News from my Editor

My editor loves THE SEX ON THE BEACH BOOK CLUB that will be out in January 2007. Publishing is a weird business and often backwards. The sales/marketing/art team came up with the cover copy and the cover before my editor actually read my manuscript. They do all this based on a synopsis that I write for them.

This stuff used to freak me out.

Now I've gotten used to it. And I'm a fast rewriter (first draft takes me forever and ever), so I know I can fix most anything my editor wants revised in a reasonable period of time.

But still…

Normally my editor reads stuff I send her in a few weeks time. Two months past before she got to the manuscript this time and trust me, I was beyond freaking out. Not because I didn't think I could do the rewrites, but because the voices in my head will fill the empty space with chatter. "She hates it. It's taking her weeks to decide if she should toss the whole book or have you do a killer revision."

Why don't the voices in my head say good things like—"It was so good it rendered her speechless for five weeks?" Never happens.

So I was heading out the back door to do some work in the yard and the phone rings. I'm annoyed because it's later in the afternoon and probably one of my kids wanting to know what's for dinner. And trust me, whatever is for dinner isn't what they want. They've lived with me all their lives, just where did they get the impression I lived to cook them the dinner of the fantasies?

Anyway, I answer the phone. "Hello?" with an edge of snark to my voice, just daring the caller to ask me what is for dinner.

"Jen?" one second pause, then, "I love it! I just finished it and I love it!'

My brain is trying to catch up. Being very clever, I notice right away the voice is not one of my sons. Finally, it snaps into place. "Kate? You mean the book? Wes and Holly?"

From then on, I mostly listened. My editor is incredible. She can name every character in the book, she understands their motivation and conflicts, and she grasps the subtlies that I try so hard to weave in. She's truly Editor Extraordinaire. And at this point, I'm still in shock. "Wow, I was worried you wouldn't like it."

And she's off again, talking about the book. It just made my week. She doesn't want any revisions. And both of us are just thrilled with the cover. I'm hoping that I can show you all the cover next week. My editor and the art department worked really hard to get this cover right and I can't wait to show it off.