The Tenth Circle

weeeeee!!!

callalily61 said:

Lisa, LOL on the sweat lodge and peyote image. I wonder what my copyedits would look like after that kind of meeting?

Click to expand...

Dude, that's pretty much how I roll...

Finally have my editorial letter! Yay! (I think....)

Now if I can only bring myself to open it...

So I opened the letter and *checks pulse*...I'm still alive!

The experience was simply all shades of surreal...

How did you guys feel the first time you read your letter? Happy? Thrilled? Shell-shocked?

Well, most of my heavy revising came before submitting. My editorial letter as it were was actually very brief and simple -- of all the many stages of this process, that was probably the one that was the least amount of work for me. I don't think my experience was typical, but I'm working with an agent who does a lot of work on the editorial side -- so probably some of those communications are more relevant!

HC, hope it was GOOD surreal! Or that you're adjusting to it at least!

Thanks, Lisa! Yes, it was "good" surreal. I think the part I'm still adjusting to is the reality that the book isn't really just "mine" anymore. I absolutely respect and appreciate my editor's vision for the book - but I can see that it's going to be a loooooong road ahead. I'm trying not to have a panic attack. Booze is definitely on the menu tonight.

HC, I went into some more detail on the Next Circle of Hell. I totally get where you're coming from. Even though I didn't have to do a lot of editorial revisions, I still had this whole, "Whoah. This is a job. I am beholden to others here. This isn't just about me any more." It's quite an adjustment on a lot of levels.

Wait till you hit Second Book Angst. Fun.

I shudder at the thought...

HappyCamper said:

Thanks, Lisa! Yes, it was "good" surreal. I think the part I'm still adjusting to is the reality that the book isn't really just "mine" anymore. I absolutely respect and appreciate my editor's vision for the book - but I can see that it's going to be a loooooong road ahead. I'm trying not to have a panic attack. Booze is definitely on the menu tonight.

Click to expand...

This was a weird feeling for me too. All of the sudden it wasn't just me writing what I wanted to write. All through querying you can tell yourself if this doesn't work, I'll just do something else, but once you get that far in the process there's no avoiding the fact you have to accomplish what is needed.

Yay HC! What type of deadline do you have?

Melia said:

This was a weird feeling for me too. All of the sudden it wasn't just me writing what I wanted to write. All through querying you can tell yourself if this doesn't work, I'll just do something else, but once you get that far in the process there's no avoiding the fact you have to accomplish what is needed.

Click to expand...

Exactly! There's no turning back now...

callalily61 said:

HC, I first got my notes over the phone, and there were a few seconds when my jaw hung open and nothing came out of my mouth. Then I slapped myself (mentally) and said all the right things. I only whimpered after I hung up.

Click to expand...

I don't think I would have survived a phone conversation! You're a brave girl, Lily!

phoenix said:

Yay HC! What type of deadline do you have?

Click to expand...

Thanks! The revisions are due in July *faints*

When I got my editorial letter, it was actually a huge relief. Knowing that she had read it and not thrown it against the wall was naturally a good thing, but so was the feeling that she had ideas on how to fix the issues that had nagged me throughout the book.

For me, the production process (I'm in copy edits) has been the most surreal yet. All of a sudden all of these people are coming out of the woodwork who have read or touched my book, and it's WEIRD!!!!

erinbee said:

When I got my editorial letter, it was actually a huge relief. Knowing that she had read it and not thrown it against the wall was naturally a good thing, but so was the feeling that she had ideas on how to fix the issues that had nagged me throughout the book.

For me, the production process (I'm in copy edits) has been the most surreal yet. All of a sudden all of these people are coming out of the woodwork who have read or touched my book, and it's WEIRD!!!!

Click to expand...

I can't begin to even imagine what that stage of the process must be like! Thanks for sharing!

When I got my first edits back on both books they were really slash and burns. I think I lost 8,000 words from the SF epic, and about 4,000 from the paranormal. It was all fat, junk, and verbosity. At first I thought "They're castrating me--my voice is being cut out!" But when I went over it, the prose ran much faster, smoother, and with a snappier pace. I found that I repeated myself at the end of just about every paragraph, trying to slam a point home. What I thought was elegant and wistful prose, was actually purple, bloated, reader eaters.

They took no prisoners, and had to remind me that they hoped they weren't coming across too strong. Hell, I egged 'em on. "Is that all ya got?" They obliged. Thank gawd they obliged.

Tri

Howdy all!

I got my first official, publicist booked it for me, author event today...whoah. Not till June but still...whoah!

Yay, Lisa!!!!

Goooooo Lisa!

Come to San Diego on June 12! We'll have fun...

Awesome, Lisa! What is it?! And where?

Oh, it's...yanno, I'm not sure what it is. An author event (me being the author) at Mysterious Galaxy, which is a really nice indy bookstore in San Diego that specializes in mysteries and speculative fiction. My book isn't really a mystery, but it's close enough, I guess! Anyway June 12, 2 PM. A ways away yet. Which should give me some time to figure out what I'm going to do. I dunno. Read a little. I hope answer questions because I enjoy that more than just talking...and I have to find a part of the MS that would be fun to read and doesn't have too much profanity (the MC is a bit profane).

Guys! Guys guys guys!

I got cover flats! *hugs, loves, drools*

Awwwww!!!! You gonna frame a couple of them, Tas? That would actually look really awesome!