On April 17 I finished a draft of COLD STEEL. I just spent the last month revising that extremely imperfect draft and sent a revised draft to my editor last night (May 10). She will read through it and beat me over the head until I revise it more (that’s her job).
If she accepts the revisions I make to her direction, then I’ll be able to announce a confirmed publication date. However, due to how long it has taken me to write the novel, I can sadly say that it will not be out in 2012.
My apologies for the delay. Partly the book was simply very hard to write, and partly we had a death in my extended family in 2011 that took a toll. Finally, I want this book to be the best it can possibly be.
This is how it goes from here:
Editor reads it and makes revision suggestions. I revise.
Editor reads it one more time and makes final revision suggestions. I revise again to her suggestions and also usually with some things of my own (and from beta readers) that I want to fix and/or change.
It goes to copy editing, in which a copy editor goes through the manuscript looking for grammatical and punctuation and continuity errors. After the copy edit, the manuscript is essentially in its final form.
It is then typeset into the printed form it will have in the book. This typeset manuscript has to be proofread for mistakes and errors.
Meanwhile, the art department will be working on a cover.
All these things take time, and once they are complete, the book will go to the printer, for paper books, and converted to ebook form for the various ebook versions.
If a book is a bestseller the time it takes for this process can be accelerated, but as (sadly!) the Spiritwalker Trilogy is not a bestseller (it could still happen, she said optimistically!), it will go through the production process at the ordinary speed.
That is my report for the week ending May 11. I’ll keep you posted on the next set of developments as soon as I have any. For now, I’m going to dig out my desk and clear out my inbox, and think about what I will be doing next.
Next week I will have two guest posts, one from Australian writer Tansy Raynor Roberts and one from Philippines writer Rochita Loenen-Ruiz.
Thanks — I have to say, my readers have been, as always, wonderful, encouraging, and perspicacious. Thank you for your patience.
ahhhhh! i am encouraged for you, as it is close to the end, but sad for me as i will have to wait sooooooo long to read it. well done at bringing the story to this point.
Thank you for your patience.
Look at it this way. If I wasn’t done yet, you would have to wait even longer! *cloud* *silver lining*
i very much offer myself and services to be a beta reader. i’d love to read the book and see what cat and rory have instore for them next. and then theres Vai….. huummmmm. tee hee
Congratulations on having the story written and good luck with all the rounds of editing. Your stories are worth the wait- no matter how long!
Thank you, Kerry. You’ll be glad to know there is a lot of Rory in the book!
Thank you!
It’s nearly noon in Oregon, and I am still in my pajamas. I just finished Cold Fire, and hurried to google up Cold Steel, which won’t be the first or last of your books I have anxiously awaited. As with all your series’ (yes, I’ve read them all) I was held captive by these books. I am so excited to see where these beloved characters take me next!
Beth:
Thank you so much! Lest readers wonder, for me it does mean everything that people mention they enjoyed the books (and, I have to admit, particularly that they enjoyed the characters).
And thank you for having read all the books. In fact, honestly, I really can’t thank a reader like you ENOUGH. 🙂
ooo I am so excited that you have completed your first draft! I am waiting patiently for this 1 and I say take all the time you need! I want it to be perfect too :P. This is the 1st trilogy of yours I have read and I cant decided if I should diverge now and read the crossroads trilogy or wait for Cold steel 1st! any thoughts?
Good luck with the revisions! I look forward to Cold Steel!
I’m glad to be done with the first draft! Thanks for your patience.
As for Crossroads Trilogy, I think it depends. It’s complete, so that’s good. I really love it, so that’s good. However, it is quite different from the Spiritwalker books. If you like “serious business” epic fantasy, written with multiple point of view character and a complex intertwining plot, then definitely read it. If you hope for another narrative with the light first person tone of Cold Magic, then be aware Crossroads is not that. It is it’s own thing, just not that.
Crossroads is heartbreaking, and epic and every bit as enthralling and dreamy as the spiritwalkers and then some! It’s my personal favorite!
Beth, thank you. I’m very proud of Crossroads. Of all my series, I find it the hardest to describe.