The State of the Wicket – February
Now, we’ve been getting a lot of mail, Facebook comments, tweets, and so on, asking about the status of Book Eight, the short stories, etc. So I thought I’d give you a quick run-down of what-all I’ve been doing, where it all is at the moment, a short peek at everything, and—most importantly [g]—when things will be published.
For starters, I’m very pleased to announce that The Scottish Prisoner was released on November 29th, 2011. This release also includes a “teaser” chunk from Written in My Own Heart’s Blood (aka Book Eight, or MOHB (aka “Moby,” which is how I refer to it for convenience. I don’t _think_ it will be white, but it will certainly be a whale of a book [cough]). The teaser includes several scenes about different characters.
Now, I do normally work on multiple projects at once; it keeps me from getting writer’s block, and makes me generally more productive. I also think it’s entertaining to write the occasional short piece (novella or short story) that fills in a missing part of someone’s story and/or provides more depth to the overall tale.
The most recent of these short pieces to be published was “Lord John and the Plague of Zombies,” which was published last October—and which gratified me extremely by recently being nominated for an Edgar Award (for best mystery short story of the year—though it’s not all that short, really…)—in an anthology titled DOWN THESE STRANGE STREETS. The anthology is edited by George RR Martin and Gardner Dozois. http://tinyurl.com/Plague-Zombies
I’m presently writing a short story for another anthology (this one titled DANGEROUS WOMEN)—the story is called “Virgins,” and is about Jamie and his not-yet-brother-in-law Ian, as very young mercenaries in France. I don’t have a pub date for this anthology yet, but expect it will be out sometime later this year. I do post occasional brief snippets from “Virgins” (as well as other works-in-progress) on my Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/AuthorDianaGabaldon.
OK– on to Book Eight, which is probably what most people want to know about.
1) WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD is the eighth volume in the main Outlander series. (It’s the sequel to AN ECHO IN THE BONE, where allll the cliffhangers will be picked up. [g])
2) I don’t know yet if WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD is the last book in this series!!
3) I am still writing WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD!!!
A) I hasten to say that most of the mail I get is wonderful, and Much Appreciated! However, I do get a small amount of idiotic email accusing me of having already finished the book, but “hiding” it from the readers, or keeping it off the market “just to be mean” or (of all insane notions) “to drive the price up.” (It ain’t pork bellies, people; the cover price is the same whenever it comes out, and I don’t set it.) I don’t mean to be impolite here, but…geez, guys.
i) Look. Books are
a) written in order to be read, and
b) published in order to make money.
ii) Publishers do not make money from books that are not in bookstores. Ergo….
iii) Publishers want to sell books as soon as the books are ready.
iv) So do authors. What do you think I live on, while I’m supposedly keeping a book off the market to be mean? And why do you think I’d want to be mean to the people who read my books? Sheesh.
4) Right. Now, I hope to finish writing the book around the end of this year.
OK, pay close attention now….
5) The book will not—repeat not—REPEAT NOT!!!—be published on December 31st, even if I finish writing it on December 30th. Why not? Well, because…
A) Books don’t go directly from the author to the bookstore.
B) Books go from the author to the Editor, who
i) reads the manuscript
ii) discusses the manuscript with the author, and
iii) suggests minor revisions that may improve the book
C) The book goes back to the author, who
i) re-reads the manuscript
ii) considers the editor’s comments, and
iii) makes whatever revisions, emendments, or clarifications seem right.
