Take A Deep Breath

by

Over time, followers of this blog have learned a lot—and probably more than they want to—about the publishing process. In other words, when all you really want to know is what time it is, I keep right on telling you how the clock is made. This is one of those times, and here we go again.

After I submit a manuscript, I sit on my hands and wait for the first step in the editing process—the editorial letter. After my editor reads the manuscript, she (with two exceptions over the years, all my editors have been female) sends it back to me with corrections inserted (for my approval or disapproval) along with suggestions about changes in the story itself. Once I make said changes and return the manuscript to New York, guess what? I get a paycheck.

Literary advances are broken into several pieces. Payments arrive on signing the contract, on delivery and acceptance of the manuscript (the D&A payment), on hardback publication, on paperback publication, and a final payment six months after the paperback pub.

I could probably go back in the blogs and find the exact date when I was told that the pub date for Smoke and Mirrors, was being pushed back until March of 2027. That meant the editorial process along with my payday were also being deferred. That’s when I buckled down and wrote The Taken Ones, the next Beau book, in one hell of a hurry in order to make sure that, for the first time in 40 years I wouldn’t have a new book coming out. The manuscript for The Taken Ones went to New York on January 29.

Even as I sent it, I had an idea that the long-delayed editorial letter for Smoke and Mirrors would suddenly show up at approximately the same time as the one for The Taken Ones. Sure enough, the Smoke and Mirrors letter arrived in my mailbox at 10:10 am on February 6. I started work on it that very afternoon.

That involves going through the entire manuscript, word for word, and making all the necessary changes, including not only the ones the editor has suggested but the additional ones I find on my own as I go along—the places where I repeat words within the space of a few lines; the times when my syntax turns into a garbled mess. That takes total concentration, and I worked at it hour after hour all weekend long—starting early and going to bed late. With the exception of the Super Bowl, (Go Hawks!) I ignored whatever was on TV.

Doing the editorial work after such a long pause was interesting. The story was so compelling that I found myself doing exactly what readers do—telling myself, I’ll do just one more chapter and then I’ll go to bed. Yesterday morning, however, at 7:52 and with eighty pages to go in Smoke and Mirrors, the editorial letter for The Take Ones arrived. Not wanting to derail my concentration on one book, I kept right one working.

In Evie Busk’s household everybody had to clean their plates before leaving the table, and so, leaving that latest email sitting there as new, I finished those last eighty pages. At 12:02 am this morning, Smoke and Mirrors went back to my editor in New York. Writing this blog is my literary version of taking a deep breath. Right now it’s time to make breakfast. After that I’ll finish getting today’s steps—43,888,949 so far. Then, after a 2 pm appointment, it’ll be time to be off to the races with The Taken Ones.

You can file this one under “No Rest for the Wicked,” I suppose, but the good news is, I’ll have two incoming paychecks instead of just one.

41 thoughts on “Take A Deep Breath”

  2. I do enjoy your tales of the writing/publishing process. It is very enlightening for me. I do keep a more rigid reading time, it’s how I keep my insomnia in check. I read to a certain time of night and then must stop and sleep. It is a bit disruptive of the story line at times, but it all comes back while I resume. It’s what I do. Although I have modified my reading time each day to four hours, which is a nice chunk of a book.
    I laughed when you talked about your Mom’s rules about cleaning your plate. Same at our house, which continues for me to this day.
    Thank you again for another great blog.

  3. Thank you for another great blog. I admire your “stick-to-it” when doing the reading/editing process. It’s a must thing I guess. I know in my mind, keeping the story line flowing makes for the best picture of the book. I try to dedicate about four hours each evening.
    The writing/editing process you’ve explained to us here is very enlightening for me. I’m glad you have done it.

  5. And you certainly deserve those paychecks!
    I love your books and am really looking forward to your new ones.

  6. Tell your publisher that it is NOT okay with your readers to push back the publishing date of a new Jance book. We need to feed our addiction. And I find details of.the publishing process interesting.

  9. My (very wise) grandmother always said that if we learned just one new thing every day, that day was not wasted. So, Gram would be proud of me today. Thank you for today’s Gram-moment.

  10. Congratulations on your persistence, and lucky for your readers. “No rest for the wicked.” was one of my mother’s favorites…think it fueled her persistence. Now, having seen this “wicked” statement this morning, I do wonder its origin…does anyone know? Is it from some well known literature or ??
    Certainly, for you, there is no rest writing about and/or publishing about the “wicked”. Many, many thanks for your persistence.

