If you could read the excerpt in this catalog you’d see that two of the characters mentioned don’t appear in the final version of Sixty Acres and a Bride. You won’t find Naomi and Augustus, but you will find Louise and Nicholas. Those names were changed during editing, but the catalog couldn’t wait for the final product before it needed to make the rounds.

Approximately five months from the release the author receives the copy edits. Finally, we’re getting to the nitty-gritty. No more big changes, now we’re looking at grammar, fact checks and word choice. With my publisher the copy edits are mailed, printed out single-sided and double spaced. I’m always surprised how different print looks on paper as compared to the screen. Word duplication will jump out at me. Sentences I’ve read twenty times will suddenly look choppy on the page. Proof-reading a physical copy is a must.

While I’m looking over the editor’s remarks, a similar copy is being mailed to “media influencers”. This is the Advanced Reader’s Copy or the ARC.

It’s a no-frills early edition sent to help reviewers get their reviews published before the release. Here’s something to make a writer wake-up with nightsweats – the copy the reviewers get contains the editor’s remarks. So as the reviewer reads through your story he’s interrupted by boldface comments like – So Rosa’s skirt is blue? I thought you said on the last page it was red? or Did you mean the picture was of Weston’s grandmother? You said his abuela and that means grandmother. 

I’d imagine they’ve had some good laughs.

Immediately following the copy edits are the galleys. This copy is mailed as well, but it is formatted exactly as it will appear in the book. This is the author’s last chance to make any corrections. Changes should be minimal and are written on the page. When the galleys are mailed in, you have signed off that this is precisely what you want to be published.

Naturally, at this time the marketing department is humming with activity. They are buying ads and creating promotional products like postcards, bookmarks and shelf talkers. They are lining up interviews, blog posts, and guest appearances for the author. The marketing department plans far into the future and is prepared before a single book comes off the press.

Editing has to be even further ahead. By December the first draft of my second book Love in the Balance was due. The synopsis on the third book was due a few weeks later and the process begins again.

The first copies of Sixty Acres and a Bride were printed about a month before the release date and they began shipping at the first of the year. By February 1, every store that pre-ordered had the book in stock and the online stores could begin shipping to customers.

The time between signing the contract and holding my book seemed an eternity, but when I consider how many people were involved in its production and how much was accomplished, I’m grateful for the time they took to give Sixty Acres a successful launch.

In which part of the production process would you most like to be involved?

(Part 1, Part 2)

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Eye Candy – 9 Months from Release Date

After the substantial edits were made and the title chosen, marketing really starts spinning. Have you ever picked up a book and after a few pages you flip to the front cover for a double take? Huh? That’s not how she’s supposed to look. And by the end you’re wondering when did he ride a stallion with his white shirt unbuttoned? I don’t remember that scene.

That’s why it’s important to give marketing time to read the book.  It’s not enough to put a pretty lady and a beautiful gown on the cover (and if it’s Christian romance the lady will actually be wearing the gown). Marketing needs to read the book so they can correctly catch the tone of the story. How can they know which pivotal scene to portray without having read it?

Once Sixty Acres was titled it was time to work on the cover. My publishing house is in Minneapolis, but they decided to go with a designer and modeling agency out of Colorado. My editor looked through portfolios to find “Rosa” and a photographer and designer in Denver collaborated to make the cover. Several choices were sent to the publisher and one was chosen and sent to me for my input (for a more detailed version of the in-house work on another book, check out the link below). Naturally I loved the design. My only concern was that the background was inconsistent with the location, which was especially important since I’d chosen to use real towns in the story. The suggestions were sent in and they made the adjustments.

During this time, I began working with my line editor. Line edits are a closer reading of the story. Instead of big plot movements we look at transitions between scenes, consistency of characters, voice and accuracy of descriptions. This still isn’t a “proof-reading” concerned with spelling and grammar. It’s still a big picture edit.

And in between the edits, I continued to write book 2.

Meanwhile, the cover is made public. Seems early, doesn’t it? But once the cover is approved the sales staff can present it and get feedback on the design. There’s still time to make changes if it doesn’t impress. Then seven months before the release, the book is available for pre-order. That means the descriptions, blurbs and cover art are ready for the market.

