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!]
Wow and to think I just randomly picked the first book when I got a gift of Audible.com! My husband and I were hooked right away. It took us a year to get through all of the book and now we have to wait a year, but wait we will. Here’s hoping Davina Porter will “read” the book to us when it gets to audible – she is Claire to me, and Jaime, and Ian etc. I will be getting your other works. All I can say is keep them coming!
One side effect is I find myself thinking with the Irish accent.
And by Irish, I mean Scottish (silly me)
Hello Kathy,
I wholeheartedly agree with you. DAVINA PORTER is Claire’s voice, and Jamie’s, and Ian’s et al. I think that we have all been spoilt with Davina’s amazing versatility and range.
I am afraid that no matter how good the male narrators of the ‘Lord John’ books are I still can’t move beyond their 21st Century ‘American’ accents.
It just doesn’t work for me. After purchasing and listening with sinking heart to an audio version of a Lord John short story from ‘Warriors’ I vowed that I wouldn’t/couldn’t ever listen to an ‘American’ read very British Lord John ever again.
I didn’t dare risk ruining ‘Scottish Prisoner’ by exposing myself to the American accented audio version. I have purchased over 6 printed copies of ‘SP’ for myself, family and friends though. So I hope I will be forgiven my ‘accent’ prejudice.
It surprises me that our favourite and fastidiously researched and so beloved Author would relinquish such a facet as an ‘accurate accent’ when so much attention to detail is adhered to in every other aspect of her work/editing/publishing.
If Davina, or a similarly competent English/Scottish narrator doesn’t do MOBY, then I will have to rely on the memories of the voices retained from Davina’s marvellous earlier narrations and stick to print versions.
Sorry if my opinions have upset anyone…..
Jane
Dear Jane–
Um. All of _my books_ are recorded for audio by Recorded Books Inc., who are Excellent at casting, production, etc., and do an absolutely wonderful job with all _my books_. The reader for the Lord John novels, Jeff Woodman, is spectacular; every bit as good as Davina Porter.
I don’t personally choose readers. How on earth would I go about locating narrative actors? Do I have either the time or expertise to evaluate them? No. Recorded Books does, and they do a great job at it.
WARRIORS 3 is…[ahem]….NOT _my book_. It’s not published by my publisher (Random House, which has published _all_ my books in the US), and I neither wrote it, nor edited it, nor approved the audio version. I contributed a story. Period. The editors of that volume collected stories by a number of different writers; that’s called an anthology. The publisher of that anthology presumably contracted someone to record an audiobook version, and saw no reason to go to the trouble of matching accents to the stories (most of them wouldn’t require a special accent), and thus the same American reader did the whole book. I wouldn’t know; I haven’t listened to it and don’t plan to.
There’s no real reason why you should have realized this–but I wouldn’t want your negative opinion of that particular anthology to color people’s notions of what the audio versions of the Lord John novels are like.
–Diana
Oh my Goodness!
Please accept my most humble and profound apologies for my extreme ignorance and naïveté.
I do wish that I had given my comments more thought before posting. Of course ‘Warriors 3′ as an anthology with numerous other disparate authors contibutions is in a different category to ‘your books’.
I should have known that anything you had infulence over would be of the highest calibre.
Now that I am in possession of the facts, and thus enlightened, I will make it my first priority to purchase the ‘Recorded Books Inc’ versions of all your Lord John books to add to my collection.
With extreme remorse,
Jane
And you won’t regret it Jane.
I have all the Lord John audiobooks and the reader is superb. For scottish prisoner it was a little weird after being used to Davina Porter’s incarnation of Jamie, but I imagine the reader is scottish and therefore it’s a delight to listen to this “new language” (my mother tongue is spanish).
Enjoy ,
Maria
Dear Jane–
THERE you are! (For some reason, some comments show up in my “please moderate” queue, and other are just posted–whereupon the software _shows_ them to me, but doesn’t let me reply to them directly (as I can when I moderate. Yours were just posting, so I could see them but not reply, unless I came into the blogpost itself and hunted down your comment.)
Anyway–[g]–thanks VERY much! Really, you mustn’t feel obliged to rush out and buy the Lord John audibooks, out of a sense of a guilt. As I said, there’s no reason you should have realized that the story in WARRIORS wasn’t read by the same reader(s) who do the Recorded Books novels. And I certainly wasn’t offended–just wanted to make the situation clear, so folk wouldn’t be thinking that the novels were read badly, when in fact they’re marvelous.
Do hope you enjoy whichever audios you’re able to get, though!
–Diana
Wow! You could have written a whole other chapter in the time in took to write that blog.
