Is it Soup yet?

This One is Wondering When She Can Finally Be Done?

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I signed my contract with my publisher in April. My editor wanted me to return my developmental edits by August 1. I’m not her only author, so even if I returned them earlier, it wouldn’t speed things up. After my editor returns this round of edits, I’ll do line and copy edits. Then I’ll have galleys to approve, and four months after that, I’ll have an official date for publication. The publisher needs those four months to do all their work, including marketing tasks. Very similar to having a baby. Hopefully, I like the baby and thank God I don’t have to give it a bedroom for eighteen years and pay for a college education.

In the last month, I’ve been given other work to complete: working on my logline, coming up with blurbs, high concept pitch, and the completion of the cover form for the book designer.

They always warn you that the time from writing your book to publication is lengthy one. However, you don’t fully grasp it until you’re the one living it. When you add on all of the time you spend querying publishers, which could be another six months to a year or even more , to see your book published it can seem over whelming.

Personal development is one area that can fill your down time and can benefit a writer. One book I’ve been reading is The Structure of Story: How to Write Great Stories by Focusing On What Matters by Ross Hartman. He shows you how to keep your reader emotionally engaged and connected to your story through various tools. Be forewarned. I believe it’s the kind of book you’ll put on your writing desk and keep coming back to again and again. I have several like that, The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers by Christopher Vogler and Write Your Novel from the Middle by John Scott Bell are two others that never leave my desk. I’m sure most writers have their favorites. I would love to hear about yours, so I can share them.

I posted twice this week to get off to a good start, just in case I’m in a mood next week. You know how writers can be. Enough for today. I have to blow out of here. Heading out to RWA’s Annual Conference in Washington, D.C, at the Gaylord, technically in Maryland. Hopefully, I don’t get into too much trouble, but some. I need to do some character development work. Ha!