One hundred twenty-five and counting.: seanan

One hundred twenty-five and counting.

One hundred twenty-five days. That's all that remains between me, in this moment, as I'm typing this, and me, standing in a book store, holding a copy of Rosemary and Rue in my hands. Which will probably be shaking. I'm intending to creep quietly into a large chain store where nobody knows me, pay retail for the first copy I can find, and then go sit in a bathroom and cry for a good long while. And then I will dry my face and go back to the business of dealing with a release, IE, "being perky and accessible," "signing books and being charming," and "not reading my Amazon reviews." (For serious. I have been forbidden to read my Amazon reviews, and I support this commandment. I'm going to be crazy enough that week without the extra feedback.)

One hundred twenty-five days. I received my page proofs in the mail on Saturday, and have been dilligently crawling through them with a red pen, hunting and killing any errors that I find. If it makes it through the proofs, it's my fault. So I have to hunt and kill like a velociraptor trying to feed her young, aware that any mistakes made in the prehistoric jungle could lead to being eaten by a larger predator. Okay, so maybe it's not that bad. I mean, we're not at "burst into tears during the Hellboy II credits because I just figured out a continuity error" levels of high-strung yet, and we may not get there ever. But it's definitely very brain-and-stress-intensive, as well as being a fascinating exercise in reviewing my own text.

One hundred twenty-five days. My cover flats came in yesterday's mail. Actual, printed covers with my actual, printed cover image and my actual, printed back-cover text. My name and the title of the book are both embossed. After I finished crying, I started to laugh hysterically, because—without my having any actual input or control over the graphic design—I have wound up with a first novel whose title is presented in large, embossed, eye-catching, pumpkin-fucker orange lettering. Did you need proof that I control the universe? Because I actually got proof that I control the universe. And the proof is awesome.

One hundred twenty-five days. My to-do lists are starting to look like an elaborate piece of conditional theoretical math, because, of course, they fall down every time I need to wait for somebody to get back to me. "If X has not happened, Y; if X has happened, Z" is becoming a distressingly common entry. (And if you're wondering why I'm doing lists that far out, you haven't checked my schedule recently.) I'm trying to make things as unconditional as I possibly can, simply for the sake of my own sanity. And Kate's sanity. And Vixy's sanity. And The Agent's sanity. And the sanity of anybody else who has to deal with me between now and the end of September.

One hundred twenty-five days. That's when you get to meet Toby properly and in print for the very first time.

I'm so excited I could scream.

bercilakslady

April 28 2009, 16:16:22 UTC 8 years ago

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"(For serious. I have been forbidden to read my Amazon reviews, and I support this commandment. I'm going to be crazy enough that week without the extra feedback.)"

Out of curiosity, is this a blanket forbidding, or just for the first little while?

*hugs* I'm glad you're so excited, and I hope that you manage to stay sane while you wait.

the_s_guy

April 28 2009, 21:11:38 UTC 8 years ago

I'd second the shunning of Amazon reviews. There is never anything on there that an author needs to read, and plenty of careless random cruelty, accidental and otherwise. Let the publishers sift through it if they feel they must; they have thicker skins about such things.

So, when's the first booksigning tour? :)

seanan_mcguire

8 years ago

aiglet

wendyzski

April 28 2009, 16:37:52 UTC 8 years ago

*covers ears*

April 29 2009, 14:13:09 UTC 8 years ago

Hee.

fireriven

April 28 2009, 16:48:52 UTC 8 years ago

It's gonna be a good day, my dear. A very good day!

April 29 2009, 14:13:20 UTC 8 years ago

I expect to do a lot of crying, really.

galeni

April 28 2009, 16:54:07 UTC 8 years ago

Wonderful post. I have my copy preordered from Amazon.

April 29 2009, 14:13:30 UTC 8 years ago

This makes me ecstatically happy.

starletfallen

April 28 2009, 17:08:30 UTC 8 years ago

Words cannot describe how excited I am for you. Cheesy but true, I have this thing where when something epically good happens to people I know, I get... I don't know, just so elated, and want to cry (in the good way) and it's just really weird of me but there you go. XD

But. Excited. SO excited. I can't wait until September, I'm going out to buy it ON THE DAY. I don't care how many bookstores I have to hit up to find it. Even though that probably won't be an issue.

Random question - do you like hats?

April 29 2009, 14:14:07 UTC 8 years ago

Random answer: I do like hats!

And no, it's not weird. People like it when good things happen to other people, especially ones they know, because it proves (in part) that the universe isn't all bad.

hoppytoad79

April 28 2009, 18:11:12 UTC 8 years ago

So where's the countdown widget for Rosemary and Rue? I want one for my desktop. ;) You had no part in the cover of your novel? O.O I am so sorry. Not having any say in what your baby ends up wearing...*shuddertwitch* I'm glad the cover is one you like.

