The Road to Publication: Part Fourteen

[This is part 14 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

Here it is! The big one. On Thursday, this happened:

 
There it was, shelved in Books-A-Million! I held it overhead like it was a boombox and I was John Cusack. I also got reports from all over of other Spookygirl sightings -- other parts of Florida, Georgia, Ohio, New Jersey, and more. My assistant editor found it at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square in NYC.

I spent the day stalking bookstores with my family before a celebration dinner. I also insisted on stopping at Office Depot for a supply of purple pens (since Violet would never stand for her writer signing books in plain ol' black ink).

Sadly, in one store I was nearly as excited to find a stuffed TARDIS as I was to find my own book. The wee TARDIS came home with me. (Come on -- it lights up and goes VWORP VWORP VWORP. I needed it in my life!)

I don't know how to express what it felt like to see my work in a bookstore. As a writer, I should be able to, but it transcends words. It's awesome, but also strangely humbling -- a reminder of how much support and encouragement I was gifted with while I fought to get to this point. I'm so very thankful for all of it.

I'll conclude the "Road to Publication" series with a list of five things you might not know about pub day:

1. If you've ever been a nail biter, you'll relapse. ASK ME HOW I KNOW.

2. Have your phone charger with you; all that tweeting and Facebooking and photo-taking (and obsessively peeking at your ever-changing Amazon sales ranking) will kill your battery.

3. Unless you've written a pretty major release, don't expect every store to have your book in stock yet. My agent tipped me off on this one, confirming what I'd already suspected. Sure enough, several branches of Books-A-Million had it in stock, but Barnes & Noble did not, although it's on the way.

4. There is such a thing as Post-Publication Hangover, and it had nothing to do with that lemon drop martini I had at dinner. I was exhausted yesterday!

5. You'll be reminded of just how many people are rooting for you, and that will feel amazing. Okay, so I already kind of said that above. Hey, it's worth repeating.

The Road to Publication: Part Thirteen

[This is part 13 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

 There it is, guys. Spookygirl: Paranormal Investigator in hardcover, all polished and finished and ready to take on the world.

I'd been told the advance hardcover would be arriving this month. When I got a package from Penguin Young Readers Group the other day, I knew what had to be inside. I tore it open right in the middle of the post office parking lot and squealed out loud. (So what if people needed to park? They could wait a minute; I was having a MOMENT.)

I am so, so happy with the finished product, and so grateful to everyone who had a hand in prepping Spookygirl for launch. Just over a month to go!

Back cover text

Dust jacket flap

Underneath the dust jacket, the cover is mint green with metallic purple type.

This is really happening, isn't it? It's really happening.

Other quick updates: I recently launched the bare bones of an author website. I'm also on Twitter now -- @JillBaguchinsky.

The Road to Publication: Part Twelve

[This is part 12 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

This week brought a double-header of new experiences.

First, I spoke for the first time with my Penguin publicist. Tara is really friendly and enthusiastic -- she's a fan of ghost-hunting TV shows, so Spookygirl's subject matter is right up her alley. I'm learning all kinds of new info, like the various tiers of media outreach. Tara is also reaching out to local bookstores to set up meetings and signings.

I'll be doing some guest-blogging here and there, so keep an eye out for links to those posts as Spookygirl's release date looms ever closer.

Then I got an email from Dutton letting me know the first trade review for Spookygirl had just come in from Kirkus Reviews. I can't share the full text until it's published publicly in August, but it's a good one. Kirkus calls Spookygirl "a fun ride," which is just... Yay!

Totally made this face after reading the review. SMILES AND RAINBOWS EVERYWHERE.

"A fun ride" -- that pretty much sums up the last year or so!

The Road to Publication: Part Eleven

[This is part 11 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

I'm home! Spent a lot longer in Augusta than originally planned, then stopped by Tallahassee on the way home to visit my brother for a few days.