Can’t wait! But I guess I’ll be patient! Thanks for Jamie and Claire!
Dear Angela–
Hang about. Later this month, I’ll have a new blogpost (one I’ve been contemplating for some time), entitled, “It doesn’t work like you think it does.” This one will explain a little bit about how a book gets _written_ in the first place. As in…it’s not just backed up in my head, and I turn the spigot and it comes out. I could _not_ have written a chapter in the time it took to write this blog, because a) I don’t write in chapters, and b) this is what was on top of my head.
–Diana
I love all your books, but I am interested in knowing when you will have “Virgins” published. I love the humor and give and take between Jamie and the elder Ian.
Alice
Dear Alice–
“Virgins” is a short story (more or less [g]), commissioned for an anthology titled DANGEROUS WOMEN, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. The publisher hasn’t set a date for publication, but my impression is that it’s meant to be sometime later this year (2012). Hope you’ll enjoy it!
–Diana
Your books are wonderful – and while I wait for the next one, I reread the earlier ones, But please know that I pray you stay alive and healthy because I’m afraid if something happens to you, I’ll never know how the cliff-hung character is saved. (Notice that I gave nothing away in case someone has not yet read the last of the series.) While I waited, I even read the graphic novel. I like the other ones better!
Thank you so much for the wonderful stories; your characters have become like family ancestors!!!
Diana, you have the patience of a saint! Some folks come up with the most bizarre ideas…but you were kind enough to give your readers a behind the scenes look at what it takes to get your story into our hands. I really enjoyed your insight into a seemingly exhausting process of publishing a book. Thank you so much!
Happy writing! God bless….
To be honest, I like the fact that we have to wait so long for your books, even if this is a long drawn out process for you, because it means that we are reading the best you have done with each book and I am happy about it. I think that it is a wonderful thing to see that your publishers, editors, printers and everyone else involved in getting your novels to me are as dedicated as you are in the perfection of your books. Besides, the teasers are always fun when it comes to you. I am not worried, do what you have to do, and we will see it soon enough!! As long as you continue to write, I am happy! It also gives me the chance to re-read and re-discover fun things from the others, and to find things I may have missed on my 10th re-read *g*
Karollynn
Dear Ms. Gabaldon!
You have a marvelous sense of humor. You have to in order to do all that. *chuckle* Thank you for all your hard work and perseverance in creating these wonderful works. I look forward with great anticipation to your next installment of Jamie and Claire’s adventures. Again, thank you.
Thanks for reminding us that good things come to those who wait!! We all wait with bated breath for the next book about Jamie and Claire. And in the meantime, we re-re-re-read the ones that we already have. I, for one, can’t count the number of times I have read the series (or just picked up one at random and started there). No matter how many times I read them, they are always spectacular!
Thank you for taking the time to fill us in on the whole process. It brought insight (and humor).
So you keep up the writing. Let us true fans SHAME the impolite so-called “fans” for you.
Whew! What a journey those manuscripts have to make! I knew there had to be many checks and rechecks involved, but I wasn’t aware that there had to be that many nor that the art work and text on the dust jackets and other publicity matters could not at least be started in advance. I should think by this time, your hair ought to be pure white!
I’d been hoping, since I’d earlier heard you mention the practice of bringing the books out in September to catch the Christmas market, that one of these volumes would eventually come out so I could have it for my birthday, but in view of the fact that I’ve been with you. . . . . and Jamie. . . . . and Claire . . . from the very beginning (I got my first hardback copy of Outlander from one of the monthly book clubs–the Literary Guild, possibly), and we are now approaching book eight, I’ve about given up. However, hint–hint–hint, if you might suggest to the powers that be at Random House, that there’s this rabid reader in the Midwest who would very much like to celebrate her 82nd birthday reading MOBY, I’d be most grateful!
Until then, I will continue rereading the . . . is it ten or eleven books, now, that includes the Outlander Seven plus the Spanish Prisoner, the 2 Martin Anthologies . . . or is it three? All of the Lord John books and watching for your daily lines. . . . well, almost daily, anyway, and occasionally doing a week of quotes on Outlander Gathering just to stay “up” on all things Scottish.
In closing, I’d like to say I concur with those who’ve preceded me here, in that you are not mean in any way. In fact, after speanding so long writing a book, I should think you’d be so greatly relieved to finally be able to turn it over to others so the publishing process could begin it’s lengthy jaunt, that you’d feel like celebrating, too. Sort of reminescent of at last seeing your yougest child board the school bus so you can gradually resume something resembling your former life again. My thanks to you for all you’ve done so far and, if this should turn out NOT to be the last in the series, do get on with it, dear lady. I’m not getting any younger, you know.
