09 October 2008

Working working working

Look what arrived in the mail this week!

This is the book I was Technical Editor on earlier this year - it's all for real now! It's little! My book will be nearly twice as big (roughly 8 x 10") - oh sorry, did that sound like gloating? My bad.

There's my name in print - eeeeee! Sarah, who was Senior Copy Editor on the Brain Games book, is my Project Editor on my Word Searches book. And Erin (Editorial Program Coordinator) is my Acquisitions Editor. They swap jobs around all the time!

This is how I stay sane during the day, when I'm all worded out ... although I'm not sure if doing an Escher jigsaw all in shades of grey qualifies as helping me stay sane!

This is where I'm working at the moment, I've co-opted the dining table.

A few days ago I submitted my first chapter (Chapter 2 - the longest one in the book) - the good news is Sarah (my Project Editor) is very happy with it, there are no edits to do at her level of things, and I've 'nailed' the Dummies style (which is very specific, you should see the pages and pages of Author's Guidelines!). Now it goes to my Copy Editor, then eventually to a Technical Editor, and then I'll get it back (probably in January 09) to make any suggested changes during the Author Review.

It is seriously kick ass cool having this whole editorial support network backing me up - something I've never had before, not even with my syndicated puzzles. I'm used to doing all my own editing, and proofreading, and layout, and design, and even all the promotions, sales and deliveries for my Canberra puzzle books. Loving the change!

I need to have all the wordy parts (ie everything that isn't puzzles) written by the 27th of this month. There's 5 chapters to go, and a bunch of short 'Section introductions' to write too. And my Author Bio and Acknowledgments (which is kind of funny, I thought you'd write those last!). Thanks to Daylight Savings I can now get on the computer at 7am and have a real time email chat with Sarah (4pm her time) which is making the whole communicating thing work much better!

Not quite sure how I'm going to get 252 puzzles written by 29 December, given that the text is taking up most of my time at the moment, so I'm not writing 4 puzzles a day (which is what is needed to do them over 3 months) - it's going to end up being more like 6 puzzles per day once I finally get to them 0_o

And I'm making sure I get some TV / knitting time every night after dinner, never fear. With a bird on my shoulder.

12 comments:

  1. Amazing. Congrats on it all - and you sure are on a high from it all, I can tell. I'm awed by your ... your ... sheer brilliance in doing what you do so well! I am at a loss for words - suffice to say, kudos, hats off to ya' and rah-rah! Go, Jejune!

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  2. Wow.. congrats! Mum said a lot of work is involved in publishing a book. ps: We have an Apple MacBook too!

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  3. So good to see your name in print! That's fabulous.

    I have every confidence that you'll get it done - it'll be tough but you're a hard worker!

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  4. w00t! its a bit of a buzz isnt it! so pleased for you, but god so much work. i hope the writing of puzzles comes naturally. good luck!

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  5. Woo hoo! You'll be flying three hundred miles an hour with your hair on fire! December 29 is just around the corner. I am wishing you inspiration and flashes of brilliance.

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  6. 6 puzzles a day, whoa. O_o indeed!

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  7. I smell a next book deal before you even get to December 29. They must know a great author when they work with her! Congrats, and finding this book when it comes out in the States--I'm all over it! Happy "wordying." 8^)

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  8. How awesome to see your name in a book like that! It must make you very proud. Congrats! Now, how in the world do you write 6 puzzles a day?

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  9. have a wonderfullllll week!

    and a poem by Blogger “thalassa”

    speak to me memory the language of seagulls
    behind the hills behind the sweating sight
    beds of sand tatooed by sudden wind
    curved and open crevices particles of the skin of earth
    with snake linear language
    where the path into the cliff blue turns white foaming
    air seeped through the stones ethereal as moans of this dry land
    disconnected lay dormant following the wind of others
    elevated lyrical images
    of islands in high sea half to light half to gray _darkness
    strains of memories
    wave rolling wave to become equal in motion... in distance
    into my mind to capture the essence
    aqua choreography
    the barren chest of isles producing depth not seen
    by my sweeping cantos of self unity
    sounds magical lured by the cardiac tunes
    murmuring the language of skin and love songs

    speak to me
    speak to me memory,
    the language of seagulls


    Demetrios the Traveller

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  10. Wow!! You are super famous - and you must be so proud of yourself! We all are!

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  11. Where you were given physical difficulties in life in exchange you were given super powers in all other areas. I am in awe that you can write any books then throw in that puzzle!! Girl you rock

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  12. An Escher jigsaw puzzle.....the moment I saw that I ran and made a request of one to my personal Santa. I have one of Escher's prints above my sewing machine. I love his work!

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