While I was in Georgia, I experienced one of my favorite publication moments so far: I officially shared Spookygirl's dedication page with the recipient of that dedication. I've daydreamed about, written, edited, and nitpicked various versions of that little inscription for years, trying to decide who it would go to and why. In the end, I dedicated Spookygirl to one of my dearest, bestest friends:

Rhonda's been my personal writing support group for more than ten years. If I hadn't met her when I did, I'm not sure I'd still be writing, and I certainly wouldn't have a second family in Georgia. And she and I do know spooky -- we've communed with each other's characters, chased mysterious fairy-lights through dark forests, investigated middle-of-the-night noises, and shopped for voodoo wares. And that was just in the past month. We've also hugged a haunted pillar and lived to tell the tale. 

Once we tried to use a Ouija board, but the planchette just kept meandering off the board in the same spot without pointing to anything. Either spooky things are more afraid of us than we are of them, or the entity we contacted had gotten into the wine. 

For those of you who are non-geeks, the Time Lady bit is a Doctor Who reference.

I'll be in Florida when Spookygirl is released, so I was really happy to be able to take an ARC with me on this trip and be there in person when Rhonda saw the dedication page. There was much squealing and jumping up and down. 

In other publication news, last week I submitted a bunch of publicity-related info to Dutton, and now I'm waiting to be put in contact with Spookygirl's official publicist. Time to really get the ball rolling!

The Road to Publication: Part Ten

[This is part 10 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

I promised a biggie, didn't I? How's this?

ARCs have landed! Or galleys, or proofs, or whatever you prefer to call them. I AM HOLDING MY BOOK IN MY HANDS. It's really, really gorgeous in person; I couldn't be more pleased.

When I picked up the package from the post office, I had to sit in my car in the parking lot for a good ten minutes before I stopped shaking enough to drive. I only got a few copies, but when we're a little closer to the release date, I'm hoping to hold a giveaway for one. Keep an eye out!

You know, it was just last April that I blogged about winning an ARC of Small Persons with Wings. I never imagined that, a year later, I'd take a similar photo holding my very own book.

The Road to Publication: Part Nine

[This is part 9 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

Ooh, ooh! The mail brought me an excuse for a new progress post.

This is the Fall 2012 catalog for Penguin Young Readers Group:

 

 

(What a marvelous moose!)

And this is pg. 37 of the catalog:

Squee!! I happen to think pg. 37 is the best page of the whole thing, but I might just be a little bit biased. Just a little bit. Tiny little bit.

The catalog itself is 364 pages. I find that both wonderful (the world can never have too many books!) and sobering (because I'd like my book to stand out from the crowd, and that's quite a crowd, and that's just the Young Readers division of one publisher).

If you're interested, you can browse PDFs of Penguin's various catalogs here. 

I should have another progress post up soon. It's a biggie. *tents fingers*

The Road to Publication: Part Eight

[This is part 8 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

Back in part five of this series, I mentioned I expected to see Spookygirl's final cover design soon. Dutton totally delivered. All I knew was that the final version would be close to the placeholder design, but with changes to the necklace and the title. Let's check them out side by side:

 

Placeholder on the left, final version on the right

I seriously love the final design. The pendent is Violet's favorite color now, which makes a lot more sense than the random green stone. I adore the changes to my name -- font, color, placement, everything. I also like the slightly warmer tones, especially in Violet's hair.

(If we were going for total story accuracy, Violet's necklace would be black tourmaline, and her hair would be black. However, that would result in an awful lot of uniform darkness. The splash of purple is more eye-catching.)

Overall, this design captures the book just about perfectly. The story is dark in places; it deals with supernatural themes and the loss of a family member, so the overall darkness of the cover and the ominous stormclouds behind Violet are appropriate. But we also have Violet's trademark smirk front and center, which is a great representation of the narrative's tone and attitude.

...Can you tell I'm pretty thrilled about this cover?

In addition to the final cover design, I also got a copy of the galley PDF, which I had a week to review. Last I heard, the galley was supposed to go to print at the end of last week. Here's hoping that means I'll have a copy in my hands soon.

So, hey -- what are your thoughts on book covers? Do you have a favorite cover? If you've written a book, what would your ideal cover look like?  Does it drive you nuts when the cover doesn't match the story? Have you ever *gasp* judged a book by its cover?

