Monday, February 27, 2012

Looking Back (First Keystroke to Publication)

With three days to go before Avery McShane is released by Bloomsbury Children's Books in the U.K., I decided to look back and assess how long it took to get to this point. Here are the cold, hard numbers:


- From first keystroke (ever) to release date: 1,114 days (or 3 years, 1 month, 18 days)

- From first keystroke (ever) to Book Deal: 595 days (or 1 year, 7 months, 18 days)

- From first keystroke (ever) to Signing Agent: 491 days (or 1 year, 4 months, 6 days)



You see, Avery McShane was not the first manuscript I started. That honor fell to Paleopeople, which I have completed several times. Or at least I thought I had, until my agent sent me back to the keyboard again. 

I started writing Avery McShane while I waited for my agent to read and review Paleopeople. Here are the numbers starting from the day I typed the first word of Avery McShane:


- From first keystroke (of A/Mc) to release date: 869 days (or 2 years, 4 months, 16 days)

- From first Query Letter (for A/Mc) to release date: 821 days (or 2 years, 3 months)


- From first keystroke (of A/Mc) to Book Deal: 320 days (or 10 months, 16 days)

- From first Query Letter (for A/Mc) to Book Deal: 272 days (or 8 months, 29 days)


Obviously, not in any particular order, but you get the idea. For the record, it seemed much longer. These numbers will probably not mean jack to a non-writer, but they are the kinds of numbers any new, aspiring writer might find of interest. Good thing I never really gave it much thought. If I had, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have kept going - but I did. And now I have three more days to go. Drop in a bucket.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Marketing the Book

'Avery McShane' will be released in the UK on March 1st. We all know that. What's on my mind now is when it will hit the bookshelves in the good ole USA. I asked my editor and she told me that Bloomsbury will be 'aggressively' marketing the foreign publishing and translation rights at the upcoming Bologna Children's Book Fair, which starts a couple weeks after the release of the book. The Fair is THE PLACE where this kind of thing gets done. I'm glad it's happening so soon after the release. I've copy pasted some info below.

This means that I may be receiving some good news in the next month or two. So, I'm once again crossing my fingers and hoping for good things to come. Cheers.



BOLOGNA CHILDREN'S BOOK FAIR

The "rights" place for children's content

19 March through 22 March 2012, 49th edition

Bologna Fair Centre > Piazza Costituzione Entrance 
Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday: 9 am > 6.30 pm
Thursday: 9 am > 3 pm

The Fair is rigorously reserved to professional operators
The Bologna Children’s Book Fair is the most important international event dedicated to the children’s publishing and multimedia industry. In Bologna authors, illustrators, literary agents, licensors and licensees, packagers, distributors, printers, booksellers, and librarians meet to sell and buy copyright, find the very best of children’s publishingand multimedia production, generate and gather new contacts while strengthening professional relationships, discover new business opportunities, discuss and debate the latest sector trends.

The exhibitors

About 1200 exhibitors coming from 66 countries and 5000 international professional trade representatives in 2012. In its 49th edition, the Fair offers more than 20.000square meters (about 215.000 square feet) of exhibition space with a simple and easy-to-understand layout.