Onwards and Upwards

Now that I've had more time to get used to the disappointment of the publication date being put back to August, it doesn't seem as bad as it did. I feared that my publishers might have been trying to tell me gently that my book might not be published at all. But, after a phone conversation with them today, I find they are currently working at getting advance copies ready, and so on. It seems that not having some 'book form' copies ready to send out was hindering getting the necessary publicity. They feel that, with the extra time, they can take up more marketing opportunities.

Meanwhile, I'll use the extra time to promote my 'book-to-be' in any way I can. I mustn't just sit back and think, well, August is ages away. Since reaching the age of 21 (many moons ago) I've sometimes found that I've just blinked a few times, and months - even years - have whizzed by.

And maybe when I've put myself through the ritual humiliation of doing talks at my speakers club for another few months, I'll be brim-full of self-confidence by the time my book is launched. Last night I stood bravely in front of a room full of people and struggled through an impromptu talk on 'Would you like to be given a gift of stationery?' The previous week, my longer, planned talk called 'Washing Mice' (don't ask) seemed to go down well. My theory is that if I keep putting myself through this, I will, in time, come to enjoy public speaking more than I would enjoy pulling my teeth out with pliers.

Back to my book. I thought I'd finished all the editing, and now it is being suggested that I expand a section. I won't reject this suggestion out of hand (nor will I stick pins in an image of the editor who suggested it), but I'm not sure it's a good idea to do further 'tinkering' at this stage. I wonder: when does editing stop improving a manuscript and start spoiling it?

So that's it. It seems all is not lost. Onwards and upwards.

Ouch!

I've just had a phone call from my publishers to say that publication date of 'The Dark Threads' is to be postponed until (wait for it) August! It seems that in the current economic climate and the 'doom and gloom' in the publishing world, they don't feel that now is the best time to publish it. I can't say more at the moment as I'm still reeling from the blow. Nothing more to say anyway, I suppose.

There's no point me weeping and wailing (says she stoically) as there's nothing I can do about it. I'll just have to brush the dust off my novel and get on with that. (Oh, sod it, pass the tissues, please).

Not getting on with it.

Well, despite the good intentions I always start off a new year with, I don't seem to be doing enough to fulfil my aims. I'm brilliant at writing out 'Things To Do' lists, planning, dreaming, hoping, but I sometimes fall short on the most important task: actually 'doing'.

I've now left it too late to write a story for the Mslexia competition. My existing ones are far too long. In fact it's occurred to me that I've written very little for quite some time. My novel-in-progress is asleep in a drawer, growing whiskers.

I blame my diminishing writing output on my excitement about 'The Dark Threads' coming out next month. I've been so taken up with thoughts of publication, along with trying to help with publicity, that my writing has taken a back seat. Not good. I wannabe a writer. Writers must write.

I'm going to write stories, get on with my novel, and ... Oh dear, here I go again. If I stop blogging about what I'm going to do and tell you what I've actually done, I hope I will have something to blog about soon!

Proofs

It's arrived! The typeset copy of 'The Dark Threads'. Ooh, it's exciting. Now I can visualise it as a PROPER book. I've got a week to proof-read it once more, and then off it goes to my publishers. And we're nearly there.

I'm back in panic mode (more than ever!). I didn't seek cover quotes earlier as there was no 'reading' copy ready to send. But now my publishers have emailed asking me if I've had any success getting quotes for my book jacket, telling me they need them urgently (next week!) and that they can send a PDF file of the final ms to me if they want to see it.

I'm thrilled to receive my typeset manuscript and I can't wait to hold my book in my hands. But ... (Well, yes, there's always a 'but', isn't there?).