The Road to Publication: Part Seven

[This is part 7 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

In addition to the revisions, I had a few final details to take care of recently. For one thing, I had to sort out my dedication and acknowledgments. Sounds simple, I guess. Right?

Hah. Writing the acknowledgments may have been more stressful than writing the book. I forgot people. I’m sure of it. Here’s hoping they forgive me.

(From now on I should just keep a running tally for each new manuscript. “Memo to self: Don’t forget to thank X for Y.”)

The dedication was easier. I haven’t revealed it to anyone yet, so I’ll probably wait to blog about it until the book’s out.

I also needed to update my author photo. Although I liked my contest headshot, it was a rush job – I needed a photo right away for the final ABNA round, so my dad took this one in his front yard: 

For my final headshot I wanted something more polished, so I considered hiring a professional photographer. In the end, though, I recruited Rhonda Jones, one of my closest friends (and fellow haunted pillar hugger), while I was visiting her in Georgia. We wandered downtown Augusta, taking pics here and there. One shot taken near the New Moon Café came out just about perfect:

 I’m not sure I can express how much I love this photo (which is an odd thing, since I’m not usually a big fan of pics of myself). It’s just what I wanted. The fact that it was taken by such a good friend in a city that’s come to mean a lot to me makes it even more special. 

(Yep. Purple hair. That's my lucky streak.)

Up next: Final cover design!

The Road to Publication: Part Six

Sinuses, man. ANYWAY.

[This is part 6 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.] 

One thing I quickly learned about editing: Every time you think you’re done, there’ll be one more suggestion to act on, one more alternative to consider, one more change to okay.

After working with Julie Strauss-Gabel on the initial major revision of Spookygirl, I worked with Liza Kaplan to clean up the details and get things polished. After a few more minor revisions (mostly involving the locker room storyline), we moved on to the line edit.

I had no idea what to expect from that, but the process was kind of fascinating. After Liza sent me a copy of the manuscript with lots and lots of notations about minor changes and small suggestions (usually several per page), I quickly learned how to use the Track Changes feature in Word. I approved, declined, or acted on each detail as necessary. Most pages weren't nearly as marked up as that screencap up there, but that gives you an idea of the process. Every change -- even the addition of a comma or the correction of a spelling error -- got its own notation.

So we got through all that. Then we did it all again. Oh yes.

Then came the copyedit (done by Rosanne Lauer), which was essentially more of the same, only on an even more detail-oriented level.

You know how, if you repeat a word over and over, eventually it sounds like nonsense in your head? Imagine going through your entire manuscript over and over until your story feels just like that.

Again, everything we did made the final story stronger, and that’s a great thing to realize. The only times Liza and I butted heads were over tiny things like keeping a line about a character's t-shirt, or whether Dutton's preferred style guide required us to spell out longer numbers in dialogue.

(Oh, that t-shirt. That could be another blog entry all on its own. I wasn't about to lose Peter's favorite geeky tee.)

Up next: Dedication, acknowledgments, author photo.

The Road to Publication: Part Five

[This is part 5 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.] 

If there's one thing a writer dreads hearing from a publisher, it's probably this: "We should consider changing the title." 

OH NOES. Really? But it's my baby's name! It's perfect! 

Nah, I was expecting it. I've read enough about other writers' experiences to know how common title changes are. You may think your title is a glowing example of literary perfection, but you're probably not as experienced with book marketing as your publisher. What you really want is a title that sells your book.

Julie was concerned about Spookygirl because it's a name used by other characters to tease Violet. I countered that Violet kind of likes the name. Instead of letting it insult her, she steps up and owns it. Julie also wanted the title to focus more on Violet's paranormal communication and investigation abilities. If we stuck with Spookygirl, we'd need to add something to it. 