  11. You are something else! I cannot believe what you had to do, to get this book out..in time!
    Now, doing it all over again with the next manuscript! I hope you and Bill have enough time together.., I’m a worrier….we appreciate all your hard work, and such great novels!

  12. I enjoy reading your book information on how it’s done. I’ve been a fan for many years & Beau is my favorite. I think we’re around the same age, he’s OLD!

  13. I think all your readers love learning “how the clock is made”. I find most everything you write fascinating. After all, you are a fascinating person.

    Blessing to you and Bill.

  14. You are so fortunate to have the skill set to keep to your schedule. can’t wait for the next journey in Seattle and wherever beau is headed.

  15. Your blog this week makes me appreciate your books all that much more! No question that it is more fun to read than write! Just finished The Girl From Devils Lake….i just hate finishing, knowing that there isn’t another….but it was a fun if disturbing read! Thank you!

  16. AMEN……..I’m so glad to have met you many years ago and have an enormous collection of your writings…… many signed and always amazed of your work ethics as well as your writing skills. I have a confession I read your books over and over and over your are my therapy for Dementia…..so you see you keep my mind working of what’s left of it. Miss you coming to Arizona for your signings…but understand travel gets harder as we age……So once again from your Northern Arizona Stalker…. Don’t give up the ship and keep writing and give a Big Hello to Bill….. Live you both…..Dann????

  17. I do so love earning how the clock is made — the details of discovery are part of why your books and blogs are deeply interesting. Now down the rabbit hole:
    Isaiah 57:21 But the wicked are like the tossing sea which cannot rest, whose waves cast up more and mud. “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” I first heard the phrase from my grandmother, Mimi. A neighbor widower visited and Grampa offered him a piece of pie and a cup of coffee
    … to be served by Mimi. The phrase was muttered because it delayed the first time she had to take a break from daily chores.

  18. Ah-HA!!!
    Thank you for the Biblical “wicked” reference…
    Now we know!! Yes, indeed, the Bible does hold the wisdom of the ages.

  22. Thank you for your time, hard work, and dedication. I will savor every word when they are published Your books are highlights in my life.

  25. Thank you so much for the rundown on the publishing process. I appreciate your vulnerability and willingness to share. I thoroughly enjoyed your interview with Margaret Mizushima last week on Zoom. What a delightful hour of stories! Your skill with words transcends the page!

  27. There’s a “the rest of the story” to go along with that saying I’ve heard a time or two. It’s “and the righteous don’t need it”. In any event, I’m just happy you can keep on keeping on.

  28. One’s cynical self wonders if they told you one book was being delayed, and if you could write another Real Quick Now, it would be published ahead of the delayed one, all with an end in mind of squeezing an extra book out of you??

    Nah, a reputable publisher/agent wouldn’t do that to Our Favorite Author! 🙂

    Fred

      • And neither would your fans. It is hard enough waiting 6 months or more for the next book. To wait a year would be too cruel for us all.

  29. I also just finished “The Girl from Devils Lake” – wow! What a roller coaster of excitements – I did that “read just a bit more” in bed and finished it off. Now in a week I’ll go back and have a more leisurely wander through the story and make sure I didn’t miss too much. I really love the whole Brady family and milieu. Joanne always does the right thing.

    Ceci

  30. Ms. Jance,
    I enjoy hearing about your writing and editing process. Is there a copy editor who also reviews the mss for typos, misspellings, etc. later in the process, or are you It?
    Thank you.
    Judy Trabert, Rochester, NY

  31. Then you can go out for breakfast OR have it delivered. I don’t know how you do it.

  32. Go Judy Go!!!
    Sending best wishes to you for strength to have clarity and creativity and anything else you need to successfully to get that plate cleaned.
    Your stamina amazes and motivates. Can’t hardly wait for my time at one more chapter of yours.

  33. Two pay cheques, but you’ve earned every penny of them–it’s got to be hard work to write a book. And hey, we now have TWO new books to look forward to (except it looks like we’ll have to wait till fall of 27 for the other one–silly publisher!)

  34. We like paychecks 🙂
    Can’t wait for the books to come out. I read them so fast I hate to start because I know it will be awhile before the next ones.

  37. Wow! You put a whole new perspective on what it takes to put a book in a readers hands. You are amazing and certainly deserve every penny you are paid. I’m so excited there will be two new books this year.

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