First Full Ms ever sent (or printed!)

I just sent my first full to a publisher who'd requested it, after reading the proposal and sample chapters. Have a second who's also requested it, but didn't have time to tackle both before the weekend.

Probably what's had the most impact is actually seeing the full manuscript printed out (not just existing as a computer file) for the very first time. Actually sitting in a manuscript box! Taking up a lot of space (323 pages is thick!) It made it so real and scary.

I even called my 22-year-old son into the room to admire it. He was suitably impressed, since he'd been very involved in college journalism.

This is nonfiction, so up till now what's been circulating has been the proposal and sample chapters, first to agents I queried, and then to the editors my agent pitched.

Feel kind of silly about this, but I guess it's taken on a whole new level of reality. Whatever happens with these publishers, I now believe i've written a book

Susan

TrainofThought said:

Congratulations, Susan B! It isn’t silly because it is a step towards publication. I wish you luck.

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Thanks! I love the graphics!

Williebee said:

Congratulations Susan B!

Want to give yourself a thrill? Print it front to back, formatted in book page size, one time. Maybe bind it in a three ring binder.

That's when my first one became real to me, flipping through it and seeing it there, looking just like a book ought to look.

It was both giddy and sobering. All those hours of work in such a small space.

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Now that sounds just a little too scary

Thanks!

Ziljon said:

Wow Susan,

I'm impressed that you never printed it until now. I didn't print mine out till I was ready to start querying and then I found so many typos and misplaced commas that I had to to a complete re-edit!

Congratulations to you!

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Thanks for the good wishes!

I wouldn't be impressed that I never printed the whole thing before, though.
Mainly has to do with how I work--and the fact that it's nonfiction.

I guess I've become so used to editing, getting critques, etc. with computer files, carrying my laptop everywhere, that I didn't think about printing it all out at once. (I had printed the proposal and sample chapters, of course, and probably most of the other chapters at some point.)

Also, often with nonfiction a publisher makes a decision based on the proposal and sample chapters. So I thought I might have a little more time before handing over a full manuscript.

You are right--it is easier to catch errors in a hard copy!

Susan.

Susan

Will Lavender said:

Congratulations, Susan B. And good luck, of course.

You're right: there is something special about seeing the manuscript printed up. I think I'm going to do a Lulu printing on the book I'm working on, once I'm finished; they go through so many changes on their way to publication. Having one of those precious, "director's cut" versions bound and printed like a, you know, real book might be worth the investment.

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Thanks!

I had read that about Lulu (maybe you posted this elsewhere?) and been thinking about it. Sounds like it's not too expensive. And probably good for sending to people you'd like to see the book before it gets close to publication.

Have you used Lulu before?

Susan