D) The book goes back to the editor, who
i) reads it again
ii) asks any questions that seem necessary, and
iii) sends it to
E) The copy-editor. This is a person whose thankless job is to
i) read the manuscript one…word…at…a…time
ii) find typos or errors in grammar, punctuation, or continuity (one heck of a job, considering the size not only of the individual books, but of the overall series), and
iii) write queries to the author regarding anything questionable, whereupon
F) The book comes back to the author—yes, again—who
i) re-reads the manuscript
ii) answers the copy-editor’s queries, and
iii) alters anything that the copy-editor has changed that the author disagrees with. After which, the author sends it back to
G) The editor—yes, again!—who
i) re-re-reads it
ii) checks that all the copy-editor’s queries have been answered, and sends it to
H) The Typesetter, who sets the manuscript in type, according to the format laid out by
I) The Book-Designer, who
i) decides on the layout of the pages (margins, gutters, headers or footers, page number placement)
ii) chooses a suitable and attractive typeface
iii) decides on the size of the font
iv) chooses or commissions any incidental artwork (endpapers, maps, dingbats—these are the little gizmos that divide chunks of text, but that aren’t chapter or section headings)
v) Designs chapter and Section headings, with artwork, and consults with the
J) Cover Artist, who (reasonably enough) designs or draws or paints or Photo-Shops the cover art, which is then sent to
K) The Printer, who prints the dust-jackets–which include not only the cover art and the author’s photograph and bio, but also “flap copy,” which may be written by either the editor or the author, but is then usually messed about with by
L) The Marketing Department, whose thankless task is to try to figure out how best to sell a book that can’t reasonably be described in terms of any known genre [g], to which end, they
i) try to provide seductive and appealing cover copy to the book
ii) compose advertisements for the book
iii) decide where such advertisements might be most effective (periodicals, newspapers, book-review sections, radio, TV, Facebook, Web)
iv) try to think up novel and entertaining means of promotion, such as having the author appear on Second Life to do a virtual reading, or sending copies of the book to the armed troops in Iraq, or booking the author to appear on Martha Stewart or Emiril Lagasse’s cooking show to demonstrate recipes for unusual foods mentioned in the book.
vi) kill a pigeon in Times Square and examine the entrails in order to determine the most advantageous publishing date for the book.
M) OK. The manuscript itself comes back from the typesetter, is looked at (again) by the editor, and sent back to the author (again! As my husband says, “to a writer, ‘finished’ is a relative concept.”), who anxiously proof-reads the galleys (these are the typeset sheets of the book; they look just like the printed book’s pages, but are not bound), because this is the very last chance to change anything. Meanwhile
N) A number of copies of the galley-proofs are bound—in very cheap plain covers—and sent to
O) The Reviewers. i.e., the bound galleys are sent (by the marketing people, the editor, and/or the author) to the book editors of all major newspapers and periodicals, and to any specialty publication to whom this book might possibly appeal, in hopes of getting preliminary reviews, from which cover quotes can be culled, and/or drumming up name recognition and excitement prior to publication. Frankly, they don’t always bother with this step with my books, because they are in a rush to get them into the bookstores, and it takes several months’ lead-time to get reviews sufficiently prior to publication that they can be quoted on the cover.
P) With luck, the author finds 99.99% of all errors in the galleys (you’re never going to find all of them; the process is asymptotic), and returns the corrected manuscript (for the last time, [pant, puff, gasp, wheeze]) to the editor, who sends it to
(1. The ebook coding happens somewhere in here.)
Q) The Printer, who prints lots of copies (“the print-run” means how many copies) of the “guts” of the book—the actual inside text. These are then shipped to
R) The Bindery, where the guts are bound into their covers, equipped with dust-jackets, and shipped to
S) The Distributors. There are a number of companies—Ingram, and Baker and Taylor, are the largest, but there are a number of smaller ones—whose business is shipping, distributing, and warehousing books. The publisher also ships directly to
T) The Bookstores, but bookstores can only house a limited number of books. Therefore, they draw on distributors’ warehouses to resupply a title that’s selling briskly, because it takes much longer to order directly from the publisher. And at this point, [sigh]…the book finally reaches
U) You, the reader.
And we do hope you like it when you get it—because we sure-God went to a lot of trouble to make it for you. [g]
6) As it happens, Random House (who publishes my books in the US and Canada) prefers to publish my titles in the Fall quarter (between September 1 and December 31). That’s because this is traditionally the biggest sales period in the year, what with the run-up to Christmas, and therefore all the publishers normally release their “big” titles in the Fall. I’m flattered to be among them.
However, if I do finish the manuscript around the end of this year, Random House (and the UK publisher, Orion, and the German publisher, Blanvalet) _may_ decide to release the book earlier in 2013. They probably won’t set a pub date until I deliver the manuscript—which I _HOPE_ (no guarantees, mind you. Stuff Happens) to finish by the end of 2012.
(The other foreign editions—I think we’re now up to 29 countries, including Israel, Croatia, Russia, Greece, and Korea, which is pretty cool—will be out whenever their respective editors and translators finish their production processes, but I’m afraid I can’t predict that at all.)
