It’s—Copyedit Time!
Just a few weeks ago I was in countdown mode to get The Great Revision (TGR) of The Gathering of the Lost (The Wall of Night Book Two) done and dusted—and now it is already copyedit time!ย Can you believe it?
There is definitely no rest for the wicked and all I can say is that I must have been ve–ry wicked indeed in a past life! (Sadly, I haven’t been at all wicked in this one …)
So here I am, in countdown mode again—and kinda hoping you will help me out like you did last time! ๐
Because you see, my publisher would like Gathering back by 31 August. Which I reckon is pretty durned tight for a 200,000 word, 700 page manuscript, es-special-ly since because of all that snow, the courier hasn’t actually arrived with the manuscript yet!
But hey, I’m a Kiwi gal—DIY and No. 8 wire and all that jazz!—and so of course I have managed to rustle up a hardcopy ms to work off, snow or no snow. (These days, the copyeditors get to work on electronic manuscripts, but the author still has to to do her/his notations by pencil-–can you believe it?—onto a hard copy. And have you tried to find a decent pencil sharpener these days? I tell, you, gentle readers, the beast does not exist—or if it does, please send my way now, at once, today! Believe me, your name will be LEGEND. ๐ )
So back to that deadline. Personally, given the size of the manuscript, I think 12 September is more realistic—but bearing in mind that whether 31st August or 12 September, this is the date the marked up hardcopy manuscript has to be back in the production department in New York. So I have to allow for courier time as well—and as I am around 10,000 miles / 14,000 kilometres and several time zones from the Big Apple, we’re not talking overnight delivery: no, sirree!
So, dear readers, as aforesaid, I am now back into page and day countdown mode—and the jackpot questions. Will she do it? Or won’t she? And when will she actually get it done by? Will she blow a gasket and expire in steam and smoke en route? Or will she come sailing through, all smiles and serenity?ย (Serenity: now there wasย a movie …)
Ladies and gentlemen, if there are bookies amongst you, I now invite you to take all bets—the 31st or the 12th, which will it be?ย For those not of a gambling disposition, well, I’m pretty sure I’ll be asking you to toot again for support!
So let the games begin—or alternatively, cry havoc and loose the dogs of war! ๐ฎ
Um… wouldn’t 12 June be more realistic than 31st August only in a time-warp? Or perhaps if it was 12 June 2012? Because if it’s 2011, you are the Doctor and the ms is a blue box. ๐ (Which sounds very cool, btw.)
Ah, Mary, you’ve got me! Although of course I could say that I really meant June 12 2012 ;-), which really would be plenty of time for me—although not at all happiness-making for either my publishers or readers! But of course it is an erreur and I meant to say 12 September 2011 … I shall hie me to the post and correct it now!
And now ’tis done! Thanks for pointing it out, Mary!:)
I would LOVE to be the Doctor, btw! And have a blue Tardis of my very own!!
I reckon an ms is always a time machine of some sort. ๐
Mary, you may be right–larger on the inside than it appears from the outside, able to travel through space and time, not necessarily constrained by the laws of physics … ๐ฎ
I bet you’ll finish the 31st, with a smile and being unflappable.
Jan—thank you for your faith! But it’s actually a very tight deadline for such a big book so I am not at all sure about either the smile or the unflappable. I suspect the ‘self destruct en route’ is a far more likely outcome—but we’ll see, because you just never know, no matter how impossible the deadline sometimes the gods are kind and smile …
How about mechanical pencils? No sharpener needed!
Serenity is an awesome movie and I am picking the Aug date! I think you can do it, sleep is soooo over rated ๐
(been out of town for the last 4 days so trying to catch up on everything!) Gonna go check out the latest Thornspell post!)
Hey Sharon—unfortunately it as to be colour pencil and that doesn’t come in mechanical here; we only have graphite. ๐ But a friend, the wonderful Irene, has loaned me a pencil sharpener that is currently doing the trick–nice fine points and no broken leads: indeed Legend!
Ah, another one for August (she types, in failing accents, wiping fevered brow!)—but you’re right, sleep is tres over-rated; coffee and meal breaks very much the same! ๐
Hope you enjoy the Thornspell post–we’re getting a few good comments!
*toot, honk, beep* I’m guessing the August date as the little red engine would say “I think I can, I think I can….” opps I needed to put you instead of I but then it wouldn’t be a very good quote ๐
Well, I’m making good progress so far … Will keep you posted! And thanks for the toot!