One thing we considered was using some version of the first chapter's title: Death, High School, and Other Necessary Evils. I liked that as a chapter title, but as a book title it seemed a little long and clunky. Other variations we tossed around included: 


Spookygirl: Paranormal Investigator 
Spookygirl: Ghost Hunter 
Spookygirl: R.I.P.
Spookygirl: Death and High School 
Death and High School (and Other Necessary Evils) 
I'll Talk to You When You're Dead 
I'll Talk to You When You're Dead (Maybe) 


We finally settled on Spookygirl: Paranormal Investigator. It felt like a nice compromise all around – the focus on paranormal investigation was there, but I got to keep Spookygirl. The final cover design (which I expect I'll see sometime soon, yay!) will reflect the updated title. 

Wouldn't mind using I'll Talk to You When You're Dead (Maybe) for another book in the future, though . . .

Up next: The devil's in the details.

The Road to Publication: Part Four

[This is part 4 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

Here’s an odd thing: I have a book coming out in a few months, yet I’m still not entirely sure how traditional publishing typically works. The ABNA timeline forces things to progress at a faster pace. Had I gotten my contract the normal way, I'd probably be looking at a 2013 release date instead of August 2012.

Not that I’m complaining. I’d much rather see Spookygirl on shelves this year than next.

A few days after I got home from Seattle, I had my first official phone conversation with the VP and Publisher of Dutton Children’s Books, Julie Strauss-Gabel. My publisher. MY PUBLISHER. Yeah, still not tired of saying that. Julie would also be acting as my editor. MY EDITOR. Not tired of that one, either.

Julie and I talked about the upcoming editing process (including the slightly unorthodox timeline caused by the ABNA rules), and she gave me an overview of what she liked best about Spookygirl, and what she felt needed work.

I’d been waiting for that feedback with a mix of excitement and dread. No one loves criticism, no matter how constructive it might be. Negative feedback can sting, especially when it’s about a project you’ve coaxed and cradled and worked on for years. It’s like someone telling you your baby is ugly.

. . . Only you know what? It’s not like that at all. Constructive criticism is indispensable, and learning to handle it is essential for anyone who wants to publish. It’s about your work, not you. There’s no need to take it personally.

Character sketch: Violet's pet poltergeist likes squeaky dog toys.

Besides, what I heard from Julie was overwhelmingly positive. Sure, some elements needed major tinkering – the resolution of the locker room storyline would shift four or five times over the next few months. Both the first and last scenes changed. We focused a little more on the paranormal investigation angle, and a little less on the more typical fish-out-of-water high school elements. I gained a Henry and lost a Sandy. Timmy became Tim (a change he’d no doubt appreciate).

Most importantly, Violet grew as a character. She became stronger and gained a new focus. I love that. I feel like every single revision strengthened her story, and that makes me incredibly happy.

Up next: What’s in a title?

The Road to Publication: Part Three

[This is part 3 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.] 

The Seattle trip was fantastic – Thom Kephart of Amazon could not have done a better job keeping everything organized. My fellow finalists and I (along with our guests, and representatives from Amazon, CreateSpace, and Penguin) were treated to a fantastic dinner at the Purple Café and Wine Bar. And my mother and I – both total newbies to the city – had plenty of time for sightseeing and doing the whole tourist thing.

(Yes, we saw the Space Needle. No, we did not go up to the top.)

But you didn’t come to this blog for touristy stuff, right?

To be honest, my memory of the awards breakfast is somewhat of a blur. We were shuttled over to Amazon’s headquarters, where we mingled over breakfast for a little while. Well, we were supposed to mingle over breakfast. I was way too nervous even for coffee. I’m pretty sure all six of us were dying to hear the news no matter what it was.

Photo courtesy of Thom Kephart

The awards ceremony started with opening remarks from Thom. Then, one by one, each finalist was invited up to give a short speech and read an excerpt.

(Memo to future finalists: Feel free to be creative with the excerpt you read. Choose whatever bit of your manuscript you feel like sharing. I thought sticking with the beginning of my story would be safest, but once I realized most of the other finalists hadn’t done that, I wished I’d chosen differently. I would've loved to read a little of Violet's faux séance, or her interaction with the jocks and Dead Dirk.)