The Unexplainable

Even as I’m trying to describe the process, there are still dark secrets that haven’t been revealed to me. For instance, the online description of  Sixty Acres claimed that it was 368 pages. I thought this humorous because I wasn’t finished writing it, yet. We still had edits to work through, big changes. They didn’t know how many pages of acknowledgments I’d have at the end, if any. How could they predict the page count? Turns out, they were exactly right. This is strange magic that I don’t understand. Maybe they misnumbered somewhere in the middle of the book to make it come out even. If you learn the secret, please let me know.

Next week we’ll continue the steps that lead up to a successful release. If you’d like to see more on book cover design, please check out these fascinating links:

The Making of the Cover of The Lady of Bolton Hill (Lifeway Blog)

A Quick Video Showing the Making of the Cover of Blameless

What department would you feel most at home in – editorial or marketing – and why?

(Continue on to Part 3)

The post From Manuscript to Bookshelf – Part 2 appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

But what’s involved in getting those books onto your shelf? Why does it take forever to go from a manuscript to a product in your hands?

The Obvious

Someone has to write the book. You knew that. For my first book Sixty Acres and a Bride the process of writing and re-writing took about a year. This got the manuscript into the smoothest form that I and my critique partners could manage. When I mention my first draft, it’s this one, although it actually represents scores of rewrites and drafts.

Sixty Acres was purchased at the end of 2010/beginning of 2011. (The story about getting the contract is here – My Publication Story.) The release date was set for the Spring of 2012 – more than a year away! True, I needed time to work on the second book, but a whole year before I could hold it in my hands? Unmitigated torture.

The Introduction

It was a long time to wait, but the publisher wasn’t idle. They were busy getting the groundwork started for a great release. Before the marketing department could introduce Sixty Acres to the reading public, they had to read it. That first draft was sent around the office so they would know what they had to work with. Their first decision – the name. I’d titled it Forty Acres and a Bride, thinking Weston might agree that his stubborn bride and a mule shared many common characteristics. Marketing wasn’t as amused by the allusion, so we made the farm bigger by twenty acres and had a less offensive title.

The first draft was also read by a team of editors. They put their thoughts together and presented me with a “Substantive Edit” letter. This listed enough problems with the characters and the plot to make me wonder why they bought it in the first place. Imagine winning Miss America and then the pageant coordinator tells you that you need a make-over. That’s what it feels like.

But truly, the story did need work. There’s this mysterious gulf between my best and suitable for publication that only editors can see across. What is it they glimpse on the other side of the crevice that tells them this story will be worth all the work they are going to put into it? I don’t know. Maybe someday I’ll get a guest post on that question.

Getting Started

So rewrites on Sixty Acres were due in April. Plenty of time, but the synopsis for the second book was due by the end of January so I’d have time to write it. In fact, just imagine as I describe this process that between every sentence I’m writing a few more chapters of the second book. Right there. And there were some more.

The synopsis is single spaced and usually between three to five pages. Evidently the editor thinks it’s important to know what I’m going to write before I turn it in completed a year later. I understand that in theory, but I’m not sure exactly what the story will be until I’m about halfway finished with the manuscript. That means I need many words on pages before I turn in my synopsis. It also means that many of the words might not make the final cut, but that’s the consequence of driving without a map. Maybe someday I’ll learn.

That brings us up to 9 months from publication…a veritable literary pregnancy.

That’s all for this week. Next week – the (awesome, gorgeous, breath-taking) cover and more edits.

And a question for you. What would thrill (or did thrill) you the most about having your work published?

Proceed to Part 2

The post From Manuscript to Bookshelf – Part 1 appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

2/14/12 – Historical Stories Close to Home – What’s the editorial process like? How many people does it take to fix my grammar?

2/13/12 – Valentine’s Meet and Greet – How did I meet my husband? I’m embarrassed to admit it.

2/10/12 – The Literary Mama – A guest post for Preslaysa Williams’ Fiction Friday. A Rosa is a Rosa is a Rosa – considerations to be made as you name your characters.

2/9/12 – FamilyFiction – This is an interview that my publisher passed on to me. I didn’t know where it would show up, or when. Thank you Family Fiction for sharing!