So—that’s why the English and German-speaking readers will almost certainly get Written in My Own Heart’s Blood _sometime_ in 2013.
When I have a specific publication date, rest assured—I’ll tell you. (Webmaster’s note: WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD has an official publisher release date of June 10, 2014.)
[Amended to add that the photo above is of me sitting down to a well-earned glass of wine at the end of all this...no, really, it's of me at a dinner at Culloden House last summer. Thanks to Judy Lowstuter, who took it!]
Good Afternoon Diana:
It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that there are that many people with OCD’s out there that would take things to the next level and – actually – critisize the author that they so dearly love to read…REALLY?! Honestly peeps, get a hobby!
As for the eagerly anticipated arrival of MOBY; I will gladly wait in line and get my copy when it makes an appearance on the store shelves, no matter when that happens! (I – for one – had no idea the amount of happenings that had to happen before your adoring fans could get their mitts on one of your beloved books…CRAZY!)
BTW…I thoroughly enjoyed THE SCOTTISH PRISONER.
Thank you for all that you do Diana! Just know that there are fans out there that do appreciate your hard work and effort…no matter what!
Hi Ms. Gabaldon. I’m an aspiring novelist and hmm, a lot of work there, I see. I’ve bought a ton of “how to” books (How to write bestselling book proposals/Getting the words right/How to write science fiction and fantasy, etc.) and I think you should consider writing one yourself. The short article “The Shape of Things” (page 633, Outlander 20th Anniversary Edition), it’s really interesting, helpful, insightful. May I also suggest that, if you have the time (and after Book 8 is released ((oh no, I wouldn’t want you distracted or sidetracked)) perhaps you could also write about all your book recommendations and why.
And, I’ve a question. The Outlander series made me really, really, LOVE Scots Gaelic. I love it! I Googled the same bookseller you mentioned in the anniversary book and I’m guessing the Gaelic-English dictionary you purchased so long ago was the one by Angus Watson? If not — and although I’ve researched other titles (Scots Gaelic-English Dictionary) — is there a dictionary you can recommend?
Thanks so much and 2013 is just a year away, thank God for Moby!
Slante!
LeeLee
Hi Diana. I just finished reading through the series yet again, and have to say how much I love the books. I appreciate how much time, and thought you put into these wonderful stories, and am eager to read the next book in the series. However, I love that you put that time and thought into each book, as the stories are so incredible. You have such a way of making us readers care about the characters and what happens next. You are a very talented writer, so please don’t listen to the critics who want you to write faster. We know that good things come to those who wait! Thanks for bringing Claire and Jamie’s story to life!
Hello Ms. Gabaldon,
Just a thank you from an old man (81 years old) for some of the best reading material that these old eyes have seen. I found you in VOYAGER where someone had left a pocketbook at my gym. Since that day I habve read everyone of your books. I amwaiting for MOBY and hope to still be on this mortal coil when itcomes out in 1913.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SOME GREAT READING.
Dear getjet–
Thanks very much! I hope you’ll be around for MOBY and the rest, too! [g]
–Diana
Diana,
I adore you. Your books have got me through my darkest hours, and provided me with years of pleasure. I am thrilled that you keep going and I hope the next four books in this series are extra long. I love being in the world you created.
Blessed be,
Nan
Can’t wait for the next installment, don’t think I have ever read a better series of books!!
I have to stay away from these websites and the facebook page! They are such teases and it makes me feel claustrophobic…as it puts me back in a tunnel…on a train…in the dark…with Jem!
Diana–
I just discovered you and the Outlander series a few months ago but, thanks to my E-Reader, I am just about all caught up. There is something delicious about downloading “the next book” at 2:00a.m. for immediate gratification. Whee!
I have to tell you that I haven’t really recovered from Roger’s hanging and his difficult recovery afterwards. I had to stop reading to get tissues–it’s one thing to cry through a movie but crying through a novel completely interferes with seeing the printed words.
I really want to see Roger get his moment. He follows Brianna through the stones only to to endure being beaten by Jamie and Ian, enslaved by the Indians, and held under suspicion by Bree for quite a while to prove his true love. I never felt he got the proper sympathy. Then his vision problem makes him a weaker outdoorsman than his own wife and again he feels not good enough. Then the hanging! Something about that sequence of events–the injustice–he was tricked–he was gagged–he hung for an hour–he lost his singing voice! And the way Bree treated him afterwards, like damaged goods. I really wanted to throttle her.
