The day before yesterday started out like any other. I got up, made coffee, and then drank coffee while wading through my inbox :cafe: . Two hours and two cups later the kids got up. I left my inbox (nope, wasn’t finished yet) to feed them. Back to inbox. My friend came over and we went to the gym. Came home. Checked new mail in inbox. I looked at my three WIP, one of them deadlined, and tried to decide which one was calling me the most.
Then the phone rings and it’s my wonderful editor Kate Duffy. She starts the call with, “Do you have any idea how talented you are?” She’d just finished reading Bad Boys Ahoy! all in one sitting. Mind you, she’s read all three stories separately. That day she read them as an anthology. And she loved it. Raved about it. And I cried. 
Not on the phone but afterwards. Because I’m a sap and because I was so worried she’d be disappointed. She bought the last two stories sight unseen with no synopsis or proposal, nothing to tell her what they would be about. I’m sure you all remember how this terrified me and what a basketcase I was all through January. It was such a huge relief to hear that everything was okay. More than okay. It reenergized me so that I’m tackling my deadlined ms with renewed fervor. I hope I can get on the ball, I’m halfway through my deadline and halfway through the ms. That’s not good in my opinion, but she’s not worried. I’m glad one of us has some confidence in me.
In other news, our chicken laid five small brown eggs. She still attempts to run into the kitchen when she can. My daughter is terrified of the chicken. Not sure what to do about that. The chicken is cute, as long as it stays on the other side of the glass. If she tries to run in, my daughter screams bloody murder.
I had a ton of stuff to say and now that I’m blogging I can’t remember any of it. :doh:
Oh I remember. About edits. Read on only if you’re interested in hearing about the next stage in my journey to being a book-in-your-hand Brava author.
So Kate is done with editing my book. The covers are being printed as we speak. The story has now gone on to the copy editor, who will look at it and return it to Kate, who will then look it over and make sure the copy editor didn’t butcher my story. If Kate is satisfied that I’m not going to freak out over the copy edits, then she sends it to me. I won’t have long to look them over. Why? Because I just have to read through them. If it looks good, I’m okay. If I have a problem, I can either tell them to leave it the way I wrote it, call Kate, or write an alternate suggestion directly on the ms.
Then I make a disk copy of the stories. NOT with the changes. The mss on the disk have to be exactly what I sent them when I submitted the story. The only changes are in writing on the actual pages. It goes back to Kate who runs through it real quick to see what I did and then sends it to print. At that time she can tell me, to the day, when the ARCs will be done.
The ARCs will be sent to all the book buyers and reviewers. I’ll get a good number of them. She told me I can send them to the online reviewers I like and/or give them away on my website. Then it’s just a countdown to February and the hope that people will buy the book. 
(Buy the book, buy the book!)
By that time I’ll be in edits for the next story and it will all start over again…
Now, that’s how all phone calls from one’s editor should start!
Sounds awesome, Sylvia. Although I must say I am jealous about the chicken. I miss mine.
Oh, and those are some seriously great quotes… come to think of it, maybe I’m jealous of those, too. *BG*
by Pat ForteThat is so awesome, Sylvia! I’m sure I would’ve bawled, too. Kate sounds like a wonderful editor!!! Counting down the days until Februrary….
by Joely Sue June 23rd, 2005 at 5:16 amwow, now that’s a great way for an editor to greet you! You must be thrilled.
And I enjoyed reading the last part about the whole process too.
But I did laugh about the chicken and your daughter being afraid of it. An attack chicken, who knew??
by kacey June 23rd, 2005 at 5:16 amSylvia - that is fabulous news. There’s nothing like getting a shot of motivation right when you need it. So how long do your non-editors have to wait for the book….it’s almost not fair to tease us
by HelenKay June 23rd, 2005 at 6:59 amThank you, guys. I know from talking to other published friends that Kate Duffy is a gem of an editor. She’s very good at stroking writer egos and making one feel valuable. I love that she picked up the phone to tell me she enjoyed the book. It’s little things like that, stuff she doesn’t have to do, that I appreciate so much. Also going over the edits with me and making plans to be on the phone with me when the edits come so I don’t feel overwhelmed is priceless. I’ve said before that I need a lot of hand holding and I’m so happy to have an editor who can be very good at it.
HelenKay,
by SylviaI know! It’s a killer how long the wait is. :bounce: I’m dying for it to go up for preorder on Amazon.com
Well, it’s always like that. Once you finish a story, another one begins.
The process never ends.
by Silma June 23rd, 2005 at 12:24 pmAnd….were your ears ringing? Kate and I talked about you last week. She said how excited she was about your book and how great it turned out. I suggested that she send me an early copy and not make me wait :angel:
by HelenKay June 23rd, 2005 at 5:01 pmHelenKay,
It’s even more priceless to hear that she said nice things about the book to someone other than me.
:choco: for sharing that tidbit!!
by SylviaMy pleasure. Meant to tell you last week. Sorry for the delay.
by HelenKay June 23rd, 2005 at 8:04 pm:dance: for you because there is no snoopy dancer LOL.
by Mechele June 24th, 2005 at 1:20 pm