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.

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