www.marilynbrant.com

Thursday, March 5, 2009

0-7582-3461-9

If someone had asked me last weekend if this week was going to be An Exciting Week, I would've squinted at that overly optimistic individual, mumbled something about how Mardi Gras was over and the Ides of March were still some days away and, also, that we were completely out of chocolate. (I'd searched through the cabinets and everything. All forms of decadence were gone, gone, gone like the truffles...) So, no. Nothing too exciting on this week's horizon.

But then I got a call from my editor. The copyedits for According To Jane were in! Would I be home to get them? (YES!) Would I be able to return them by St. Patrick's Day? (Sure! I'm not Irish. I have no plans.) Would I let him know if any questions came up? (Ha. When has anyone--ever--stopped me from asking questions?)

And so they arrived on my doorstep via Express Mail. They came with Book Specifications (trim size, tentative page count, etc.). A Design Memo (codes for the epigraphs, chapter numbers, lists or letters in the text). A Treatment of Quotations (i.e., "If a character, other than Ellie and Jane speaking to each other, is quoting someone else: roman/single and double quotes"). A Style Sheet (i.e., "No series comma" and "Spell out numbers in dialogue, except where awkward or confusing"). A List of Characters (my characters! their distinguishing features!). 376 Red-Pencil-Edited Pages (where a lot of my unnecessary ellipses met their death and a handful of awkward/unclear passages were outed at last--Bless you, oh wonderful CE!).

But, best of all, there was the Production Transmittal--complete with my very own ISBN number. OMG! Finally.

This book came into existence for me 4 1/2 years ago. It's been real to me for a long, long time. So today didn't exactly bring the novel to life, but it did do something. To it. And to me. Re-energized us, perhaps. Fused us closer. I'm not sure. But whatever it is, we jointly exist out in the world now. Or, as Rick would say, "Together Forever and Never to Part. Together Forever We Two..."

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, Marilyn, I am so happy and proud for you.

Also, I am glad to see we agree on the series comma.

Pamala Knight said...

Oh Marilyn!! That is truly a HOORAY moment and I'm so happy for you. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy so that I can proudly crow to the other shoppers, 'this book was written by my friend!'

Thanks for sharing your excitement with the rest of us.

Yay!

lainey bancroft said...

Yay, Marilyn!

Your baby is taking her first steps!!!! Just think of it, soon she'll be out there on a shelf showing her assets to masses of readers, trying to entice them to take her home. And they will, and she'll crawl beneath the covers with them...and and and...okay, I'll admit this is sounding all wrong now.

All I meant to say is: Congratulations!

Ackery said...

Sweet Jesus, woman! You're available for pre-order on Amazon!! And you're in my shopping cart this very minute.

Ackery said...

And I totally forgot to say the most important thing -- congratulations! So, so thrilled for you!

Marilyn Brant said...

Thanks so much, Eliza!! Funny about not using the series comma--it took me a long time to break the habit but now I'm a consistent non-user :).

Thank you for sharing the excitement with me, Pamala! I can't wait until I get to do the same with your book!!

LOL, Lainey! Thank you. And, oh, you made me giggle with that image of Jane, under the covers... :-)

OMG, Ackery! Thank you for telling me!!!!! We're on Amazon? REALLY?? Okay, must go gawk...

Anonymous said...

Hooray, Marilyn! What an exciting event!!! You just take care of ATJ and we'll all be patient and wait for you.

SQUEEE!!!! (Okay, just had to get that out.)

Vesper said...

Marilyn, this is so wonderful! I'm very very very glad fo you! :-)

L.A. Mitchell said...

Dang...that was like a drive-by Rick Roll. Totally snuck up on me :)

I'm so happy for you!! I hope you find a moment to celebrate.

Nancy J. Parra said...

YAY!!! Jumping up and down for you!! So cool- congrats- now, off to Amazon...

Amethyst Willow said...

Oooh congratulations. *hugs* I'm so glad for you :D

I second Nancy's movement to Amazon: "Would you like to pre-order this item?" YES!

xx

Brett said...

