Look what arrived on my doorstep yesterday: first pass pages for Daughter of Smoke and Bone!
First pass pages are the first typeset draft of the book, printed out as proofs. These pages are exactly as they will appear in the ARC, or Advance Reading Copy, which is sent out to booksellers, librarians, reviewers, etc. At the same time that the publisher is readying the ARC to print, they/we are also going over the book in this format one last time before the final print version is arrived at. So, though this is the way reviewers will see it, it is not the final-final-final draft.
In brief, here's the life of a book once the author finishes it and sends it to her/his editor (note: publishers do vary in their process, but this is pretty basic):
Revisions
There are generally several rounds of revisions, during which quite major -- even massive -- changes might be made to the story, the characters, the ending, the beginning, whatever. At this stage, anything might still happen. The editor helps the author shape the book into its best possible self. This stage might take months, depending on the book. If the book was purchased incomplete, as was Daughter, this is time at which the publisher must formally "accept" the manuscript as fulfilling the author's end of the contract.
Copyediting
After however-many revision rounds, when the manuscript is considered "final" in the eyes of the editor, it moves on to copyediting. This is done by a fresh set of eyes, maybe an in-house copyeditor, or a freelancer, or possibly another editor who has not been involved in the editing so far. Fresh eyes are so important!
A good copyeditor is not just looking for grammar and punctuation (though that is a big part of their job), but also for inconsistencies that others may have missed. Like: it's nighttime in this scene, but then there's a mention of sun glancing off the mirror. Also: continuity, logic, that sort of thing.
Authors' copyediting experiences vary widely. Some CEs (copyeditors) are major Chicago Manual of Style sticklers and mark anything and everything that deviates. Others are more flexible with the author's personal style, and work toward consistency in that style. The author has the ability to mark STET on the CE's changes, which is Latin for "let it stand."
First Pass Pages
Then it's time for first pass pages, where the house and the author both give another read and try to catch anything they missed before. It's GREAT to see the book typeset, after having read it in manuscript form many times. (Typeset means how it will look in the actual book.) It is beginning to look REAL now. BOOK-LIKE. And here the author sees for the first time what font the publisher has chosen, and what kind of decoration or flourishes, if any, they are using for chapter headings, title page, things like that.
With Lips Touch especially this was crazy-exciting, because Lips Touch was printed in two-colors, and is a gorgeously designed book. I think Jim and I did some jumping up and down when we first saw it. Well, Jim will deny any such behavior. Maybe I am the only one who jumped up and down. While he leaned against a wall and smiled, all cool.
For some reason, seeing your words in this book-looking typeset way makes it easier to give it yet another read, and also makes typos pop that you may have glossed right over on a billion earlier reads.
First pass pages are cool. And fat. And heavy. I did not bring it with me to the cafe this morning, where I am now, just about to start writing. (Freedom, prepare to be enabled.) That work will be reserved for evenings. Mornings are for new words :)
What's next?
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, covers are being designed, which is very very exciting! I have seen various roughs from Little, Brown, and they are onto a very cool concept right now. Can't wait to see how it turns out! My UK publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, sent me their ARC cover, and it is gorgeous. Interestingly, unlike here, they usually use a different cover for the actual book. In any case, I will show all these fun fun things once I am given the go-ahead.
I can't speak to the many things the publisher is doing at this stage. Many-many. It's all them now. It's one thing to write a book, and quite another to make it a book, and get it into people's hands, hopefully lots of hands, to draw the attention of passersby, to persuade reviewers to check it out. There is a reason that publisher's get 90%, people. I do not begrudge them a nickle of it.
One thing I *think* I will be able to share soon is the flap copy. And let me tell you, shoooooeeeee. Writing flap copy may be harder than writing the actual book!
Some extreeeeeeemly exciting news (to me):
This blows my mind. My tiny brain people* do ecstatic dances whenever I think of it, and then they kind of wander around in a daze bumping into each other going, "Can you believe it?" "No. Can you?" "No. Can you?" etc.
*tiny brain people are the native fauna of your mind. They work all the gears and levers. Duh.
It's this: last I heard,
Daughter of Smoke and Bone had sold in 18 foreign territories.
Eighteen. That's eighteen versions, eighteen languages, eighteen different covers.
happydancehappydancehappydance.
I [heart] foreign editions. A longtime component of my writer daydream, along with the "Back to the Future box"**, is this: a shelf with foreign editions of my books all lined up.
I am going to have The Shelf.
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Sorry. Tiny brain people just swooned en masse, leaving my mind unmanned for a couple of seconds.
I have a few foreign editions so far, of my earlier books, and some in the works, but I'm afraid that my Dreamdark publisher has forgotten about me, as I have not been sent copies. Wah! I got a google alert for the Brazilian Blackbringer (yay!) but have only onscreen proof of its existence. Which does not feed The Shelf.
Anyway, all is well-beyond-well here. Now, to get to work on the current book!
I hope you have a wonderful day!
** Back to the Future box: when George McFly (Crispin Glover) gets a box of his new book from his publisher? Most writers I know remember that scene from the movie, while most non-writers seem not to. Funny, no?
By the way, speaking of covers,
Stephanie Perkins forwarded me
this interesting link on YA fantasy covers for the coming year. Thankee!