Well, the adult novel is finished. As in rewritten, edited, revised, and sent off to my agent. It is a huge relief, along with a sense of extreme pride. I really wasn’t sure I was going to be able to do it - but I did. And I really, really like it. I think it’s one of my best books to date.

My agent sent me the list of publishers it is going to be read by this week, a total of 13 in all. They include: Random House, St. Martin’s Press, Penguin/Putnam, Harper Collins, Grand Central, Grove, Graywolf Press, Viking, Bloomsbury, and Ballantine. (I can’t remember the rest.) It will be awhile until we hear back from anyone, but let’s hope 13 proves to be the lucky number it is touted to be and someone makes an offer!! Fingers (and toes!) crossed.

Meanwhile, the galleys for my second young-adult novel, The Sweetness of Salt just arrived! (Galleys are the just paperback copies that are printed first so that reviewers and book buyers can get a look at - and read - the book before it goes on to hardcover.) Copies are also sent to me, so that I can take a final read through and spot any errors before it goes to press. I also have the opportunity to send the galley to authors I know so that they can read it and provide a blurb for the dust jacket. Blurbs are those single-sentences provided by another author that praises the book in some way. For example, Jackie Mitchard who wrote The Deep End of the Ocean,  provided a wonderful blurb for The Patron Saint of Butterflies, which really boosted the look of the cover.

Finally, the copyedited manuscript for my third middle-grade novel, The Summer of May, just arrived as well. A copy edited manuscript is a copy of the novel, which has been pored over with a fine-tooth comb by the copy editor at the publisher. Right now, The Summer of May is freckled with a million little red circles, question marks, and other copyeditor scribbles. I have to go through all of those scribbles and either agree with the copyeditor’s suggestion to change the thing in question, or disagree. It’s laborious work, but work I am all too eager to dive into, namely because (1) I am always open to suggestions to make the work better, and (2) a peace of mind is gained knowing that mistakes are being caught - and corrected. (There’s nothing worse than coming across a misspelled word or name in a book!)

So that’s what I will be doing for the next few days. After I’m done agreeing/disagreeing with the copyeditor, I send everything back to my regular editor, who will then send the whole thing to the printer. And then the graphic artist will begin sending me suggestions/ideas for the cover!! Another joy!

I spent most of last week on a mini-vacation in Vermont with my babies. This week, I will be spending time with my other babies. Lots of work. Lots of care and precision and nourishment and love until it’s time to kiss them goodbye again and send them off into the wide, wide world.

Until then, onward always!

CG 

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