). Working out the details of that contract can take a long time. Which means that I had finished all my revisions and handed in my copyedits before I got my announcement.

Here's the interesting thing, this is not unusual at all. In fact, most of the 2012 debut authors I keep in contact with don't seem to have their contracts finalized.

At first, it made me really nervous to tell people that I was getting a book published without a contract. What if it fell through and I had to say something like, "Ha! Just kidding!" But, within a month of getting my offer, my agent gave me the go-ahead to let people know and, boy, am I glad she did. I'm pretty sure I would have exploded into Sarvenaz confetti if I had to wait 7 months between now and then before I could say anything.The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Authors would have been seriously displeased.

Anyway, I'm thrilled to be all official now! And, I have to admit, I love what my agent wrote for the announcement, too. Matilda meets The Goonies? Not sure I could ask for better references than that!

My Manuscript Just Called Me a Dingbat, a.k.a. Adventures in Copyediting

On Tuesday, I arrived to a rather thick envelope at my door. It was the copyedited version of my manuscript.

Here are a few things I didn't know. These are literally the pages of the manuscript that both my editor and the copy editor have gone over, probably at least a couple of times each. So it looks a little, shall we say, loved - in the Velveteen Rabbit sense of the word.

Secondly, each of them have used a different colored pencil to make their edits. Now my job is to go through with yet another colored pencil and make sure I accept all their changes. If I disagree with something, I have to underline it with a dotted line and write the word STET directly in the margin.

Copyediting language requires a Merriam-Webster dictionary. Literally. My editor actually sent me a Merriam-Webster link to help decipher all the squiggles and scary acronyms.

And then, about 10 pages into my manuscript, I came across this:

Yup, that says Dingbat. It's kind of halfheartedly crossed out, but not crossed out enough to be in the slightest bit illegible. Kind of like when you mutter something degrading that you, in your heart of hearts, intend for your mom to hear.

Now, my editor ensures me this is some sort of design term that has something to do with chapter breaks. I gotta be honest with you. I'm not quite sure I believe her. What if this is how the copy editor truly feels about my writing? What if this is the most horrendous grammar/sentence structure she's ever seen and at one point she just had to throw her arms up in the air and write out her real feelings on my manuscript? And then, for the sake of professionalism, sorta cross it out afterward. (Stacy, if you're reading this...I'm kidding, of course. I totally believe you. Even though my manservant, Google, can't seem to find any mention of this editing term per se.)

Anyway, copyediting is weird. You know what else is weird? Writing with pencil on paper. It's so...permanent. If I wanted to cut and paste anything, I would literally have to cut and then paste it, like with glue and scissors.

Though, frankly, it's a good way to keep me from rearranging whole chapters. I'm wondering if my editor figured out that I was never very good with scissors.

Huge Caveat: Most of this blog post is meant to be humorous and in no way, shape or form should be taken as disparaging to my editor, who is in fact amazing, or the excellent copy editor, who in fact caught every discrepancy and bit of poor grammar I was silly enough to have in my manuscript.

Finals Make Me Nervous

A month ago to the day, I handed in the "final" draft of my book to my editor.

I've never had anything be "final" before in my life. I have dozens of drafts of dozens of projects hanging around in my hard drive. I tend to skip around a lot from project to project - especially in between drafts - as a good way to keep myself sane. Usually that means I'll open up the latest draft of project X and start tinkering with it, while I give the second draft of project Y a month or two to cool off before I reread it and tinker some more.

Before I handed in my manuscript, I counted how many drafts of it I had on my computer. There were 26. Some drastically different than the one before it, others with only minor phrasing changes. But the fact that there will probably never be a 27th draft of this project, that once it's published I can't tinker with it anymore (well, I can, but only for the benefit of my hard drive and my neuroses) is totally surreal.

I know I'll have a couple more chances to read the book before it's really, really final. Right now it's with a freelance copy editor who is reading it afresh and who will help to catch and fix any remaining typos, grammar and continuity issues. And then I will get a final version to read when it's typeset and looks like a real book. I think I'll be able to change a word here or there if absolutely necessary. But will I be able to completely overhaul major plot points and introduce kooky and lovable secondary characters? My educated guess is that my editor will say something like, um, no.

I'm living in the Twilight Zone, people. What if the 27th draft is THE ONE?!

Actually, that might be a good idea for a Twilight Zone spec script. Maybe I'll go work on that...