Congratulations, Marilyn!! I just looked on Amazon, and it brought a big smile to my face to see your book & your name there!! :) I'm eating a piece of chocolate peanut butter pie in your honor right now. ;)

I just have one question -- What do you mean by "series comma"? I'm a big ol' grammar geek, but that term doesn't ring any bells for me...please explain. Thanks!

Marilyn Brant said...

Pam~thank you :). I took a long break, admired the Amazon page with the still empty cover art and giggled hysterically.

Vesper~thanks so much! It's been really exciting to get to share this moment with all of you!!

Thanks, L.A.~you know I was thinking of you and Pam with your Rick Rolls :).

Nancy~thank you! I've been jumping up and down, too! Unexpected side effect of sudden Amazon appearance: Better cardio!!

Aww, thanks, Amethyst/Kate!!!! *hugs* back, sweetie :).

Marilyn Brant said...

Brett~chocolate peanut butter pie?! OMG--yum!

About the series comma: I know you'll know what it is as soon as you read this--it's just the term for the final comma used when writing a list of items or a series of phrases (i.e., "She knew she had to go to the store, the post office, the bakery and the health club.") I did NOT use the series comma there, but if I put a comma before the final "and" (i.e., "...the bakery, and the health club."), then I would be using it.

Some publishers prefer that extra comma for clarity, some want to skip it. My copyeditor noted that I'd been consistent in not using it, so when she did insert it in a few sentences, she jotted down her reason for doing so on a post-it.

Truly, if I thought I was remotely detail oriented, that illusion was shattered by my CE's thoroughness. I am in awe of anyone who can do that so well--she caught things I'd missed for years :).

Anonymous said...

"I'm eating a piece of chocolate peanut butter pie in your honor right now."

Umm, yeah. Brett totally knows how to celebrate. I am in awe.

Marilyn Brant said...

Hee, hee, Pam! I think Brett ought to be obligated to share with the rest of us :-).

Hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend!!

Anonymous said...

Woo Hoo! Congratulations, Marilyn! I'm grinning from ear to ear for you! That's got to be so exciting and now I'm even more anxious to read it! And if I'm feeling that way, I can only imagine how you must be feeling, wanting readers to hold it in their hands! I hope you enjoy every moment of these next few months! Hugs!

Morgan Mandel said...

What an exciting time! Now calm down and make sure everything looks right.

Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

Marilyn Brant said...

Robin, thanks!!! *hugs* to you, too :)

Morgan, you're so right--I'm just trying to concentrate on the task at hand and on my apparently endless fascination with the em dash... (they're everywhere!)

Anonymous said...

Read this one a while ago, and then my internet cut out, so I just remembered I needed to comment! At any rate, I just find this whole thing fascinating, and I'm glad you're excited, too. Oh, and I'm mightily impressed that you and Rick Astley are on a first-name basis. Very nice.

Marilyn Brant said...

LOL, Caryn! Yes, Rick and I are quite close. Not as close as Robin, however, with Daniel and Brad...but not all of us can be that lucky :-).

Maureen McGowan said...

Happy ISBN day! May it be one of many.

Middle Ditch said...

Well done you! Congratulations

Marilyn Brant said...

Maureen and Middle Ditch~Just getting to check email again after a very late night of work...thanks for brightening my morning with your lovely messages :).

Anonymous said...

I go on vacation for two weeks and I miss this!

This is a truly fantastic moment - no one but fellow authors could understand my elation at having names of people and places I made up appear on a "proper nouns" list, and at seeing the markings of the copyeditor. It's a very validating moment. Congratulations!!!

Marilyn Brant said...

Thanks, Nadine! That's exactly it--a page with my characters and their defining traits listed...like they're real! It was a bit mind-boggling :).

p.s.Hope you had a fabulous vacation! Where'd you go??

Anonymous said...

I don't know if I'd use the word "fabulous" but it was fun to be around my family. I went up to Montreal to see the folks. My sister flew there from PR, so we had a blast. But it was f#$#ing cold. I feel very validated in my decison to return to the Caribbean, and blessed to have that option!!!

I was hoping to do a lot of writing while I was up there, surrounded by all that snow, but sadly, can't say I was successful on that front...