Flotsam_Final5rev10_FINAL_REALLYFINAL.indd

This morning I promised Colin of Parvus that I’m done with FLOTSAM. No more revisions. No more layout changes. Forever and ever, Amen.

Revisions to the manuscript itself were locked in last Tuesday, in reality, when Colin and I Zoom-conf’d for 3.5 hours to go over my notes from the audiobook review and prioritize any changes. I’m so grateful for a publisher that brings me in on the process and not just humors, but indulges my perfectionism. I didn’t get every change I asked for, but I didn’t expect to. We got the important stuff, and that is perfect.

On Friday, Mary Robinette Kowal shared about an hour of the audio re-records live on YouTube (until the sheer intensity of FLOTSAM gave her a nosebleed and she stopped the recording to spare the more tender-tummied viewers). As amazing as it was to listen to the audiobook (and let me tell you, it was amazing and there were tears!), it was even more amazing to see, hear, and appreciate the process by which the revisions happen. I am equally indebted to Andrew Twiss, Mary’s sound engineer, who was involved in the production of the audiobook every step of the way, working a magic paralleled to Mary’s own. It’s just amazing to see and be reminded of the support and effort that others, Parvus folk included, are putting behind my novel.

I am absolutely and utterly humbled.

So status on FLOTSAM is: ACX is processing the audio files. Final InDesign layout and cover files have been sent to and will be processed by Parvus Press. My piece in the production is done.

While I feel like a major milestone has been reached and I should probably pause to celebrate with a glass of gin or a pedicure (or both!), there’s work yet to be done for launch. I’ve got a heaping of essays to write for my blog tour. Not as many as I originally thought, perhaps. Because of time and prioritizing, there are essay topics that I may not get to. I was kicking some serious butt, pitching things this time last month, but with a few other projects on my plate I haven’t done that in a while, and I didn’t pick homes for all my topics. I may still write them and either hold onto them or post them here.

I have a swath of time around the book launch where I have no plans, so I may pursue some last-minute blog spots once I finish these confirmed guests posts. I need to start reaching out to bookstores and libraries about events, too, and will begin to act on that later this week.

And of course, there are more stories to write.