So what's it like for a debut novelist when publication day arrives?
Answer: totally ordinary! That's right - the long awaited day of publication passes pretty much like any other. There's no great change in status, no magical moment of enlightenment; all that happens is the 'pre-order' links on book sellers' websites lose their "pre" to become 'order' links. It's actually the stuff that happens BEFORE publication that brings home the imminent reality of it all. It's something of a slow burn, beginning way back with the publisher's email telling you they want to publish your story. From that point on, it's a case of waiting, wondering what the jacket will look like, or how the proof pages will appear. And then, ever so slowly, things start to get more and more real. The various line edits, copy edits and so on start to arrive; when that process is complete, the proof pages come, showing what the typeface will look like and how many pages long the book will be. This is the moment that things start to feel genuine. Later down the line, you get a glimpse of the book's jacket (I was delighted with how mine looked), which gives you a tangible idea of what the book will look like when it's on the shelf. Next come the various pre-order links. For me, these came in dribs and drabs, with Waterstones being the first retailer to offer Dreams for pre-order. This was the crazy moment when people could actually part with their money - and a few people did just that! As publication day (Dec 6th, 2022) drew closer, one of the last things to happen was the arrival of the complimentary copies - five in total - which I, as author, could use for marketing the book. This was when it REALLY felt real, to feel the book in my hand and rifle through its pages. Yes, I admit it - I immediately read it from cover to cover, despite having read the manuscript enough times to practically know it by heart! Thus, by the time Dec 6th finally came around, most of the magic had pretty much happened. The day itself came and went without fanfare, but at last, I could call myself a published author! But when those orders began to be delivered, reality struck home like a hammer blow. Would people like it? What if they felt they'd wasted their money? The dream of being published had been realised and the book I'd poured my heart and soul into for so long was finally landing on people's coffee tables. But what would the reaction be? Well, so far the reaction has been positive, but it's early days, and I will have to wait for the general verdict. Until then, I'll stay crippled with doubts that were non-existent before publication day came about. And while I wait for that verdict to emerge, I'll continue working on my next book, White Nile, which I intend to complete at some point in 2023. Dreams is currently available in hardback, with paperback, e-book and audiobook versions due to come out later in 2023.
0 Comments
|
AuthorC. D. Fox is a novelist and educator from Oxford. You can keep on top of his latest announcements and thoughts here. Archives
May 2023
Categories |