To top it off, you pushed him through the stones at the end of Book #7 and Jemmy isn’t even there! How will he ever figure out that it is okay to travel back and stop looking for his son? When will Bree ever appreciate him and stop competing with him? This is when I appreciate Claire who is strong and independent but allows herself to admit that Jamie is her world. Gak!
Okay, so that is my plug for Roger. Please do not abuse him anymore in Book #8–I think he has suffered quite enough.
Love, love, love the books for all the usual reasons.
Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. To think that folk can come up with some of the bizarre scenarios Diana has mentioned just boggles the mind. Their suggestions are almost worth it, though, in order to see Diana’s feisty response. Love it.
I found your books by chance some five years ago, looking for something to read over the summer. In Norway( Where i am from ) The publisher had divided the first four books into eigth and called them the witch ring.! I bought a couple and was imidiatly hooked. After finshing all eight i couldnt find out when the next one was going to be published so i sendt an email to the Norwegian publisher and asked when is the next comming out? ? Wereupon they replied that they would not be publishing any more of your books from that series..!! I couldnt belive it. Apparently it had not sold as well as they hoped i guess. I told a friend of mine of your books though, she read them and loved them also. Anyway, i met a hansome english man who swept me off my feet shortly after this, and i relocated with him to the Uk where i have been living since. Here i have obtained the whole outlander series and i have read the whole series three times now. Best books i have ever read. It is like i dont want to read anything other books than in this series. Probably going to read the whole series again before book nr eight is published. Diana- I thank you for writing these books.You truly are an amazing writer.
I have read a few of the Lord John books as well wich i really enjoyed as well.
Best wishes
Gunnvei
Dear Gunnvel–
The poor sale of the books in Norway undoubtedly had much to do with the insane way in which they chose to publish them. Judging from the one or two author’s copies they sent me, they not only hacked the books in half, but omitted roughly a third of the material in each one–then gave them covers like bad Civil War fiction (one featured an old (American) plantation house with a tree with hanging Spanish moss–I assume they thought this a good depiction of Lallybroch), and apparently issued them at intervals rangings from six months to two years.
Perhaps sometime a better Norwegian publisher will have a go at it, but for the meantime, I’m glad so many Norwegians can read in English!
–Diana
I am not very computer literate. Where do I get Daily Lines? Thanks for the help.
You’ll need to go to Facebook and look up Diana Gabaldon. On her page there is a section called the “Wall” and you can sort it so that only her posts show up by clicking on her name right above where the comments start. Usually there are a couple a day, and they’re a real treat! Good luck.
Happen to know if there’s a way to just read “DailyLines” and skip through all the posts from fans?
I’m new to Face Book and now have a good reason for hanging out there if Diana is posting regularly.
Dear Jerry–
Yes! In fact there is. At the top of the Facebook page, just under the row of little photos, there’s a line that says “Diana Gabaldon” and “Everybody”. “Everybody” is the default, but if you click “Diana Gabaldon,” you’ll only see my posts.
–Diana
WOW I am tuckered just reading all of that…lol and need wine
So we get it when we get it….and be happy!!
Diana,
It has taken me a whole year to read all the “Big Books” in the Outlander Series. I have enjoyed everyone of them.
When you publish Book 8 – MHOB – I will be the first one in line (or in the crowd) to get it!
People tend to think very harsh things at times, most not making any sense at all. People with true common sense knows that the next book will be finished, barring any unforseen mishaps, aroung the time you have told us all along.
I wish you the best in completing this book in the time you need to do so.
Linda
Diana,
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your series is absolutely wonderful! Compared to the other good people here I am a baby having only started the third book. A co-worker told me about them and shared their books with me and now I am hooked! I am a fast reader and it is so nice to read a book that I cannot get through in a few days time. Having your book to look forward to everyday before work, over my lunch hour, etc is a wonderful thing.
I also have to send thanks your way because you inadvertently helped me to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I have always loved history and even more so I have a great love of genealogical lines, your great attention to the historical details of these novels, the diction, the landscapes even the myths and legends whet my appetite and of all the things in these wonderful books the historical details are my favorite. At 42 years old you would think I knew what my path was but I had been so busy tending to the needs of my family, children and my sweet husband, that I hadn’t had the time to put thought into what I wanted. With the children all grown up now I have had more then enough time to consider the thought however I really had no clue as to where I should begin. Enter Outlander. These novels have cemented my love of history, blood lines and gaining lost knowledge of a person. I now plan to pursue either a degree in history or something involving genealogy. I am not quite sure where to begin but at least I have a path now to begin the journey. For that I thank you very much.