Holy CoW! I had NO idea it was so complicated to publish! Writing the novel is hard enough! I think I’ve just given up the idea of finishing my book to publish it!
Diana, I am eagerly anticipating MOBY’s release. As soon as I get it, I am going to take a day off and immerse myself in the story, as I have done with all the other books in the series! I’m dangling from the tiny root jutting from the face of the cliff!
that was really interesting, I have often wondered what all was involved in publishing a book. I am looking forward to 2013
You forgot one last step. The new linens. lol I can’t wait for the new book to be released but I would sure love it for Christmas 2012. Wishful thinking, I know. So I guess I will have to settle for whenever you can get it to us. There certainly is way more to it than I ever thought. I have a new respect for everyone involved in the process.
Diana, et. al.
ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SUBJECT
Somewhere (in the blog) I remember a reference to the short story about what REALLY happened to Roger’s father. Can someone please advise; has it been published yet?
Thanks, Loretta Remington
The short story is called “A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows” and it is in an anthology titled Songs of Love and Death. It is already published, so get it and enjoy!
I am such a fan! I have in my hands the Anthology Songs of Love and Death and have read “A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows” and sitting right next to it The Scottish Prisoner.
Thank you Diana, for all of your body of works so far and enjoy all of the pieces between the bigger novels.
I met you in La Jolla last Fall, and enjoyed your readings verra much! I also reread your novels and always pick up a new tidbit that I somehow missed from before.
So, I too am grateful and patient for MOBY. A great idea from another fan, save up for a trip to Arizona!
So great to see your responses to fans here on this site!!!
This will be an extremely long year. (or so) I made my husband promise to surprise me with the hardbound MOBY as soon as it is released! Of course I’ll have to tell him when it is out so he can “surprise” me!
Where are Roger and Buck? What happened to Jemmy? How is William going to react to Jamie being his Dad? How is Jamie taking the news that Lord John slept with Claire? (is the marriage between them legal?) What is happening between Rob and Bree? etc….
Wow…the anticipation for MOBY is wonderful!!! I am loving it!!
In the meantime I just finished reading Echo for the third time and now will begin at the beginning and read through the entire series in anticipation. I always discover things I missed in the first or second readings.
I don’t know when I have enjoyed a series of books as much as Outlander. I have a kindle but also am collecting the entire series in hardcover for my library. I also have many friends hooked on this series now.
Bless you and may your pen be swift.
Well it is officially a tradition! Your books for the outlander series are always out around the time I am writing the competing continuation for the grant that pays my salary. This will be the 3rd time in a row. They make a painful, sleepless time much more enjoyable. Thank You!
Entertaining to read, as always. As some folks have pointed out, the wait between the main books is a good reason to re-read the series. I was also thrilled to see a post on facebook by BetterWorldBooks asking for nominations for favorite literary couple …. and the overwhelming favorite on the list was Jaime and Claire.
If you don’t know about BetterWorldBooks, check them out – a great mission-driven company.
Thanks for your work. Clearly, it’s important to many of us.
Booking tickets to Cape Town in December 2012, will be sorry not to have your book as my traveling companion on the very long flight. However I will go again in 2013 with you by my side. Your series has got me to and from Africa many times. Thanks for providing material that I can’t put down, even after 17 straight hours in the air.
Off topic: Keep up the amazing work, Diana! Love, love, love your stories. Thank you for the snippets you post from MOBY on Facebook. I am not on FB myself so will comment here: I adore LJ, Jamie and William; they are all swoon-worthy and when you have any combination of the 3 of them on a page you can’t pry the book away from me. Can’t wait to see how the relationship between Jamie and William progresses, and what’s next for Jamie and John. Also, would love to read, someday, when you have the time
another John/Jamie story in your Lord John series, the “what happens next” after the end of the Scottish Prisoner. All the best to you!
Having come late to your novels, I began reading all your books November 2010 – and finished around March 2011 (a most pleasant winter). It was like watching a mini-series – with each book still fresh in my mind as I started the next one. All very enjoyable. You are a master of dialogue. Finished The Scottish Prisoner lately; enjoyed it very much and left a good review on Amazon, etc. Perhaps when your book contracts allow, you might try self-publishing something on Amazon, etc. The process is much more simplified than the one you’ve described with your publisher, and your marketing is already in place. In the meantime, write on, Diana, write on.
Author The Wolf’s Sun
A Devil Singing Small
You poor woman! Good lord! What terrible things have these rejects been saying to you? Now that I think about it, I believe that you had to put out a post every similar to this about 6-8months prior to Echo comming out correct? Some people! yeesh!