Hi Everyone,
I can't believe I'm saying this,
but I turned in the FINAL version of my manuscript two weeks ago. FINAL
- as in, no more changes unless I spot typos in the galleys (the
printed proofs before it goes to press). I spent about a week of
working late into the night, getting feedback and input from my good
friend Julie, before submitting at 2 a.m. on August 25.
It was
so nerve-wracking. I accepted and rejected changes in my sleep
every night that week, brain spinning as I pseudo-dreamed, noting all
the last-minute changes I wanted to make. Here is this 300-page
document that I had been revising for a year and
half -- and now had mere days to declare the content ready to ship.
As
I edited at the 11th hour, I kept reading every sentence with slight
paranoia, as if that would be the ONE line that reviewers would quote to showcase my biggest critique fears. Cliche! Trite! Obvious! Boring! I know that sounds harsh, but I just wanted every sentence to stand up on it's own as useful and original. No pressure! And did I remember everyone in the acknowledgments?
The stress! But ultimately it felt SO good to hit "send" and know that
I was finally moving on to the design phase; done with endless edits.
After all, this is a book on EVERY AREA of life after college - I could
add to and edit this thing forever!
Now we get a few
weeks off as the designer lays out the pages and works on the cover. Eeek! Excited/nervous to see how the first drafts turn out...
I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend! Cheers to a short week ahead :)
Jenny
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PERSONAL UPDATES
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- We're speeding up the schedule: According
to my editor, we are using a foreign printer so that the book can be
produced in a special format (6x9 with front & back flaps, slightly
larger than standard paperback, which I am really excited about).
The accelerated schedule is as
follows:
- ms. to dsg: 8/27
- 1st proof to edit: 9/24
- 1st proof to desg: 10/15
- 2nd proof to edit: 10/22
- 2nd proof to dsg: 10/29
- mechs to Kaz: 11/5 (off to press)
Exciting
stuff!! The only problem is that I'm at yoga teacher training from
10/15-10/31 - critical period for the book - yikes!! Going to have to
write to my editor about that. Something tells me the people at White Lotus won't want me
holed up in my Yurt working on my book while I'm learning how to be a yogi.
- International Woman of Mystery? We shall see!
My literary agent sent the manuscript to some foreign agents, and it
sounds like a Japanese publisher is potentially interested. How cool
would that be?! I will keep you posted of course :)
- Writing Tip: My
friend Julie shared a great maxim as we were editing the final version:
"When in doubt, go without." It realy helped me make the tough cuts.
- Reader Question: What's one thing you wish you had known when you started? I
wish I had known that the process is much more straightforward and
well-documented than I expected. That would have saved me a lot of
spinning and unnecessary worry in the beginning.
By the time I started following the steps outlined in
Michael Larsen's books, How to Find a Literary Agent and How to Write a
Book Proposal, I was off the races. There really is a well-trodden
path, and it's not as scary as I once thought. That said, I was
fortunate enough to land a book deal. I don't know how I would feel if
I had been totally rejected, but the process would still have been the same.
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QUOTES
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"Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that's the one that is going to require the most from you."
--Caroline Myss
"Great
art, in my opinion, is simply a reflection of the artist's ability to
disclose his or her inner experience very directly and accurately."
--Martha Beck
"What ought one to say then as each hardship comes? I was practicing for this, I was training for this."
--Epictetus (55-135 AD) Greek Philosopher
"We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand."
--C.S. Lewis
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RESOURCES
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Websites:
- OhLife - "The Easiest Way to Write Your Life Story" (emails you every day with a prompt that says, "how did your day go?")
- WriteOrDie.com - "Putting the 'Prod' in Productivity" - hilarious!
Blog Posts:
Articles:
Books:
Blogs:
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STANDING LINKS
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I've tagged many more articles and resources in Delicious:
Questions for me about the book project (or anything else)? Ask away on Formspring! (Allows others to benefit from your question too)
Feel free to forward this email to friends. View past issues of this newsletter at:
Requests for specific content in future emails? Reply and let me know.
I think that's it for now! Best of luck with all of your projects and creative pursuits until we talk again :)
Jenny
http://twitter.com/Jenny_Blake
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