As I said earlier I am now enjoying book three of this series, I thank you and look forward to every one that follows.
Sincerely,
Kimberly S. White
Finished the outlander series in 9 weeks and I loved it!!!!! I didn’t know you went through all of that as a writer. Makes me very appreciative that you share your talent with us readers!!! I bought all of the wonderful books from my local independent bookstore, booklovers. They are the best! I want to hear the Scottish accents, so I will definitely buy the audio collection
Keep up the awesome work!!!!!!
Erica
Diana, I hate to think of people pressurising authors in the way you outline. Do they want a wonderful book or not? Though the idea of you ‘hiding the manuscript’ made me smile. Your explanation of the whole publishing process was fascinating. I’d no idea of what was involved.
Amazon is already advertising pre-orders for the next book , apparently out in 2013 and I am sure it was not called MOBH. This is naughty. Nothing to do with you but extremely naughty all the same – I am being polite here- because I imagine people may think information printed there is authoritative.
I have loved the Outlander series: all the books so far have been re- read a number of times and as daft as it may sound, I really wish it never had to end! These are books I can ‘disappear’ into and ‘live in’,they captivate me as no others have. As an avid reader of your books, I can only say – you write them and I will read them!
Jill
Dear Jill–
[blinking] Really? I wonder what they’re calling it?
–Diana
Sounds illegal.
It seems to have been removed, ‘creative’ title and all. Interesting. I had learned from before [not sure which of the books it was now] not to get excited when Amazon do this sort of thing! I shall look forward to MOHB: your work is unique in its ability to affect me.And to make me re-read time and again, still finding differetn things.And to replace scruffy and falling apart copies of books.Jill
Ohhhh, I have to wait another year………….. seems so far away!! I have VERY much enjoyed each and everyone of the Outlander series and anxiously await book 8
Thank you Diana for the hours of enjoyment you have provided me with through the awesome adventures in the Outlanders I concur with the response below me, ‘Anything worthwhile is worth waiting for’
Hurry Diana……….. because you’ll have to get started on Book 9!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m an avid reader but had never read your books. How could I have missed them!! My sister suggested Outlander and I am now hooked and playing “catch up”. I immediately bought the other 6 and am having trouble getting any work done-all I want to do is read. The characters have become members of the family.
Reading the books has had a side affect- to research more of the Scottish side of my family-of course I’m sure I won’t find a “Jamie” there but the journey will be an experience non the less.
Thank you for your wonderful stories and I look forward to MOHB whenever it comes out-just please keep Jamie and Claire alive!
I agree. These books definitely inspire a person to look into their own family history. Genealogy research is a lot of times a great experience. I have actually done something like that, myself. Well, I did not find Jamie in my family tree because he is fictional, of course. :p However, one day when I was really bored and had far to much time on my hands I did some research on Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat’s line since he was an actual historical figure and a relative of mine. If my calculations are correct, give or take a few removes, and Jamie was not a fictional person, Jamie would be my sixth cousin eight and eleven times removed.
As impatient I am for the next book (every other one i read, i just keep missing jamie, claire, and the entire cast) This post is wayy too funny! It’s amazing how people don’t realize the amount of work it takes to publish a book.
On a side note, even GRRM said that he knows the ‘basic’ plot of his books but they are faaaarrr from being written in entirety. Lots of love.
I finished reading The Scottish Prisoner not long ago, and am now into The Fiery Cross. It is the last book of the series for me, and I just want to thank you for the many hours of reading pleasure you have given to me. I will soon be sixty-six years old, and I am so glad that someone recommended you to me as an author I might enjoy reading. I am waiting patiently for MOHB. Also, your picture is beautiful.
Dear Kercelia–
I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the books! Do you mean that you’ve been reading the books out of order, and that THE FIERY CROSS is the last one you haven’t read? Or did you not know that there are two more books following that? (A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES, and AN ECHO IN THE BONE)? Either way–I hope you’ll enjoy what comes next. [smile]
–Diana