Then it was time for the winners to be announced. I seriously barely remember any of it; I heard my name, and I was given my award, and I shook hands with people, and I couldn’t stop smiling, and I tried my best not to pass out. Photos were taken. My contract was explained to me. I texted people and announced the news on Facebook.

I didn’t stop shaking for hours. I’m shaking again now, just from remembering.

I keep a mental list of my five best days ever. June 13, 2011 is at the top of the list now – better than sneaking onto the seaQuest set back in 1994, better than scaring Hugh Jackman with a My Little Pony. Best. Day. Ever.

Up next: So what happens after the contest?

The Road to Publication: Part Two

[This is part 2 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

Where’d we leave off? Big news, squeals, and a scared kitty. In an instant I went from wondering if I’d ever publish a book to having a one-in-three chance at a contract with a Penguin imprint.

And I had a trip to plan.

My parents have always been among my biggest supporters. Dad has some health issues that make travel difficult, so I decided to ask my mom to go to Seattle with me. Once I stopped squealing, I called her at work and delivered the news, and she started squealing – which was ever so slightly awkward, since I wasn’t allowed to go public with the news until the official announcement was made the following week. Shhh!

If the earlier ABNA rounds were a mix of fun and fretting, the final round took that to an entirely new level. The winners, after all, are chosen by a public vote. ABNA is sometimes called “American Idol for writers,” and the last round makes that comparison especially apt. So yeah, I campaigned. I encouraged friends, family, and customers to download Spookygirl’s excerpt and cast a vote in my direction – and to spread the word as well.

The positive response to Spookygirl during this round was overwhelming and staggering – not only from people who knew me, but from total strangers as well. Having so many people connect with Violet’s story was nothing short of amazing.

The voting period closed, and then I was able to breathe – well, sort of. I knew I wouldn’t really relax until after the winners were announced.

Up next: Seattle and the big announcement

The Road to Publication: Part One

[This is part 1 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

So! As I’ve said before, I’m a pretty awful blogger. I’m a quiet person; I don’t like searching for things to say just for the sake of saying something. However, with the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest underway, now’s as good as time as any to talk about my experience with the 2011 contest and what's happened since.

Best of luck to those participating this year! And thank you to Cara Bertrand for nudging me to get going with this. ;)

So anyway, that contest-thingie last year . . . I admit it – I entered on a whim. I had a little experience with the contest; in 2009 I entered another manuscript and made it through the pitch round. I don’t even remember how I found out the 2011 contest was accepting entries; I just know I had a surgery scheduled a few days before the end of the entry period, so I tossed together my entry quickly and didn’t think too much of it. Spookygirl itself was ready to go; I wrote it in 2007, revised it in 2008, and shopped it around (unsuccessfully, obviously) to literary agents after that. My pitch was a revised version of my query letter; my excerpt was my first chapter. I tossed up my entry, fussed with it a little, and didn’t think too much of it for a while.

When I made it past the pitch round, I didn’t even bother telling anyone. I'd gotten that far before, after all. I decided to wait and see what happened.

Making it through to the quarter-finals was a little more exciting. I was playing hooky from work the day the announcement was made; I had lunch with a friend, and then she and I browsed the closing sale at our local Borders. (I picked up the first four Dexter novels.) Before I left the parking lot, I checked my email on my phone and started squealing when I found out I’d made the cut. My reaction when I made it through to the semi-finals was more of the same – crazypants squealing. Reading the positive reviews along the way from Amazon Vine reviewers and Publishers Weekly prompted even more squeals.

(Yeah, I squeal a lot. And squeak. And squee.)

Then came the day the finalists would be announced. I didn’t think for a second I’d actually make it that far . . . but I kept my phone by my side all morning, just in case.

It rang.

I don’t like phones. I rarely talk on them. I never answer them. But that day I answered. I was a finalist, and I’d be traveling to Amazon’s Seattle headquarters for the announcement of the winners.

There was more squealing. It was loud enough to send my cat racing to the closet, where she hid for the rest of the day.

Up next: The final round