2/9/12 – Books by Sherri – Sherri Wilson Johnson is offering a FREE copy of Sixty Acres as well as a fun interview. I can’t believe that there are two homeschooling moms in America that took this same dance class (in different states, alas!).

2/8/12 – PenTalk Community – Here’s an article on different methods of handling stories that are inspired by Biblical or historical events.

2/7/12 – Legacy of a Writer – Katie McCurdy asks “Who would you want to play Weston and Rosa in the movie?” Plus a Sixty Acres and a Bride GIVEAWAY.

2/6/12 – Lighthouse Academy Blogspot – Thanks to Laura Hilton for this interview. My favorite question – “If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?”

2/6/12 – Operation Encourage an Author – Casey Herringshaw certainly encourages this author with her review of Sixty Acres. We also discuss “Why Write Historical Fiction?”

2/3/12 – Our Journey Home – I guest blogged on Melanie’s Brasher’s site. Please visit for a chance to win a FREE copy of Sixty Acres.

Thanks!

The post On the Virtual Road This Week appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

But I digress.

I had so much fun writing Sixty Acres and a Bride that I wanted to write more  and after the encouragement I’d received at conference, I had an excuse to do so.

While in Africa, I’d sent Sixty Acres to a handful of friends to look over, so I had some great suggestions waiting on me when I got home. After working through them I was convinced it was as good as I could get it, so I attached the hefty file to an email and hit send.

Now, as far as I was concerned I was finished for the year. My New Year’s Resolution had been to write a book. I’d written it, edited it and sent it in. It was October. I had a few months to plan for next year’s challenge. Writing another book was my first choice. Way more fun than trying to lose five pounds – again.

While I tweaked the synopsis for a second book another email came in, even more unsettling than the first.

It was from Mr. Long at Bethany House. He said that he’d read most of my manuscript and it was “working quite nicely”.  I wasn’t sure whether that was praise or not, but then he requested my bio, other projects and ideas I had, and my best wishes for a publishing schedule…would a book a year work?

I checked the email address again, suspecting a prank by my family, but unless they’d hacked BHP’s computer, it was legit. By this point even I had to acknowledge this looked good.

But there were still many steps – an editorial acquisitions meeting, a publishing board meeting – many opportunities for this good news to fizzle out. And what if the impossible happened and they bought the book?

And that’s exactly what happened. Before the end of the year, they’d offered a contract. Unbelievable! I was completely terrified. Could I pass myself off as an author? Who was going to believe it? Maybe I should back out before they invested too much into me.

But I couldn’t do that, not when God’s hand was so evident. You know, we rely on faith when things are bad – as we should – but faith is also for those moments when things go so incredibly well that you know you’re in over your head. Faith reminds us of His power and faith assures us that God has a purpose. He won’t abandon us mid-journey.

Holding on to those promises, I signed the contract and buckled down for the ride. And that’s where you find me today – praying I don’t mess up this wonderful opportunity, praying that God will be honored no matter the length of this adventure. Amazed, humbled, bewildered, I’m where I never expected to be… and loving every minute of it.

Signing the Contract!

The post The Miracle – Publication Story, Part 7 appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

“In Africa, there are bathrooms everywhere.” He motioned out the window of the jeep.

Sure enough. I’d have to be careful where I looked. And stepped.

Although my mind was still whirling from the ACFW conference, I was excited about this trip. My husband and I, along with three friends, were scouting out a ministry for a possible church partnership.

Bathrooms might be plentiful, but bedrooms were hard to come by. Exhausted from our flights, we were discouraged that the rooms we’d leased were unsanitary, even by mission trip standards. They had had running water at one time because there was a toilet, but the water was cut off and the toilet was full. After a few more attempts at accommodations the decision was made that we would sleep on the roof of the missionary’s house. Air mattresses were scarce so my husband and I got the trampoline with the mandatory mosquito net hung over us.

The breeze was refreshing on the roof. It would’ve been perfect if it wasn’t for the 5:00 a.m. call to prayer blaring on the mosque’s loud speakers one street over. It would’ve been quieter to sleep in the village where there was no electricity, but at least we could check in with our families via email at the missionary’s house in the evening.

That’s what I was doing when I saw the email from Bethany House in my inbox. My heart stopped. So he got my submission? I thought about carrying my laptop somewhere more private, but I knew what it was going to say. I wouldn’t be surprised or upset, so I opened it.