April 29 2009, 14:17:20 UTC 8 years ago Edited: April 29 2009, 14:28:00 UTC

That's just img src="http://tupid.org/randrcountdown.gif"

I love all three covers. Most "new" and even "new-ish" authors get little to no cover approval, so I got awesomely lucky.

lyon_martin

April 28 2009, 18:13:59 UTC 8 years ago

You are also forbidden to beat yourself up if (and it never seems to fail) you do miss an error in proofs.

I am squeeing right along side of you. There is nothing quite so exciting as a first published book. :)

April 29 2009, 14:28:22 UTC 8 years ago

Oh, I expect to cry most mightily, and then get over it.

Hooray for squee!

la_marquise_de_

April 28 2009, 18:17:19 UTC 8 years ago

Congrats.
My proofs boggled me for a reason that I hadn't considered: the spelling. I'm British, I spell in British English. Living with Ghosts is printed in US English. That was surreal (none of my previous stuff -- all no fiction, some in US journals -- has ever been changed).
I never did get cover flats. There have been endless issues with the postal service between here and NY (mainly -- and traceably -- in NY itself).

keristor

April 29 2009, 11:28:22 UTC 8 years ago

I actually didn't notice the spelling. Over many years (decades) I have internalised the differences because otherwise I would constantly be rejecting over half of my reading for 'errors' to the point where it seems that I am no longer even aware of whether I'm reading English or American spelling.

professor

erinwrites

April 28 2009, 19:47:55 UTC 8 years ago

The squeeing continues.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE! ;)

April 29 2009, 14:30:30 UTC 8 years ago

*giggle*

markbernstein

April 28 2009, 21:12:29 UTC 8 years ago

One hundred twenty five days and counting the minutes
One hundred twenty five days 'til life starts anew
One hundred twenty five days and counting the minutes
How do you measure dreams coming true?
In pages - in plotlines
In readers - in snarky comments
In agents - in sales on
Amazon's site
One hundred twenty five days of anticipation
How do you measure living to write?

April 30 2009, 02:19:16 UTC 8 years ago

jennifer_brozek

April 28 2009, 21:15:38 UTC 8 years ago

You know what's funny? I've been so busy that I have no idea how many days until I get GRANTS PASS.

I've got ROSEMARY AND RUE on pre-order from Amazon. I'm looking forward to reading it.

April 30 2009, 02:19:31 UTC 8 years ago

You should get a little math widget. :) They make EVERYTHING better.

ravenclawed

April 28 2009, 21:25:18 UTC 8 years ago

Only 125 days? Wow, the time is flying by!

I heard the average paperback has 4 typos, so don't worry too much about it. I've read at least two unrelated books where the wrong character's name was used, and I seriously doubt you'd make that sort of mistake.

The title is in your favorite color? Too cool!

April 30 2009, 02:20:05 UTC 8 years ago

Time just goes zoom. It's scary.

tezmilleroz

April 29 2009, 01:47:50 UTC 8 years ago

You should totally photograph Lilly with the cover flat. Pumpkin overload = awesome! :-)

April 30 2009, 02:20:37 UTC 8 years ago

I tried, she got into a fight with Alice, and it just didn't work. I got shots of Alice, though.

ladyqkat

April 29 2009, 01:58:51 UTC 8 years ago

Going to try my darndest to set aside the $$ to get a copy - or ask my SO for it as a b'day prezzie.

In the meantime -

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

April 30 2009, 02:20:47 UTC 8 years ago

YAY NAKED CATS!

Great Big Happy Hug

lisa_marli

April 29 2009, 03:37:42 UTC 8 years ago

Oh and SSSQQQUUUUEEEE!!!!!

So we'll have to know where you are having a local signing and buy our copy from the nice bookseller hosting same. It is only proper and fair. Buying from Amazon is so wrong when a bookseller will do things right.

If no proper bookseller, then I will Amazon and grab you at the next con. :)

Pixie Dust so that your book will fly off the shelves. :)

More SSQQUUEEE!!! ;)

Re: Great Big Happy Hug

April 30 2009, 02:21:05 UTC 8 years ago

Thaaaaaank you. :)

dcb42

April 29 2009, 13:16:34 UTC 8 years ago

Dammit, someone else made the Rent reference! ;)

So you're just going to have to settle for me giving you entirely virtual-type hugs and reiterating my promise to get your book in one hundred and twenty-four days now.

And if that means a hundred and twenty-four days of trying to calm you down a little bit and continuing to have faith in you, I'm up for that. Congratulations to you!

April 30 2009, 02:21:23 UTC 8 years ago

Thank you, sweetie. You've been more help than I can say.

I am so very excited for you

amanda_nye

May 1 2009, 23:01:11 UTC 8 years ago

and I can't wait to be able to buy your books in a store and inflict them upon the rest of the world. They need your books. They just don't know it yet.

Re: I am so very excited for you

May 3 2009, 20:25:29 UTC 8 years ago

YAY!

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