Fall Round-up
I have been buried this fall under work, and writing (and struggling with writing the work-in-progress that is fighting me every step of the way), and those final steps in moving Personal Effects from a story to a book.
These last few steps in the process were so overwhelming at times that I would start a post and then shy away without posting. And it's not that I didn't want to share, but more that I didn't know if I had the perspective yet to share — I didn't know what I wanted to say — it was all too close and all my emotions were at the surface. None of it was bad, or sad, or even really scary. It was just a bit too much of dream becoming reality.
With some distance, though, I can say that I loved working through my copyedits, and have been getting more and more excited with each new step – seeing glimpses of catalogue and flap and jacket copy, the interior design and fonts, and even an early glimpse at the cover concept (much, much excitement here – I love where they are headed!). Every step has been positive and overwhelmingly professional, but also personal in ways I didn't expect.
Please share in my geeking out over the publishing process. Behold:
Copyedits
My book is becoming a Book, with:
A title page
And a copyright page
And….everything.
(Including many, many times I used “like,” which I had to decide whether to leave as “like” or change to “as if”).
Every single note in the copyedits made me gleeful and excited and thankful — each and every note and mark and nuanced question. Thankful because I was humbled by the care and attention and expertise used in working on those copyedits by my copyeditor, copy chief, and editor. I especially loved those places where three colors of pencil preceded mine, and they were discussing some point, and waiting for my take on it. The care, the attention, the professionalism at work…it was humbling in the best kind of way. I am thankful to be where I am, being published by this amazing publisher, working with these oh so skilled and amazing professionals.
My story is becoming a Book.
(And there was much rejoicing, and a little dancing, and maybe some hugging of pages).
On another note, there are some amazing things happening out in the YA/MG/PB book world – here are a few:
If you haven't yet signed up for the 2012 Debut Author Challenge hosted by the Story Siren and her merry helpers, what are you waiting for? It is an amazing, exciting undertaking, with many, many readers and bloggers challenging each other to read and talk about debut 2012 YA & MG books. Go check it out! (I won't officially sign up, because I feel weird doing so with a 2012 debut book myself – but I will be talking it up, and reading many more than the challenged number of debut 2012 titles!)
We are about to be solidly in the 2012 debut year – make sure you are checking in at The Apocalypsies Blog and at the Apocalypsies' Twitter and Facebook Page for updates and news and cheering from all of my fellow Apocalypsies! (My own news will be here, or at my Twitter and Facebook Author Page).
As we shift into 2012, I also hope to post more often, and on more topics – to actually talk about writing more, as I wrangle the work-in-progress and my attention is more solidly on story and craft than the publishing process.
In the meantime, carry on 🙂
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