It was a request for the complete manuscript. That’s all. One sentence. I scratched my head.

“What’d you get?” my husband asked.

“A request for the complete manuscript.” There was some excitement in the room, so I clarified. “It’s good, but it’s one step in a million- step process. They’re probably just being polite.”

“I don’t think they’re polite. They like the book.” My husband, the optimist.

“You don’t understand,” I said. “They give bonus points if you go to conference. They almost always ask to see pages.”

“But you sent pages, and now they want more.”

Some people don’t know when to stop. “I’ll send the complete when we get home, but I’m not getting my hopes up.”

And in the meantime, I would take some friends up on their offers to critique the whole book for me. I’d declined offers before because I didn’t want to waste their time – we’re talking 350-some pages – but now, despite my refusal to admit it, I was hoping for the impossible.

The Miracle – Publication Story, Part 7

The post An Unexpected Request – Publication Story, Part 6 appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

That was my editor appointment at the writer’s conference.

Much like the agent appointment, Mr. Long took my onesheet after introductions and spent some time reading it while I determined to make time pass faster by holding my breath. Didn’t work.

He finished the onesheet and asked for the synopsis. This was no problem as I had around twenty copies of my synopsis in my folder along with ten copies of the first three chapters, and thirty onesheets. I am not (nor have I ever been) a boy scout, but I had taken their motto to heart.

“Would you like the first three chapters? A business card? A list of actors who might play the leading role in the movie version?”

Instead he asked me questions about the synopsis. Insightful questions. He wondered about the timing of the plot. He had questions about the heroine and the development of her character. I was starting to have fun. I loved my story and didn’t mind talking about it one bit. Better yet, he didn’t seem disappointed with my answers.

Time was up. He gave me permission to send him the first fifty pages of the manuscript and we were done.

I was thrilled, but I had to remind myself that of the agents and editors who’d requested first pages (I also met some during our meals) not one had read a single word of the actual manuscript. They liked the onesheet and the synopsis, but you don’t put those on the bookstore shelves. Still, I was there looking for encouragement and at that stage I’d got all I could have hoped for.

So I headed to the airport with a pocketful of business cards from new friends – a few who’d be receiving a big, fat attachment from me. I was anxious to get home, do a final edit of the first pages and get them sent off because in less than two weeks I was leaving for Africa.

An Unexpected Request – Publication Story, Part 6

The post Loaded for Bear – Publication Story, Part 5 appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

That’s writer’s conferences for you. Yes, they ask your preference, but you don’t know until you arrive who you will be meeting with.

With fear and trembling I received my assignments and learned that I hadn’t filled out my agent request correctly. No agent appointment on my schedule. Strike One.

As for the editor, lucky me got the one I’d requested as my first choice. The one at my dream publishing house. The one I shouldn’t meet until I’d got my act together and could speak with some authority on writing, or marketing or at least stopped saying “I’ve wrote…” Editors are paid to notice bad grammar and I’d spent most of high school and college taking the advanced literature classes so I could avoid learning the parts of speech they teach in regular English.

Was there time to learn sign language?

As I wondered how to get out of my editor assignment, the helpful lady at the appointment desk discovered a schedule opening and before I knew it I was sitting at a tiny table with a real life literary agent. What was I doing there? My only consolation was that if I crashed and burned I could blame my husband. He shouldn’t have sent me to this conference before I was ready.

I managed to pronounce my name correctly and made it through my elevator pitch – “My story is a historical romance set in Texas in 1878. It’s about a penniless, Mexican widow who tricks a wealthy rancher into marrying her. The problem is – she didn’t mean to.”

I handed over my onesheet and tried not to sweat as she leaned back in her chair and looked it over. How could a fifteen minute interview seem like an eternity? Finally, she lowered the page.

“Looks like one of the most promising projects I’ve seen here. Email me the complete manuscript.”

And it was time to go.

“What just happened in there?” I wondered as I floated out the door. I’d prayed that God would give me some encouragement if He wanted me to continue to write. Red light or green light. No yellow to confuse me. So far the situation was as green as Kermit.

