Friday, December 16, 2005

Page Proofs

I finished them.  The timeline, which worried me, was fine.  The proof reader obviously missed a day and therefore thought the days were wrong.

Because the day missed is very clear, I didn’t need to change it.  At the beginning of a new chapter I wrote, “The ringing phone was my alarm clock.”  If you somehow miss that line and the one that comes next which makes it clear that the protagonist is getting up out of bed, then you could confuse the days.  I can’t see why a reader would miss this.

I was pretty sure my timeline was correct because I paid particular attention to that.  The other questions were easy to answer and 3 or 4 were good catches and I changed them.

I’m glad it’s over.

On Tess Gerritson's blog she writes about the grueling schedule of a book a year.  She also points out that if you miss a year it can be bad for you.  A book a year is very hard.  But I’m not going to have that problem because my publisher is holding off on giving me a contract.  I am, however, going to miss a year and should I get a contract for one or two of my series it won’t be a good thing.

I doubt that I will get a contract and I don’t believe another house would want the series.  My feeling is that this will be a series of two books.

The thought of starting a new series doesn’t interest me right now.  But that could change.  I’d much rather try a stand alone.  I’ve done many of those.

I’m not anxious yet that I don’t have an idea.  I wonder when that will start?  Anxiety, that is.

3 comments:

mapletree7 said...

But I’m not going to have that problem because my publisher is holding off on giving me a contract. I am, however, going to miss a year and should I get a contract for one or two of my series it won’t be a good thing.

Why does the delay in the contract mean you will necessarily miss a year?

And why wouldn't it be a good thing?

Sandra Scoppettone said...

They aren't going to consider a contract until the 2nd book comes out in June and they see how it does. The numbers won't be available until the end of November. Therefore I won't have a book in 2007.

You caught me writing a lousy sentence. It won't be a good thing to miss a year if the series is going to continue.

mb at reference said...

Thanks so much for the link to Tess Gerritson's discussion of producing a book a year. And thanks for sharing your own process with us on this blog.

Miriam B.
Santa Fe Public Library