As far as I was concerned I could go home now. Obviously, the chances of being offered representation were still very slim, but my question was answered. At least for the next year, I’d work on writing.

But before I packed my bags I had to survive my editor appointment.

Loaded for Bear – Publication Story, Part 5

The post Cold Calls – Publication Story, Part 4 appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

Don’t get me wrong, volunteering at conference was a blessing and I highly recommend it. I’d much rather have a raison d’etre than stand around with no one to talk to, or even worse, butt in at the cool kids’ table and not realize I wasn’t invited. But at conference every table was the cool kids’ table. I thought people would divide into two camps – “real” authors and wannabes like me. Turns out there was no such division. Everyone loved stories, everyone loved God and everyone loved being there.

Even while scared cold.

Yes, the most stressful location at conference was the loading chute at the appointment desk. No one else would recognize it by that name, but it reminded me of the holding pen where the livestock await their destiny. Milling about, reciting a twenty-word elevator pitch, jumping when the clipboard-bearing coordinator reads the names of the next victim- the excitement was contagious.

But tempering the excitement and stress was peace –  writers huddled together, praying for each other before they went to their appointments, complete strangers helped each other polish their presentations, online friends meeting for the first time in person. I knew that even if I wasn’t going to become a writer, God had given me a wonderful moment. Much like enjoying an inspired performance of sacred music, I was celebrating with others as they used their gifts to honor Him.

And for me, that made the whole trip worth the toil, the expense and even the makeover.

Good thing because my appointment assignments weren’t looking so good.

Cold Calls – Publication Story, Part 4

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“I bought you a ticket for that writing conference you’ve been talking about.”

“Why? If I wanted to go I would’ve…. ummm…. probably only talked about it.” I did want to go, and sweet husband knew I’d never spend that kind of money on my own. I’ve been known to squeeze a penny until Abe Lincoln cried for mercy. No way I’d gamble on this long shot.

For one thing, I wasn’t ready. My story wasn’t ready, but evidently the money was already spent. Time for this writing experiment to kick into high gear. I bought a paid critique on my first 20 pages from a visiting author. Best investment ever! I applied what I learned on those crimson covered pages to the rest of the manuscript.

While I was critiquing my book, my sisters and friends were critiquing me.

“What are you going to wear?”

Most dreaded question to ever hit my ears. Even worse than “Do you know how fast you were driving?” I’d rather visit with a Highway Patrolman on the side of the road than go to the mall. I became what every self-respecting mother of four fears – a project.

While my friends Jennifer and Shanna, my two sisters, my mom and my grandma tried to make me presentable (there was enough work to go around), I enrolled for the classes I’d take at conference. If they would’ve had a pre-beginners level, I would’ve signed up for it. And then there were the appointments. Each attendee gets two interviews – 15-minutes with an editor and an agent.

I scanned the list of possible victims. Agents, I had no clue. All I could think of was real estate. Was there a MLS for books and they’d list mine on there? (Fixer-upper with lots of potential?) I’d need to do more research into that. Choosing the editor was easier. I knew the books I liked to read and a lot of them came from the same publisher. I’d even seen this one guy’s name in the dedications. “Thanks to my editor…” How cool would it be to meet someone who knows my favorite authors?

But I also had a duty. I needed to know if God had called me to do this or if I was fooling myself. Should I keep trying or move on? But that took preparation. To my surprise you didn’t go and hand out your book to anyone interested. Instead you put together an arsenal of promotional material. One sheets, synopsis (not sure the plural on that one), business cards, chapter by chapter break down, proposals, elevator pitches – all must be primed and ready to fire at the long-suffering professionals.

I scoured blogs for instructions and examples. I floated drafts past friends from the OKC writing group and online critique partners. Knowing about books and stories wasn’t enough. Suddenly they expected us to know the ins and outs of publishing and marketing. It was overwhelming. To make things worse, I came across an article reminding newbies that they shouldn’t pitch anything to anyone. First impressions are impossible to undo and it was better to just observe at your first conference.

Oh my stars. I’d already requested an interview with my dream publisher. Now I find out I should start small? I should hide and hope to blend into the woodwork? Usually, that wouldn’t bother me but we’re talking some serious money was spent. This might be my only chance.

Little Corner of Heaven, Publication Story – Part 3

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