Comments on: Myths about Publishing

By: DaisyBeach

DaisyBeach — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:31:32 +0000

ms. hawkins,

JR Ward books are really awesome. Check it out. But start with Dark Lover or you will be totally lost. Love your books too!

By: aussie dee

aussie dee — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:09:05 +0000

to me the best explanation I’ve heard is an author may choose an ‘alias’ for want of a better word to separate the different parts of her work, one name for say historicals and one for contemparies or whatever. the topic of book covers has been at one stage a contentious issue of who was to blame/praise

By: Sabrina Jeffries

Sabrina Jeffries — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:55:30 +0000

Oh, you like to ask the tricky questions, don’t you, darkshire?

The simple answer is we choose our deadlines in conjunction with our editors.

But it’s more complicated than that. First, we’re always aware that the more often our books come out, the easier it is to build our names and reputations. So we have to balance the deadlines with that reality, and some of us (moi perhaps?) tend to be too … er … optimistic when scheduling deadlines. Second, even when we’ve scheduled in enough time, some books kick our butts. And when that happens, it doesn’t matter how far off the deadline is–it’s not enough to get it done. Third (and you may have noticed this in your own life), the work expands to fit the time allotted. We all have so much business-related stuff to do in promoting our books and managing our careers, that it’s easy to do all the “right now” stuff and not work on the big chunk that’s the book.

By: darkshire007

darkshire007 — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:50:58 +0000

There are just too many entries today for me to read all of them; the plumbers are here fixing the sink so I have to be quick. The one question I have always had is: how are deadlines determined? If your writing the book, how come you can’t take as long as you like? Is this something that is bound by contract (like having to produce x number of books in x number of months)? You’ve probably already covered this one and I usually ask the dumb questions but I have always wanted to know.

By: colinfirthfan

colinfirthfan — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:06:24 +0000

KarenH, I too thought that JRW would be too dark but then I read Dark Lover and I was completely sucked in. She writes so well especially the interaction between the brothers.

Two, I agree with you – now we have to wait for Phury. Groan!!! But I haven’t started V as yet so I am going to savor it and read real slooooowww.

By: Meg

Meg — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:55:31 +0000

Romance AND Ghirardelli!! My idea of heaven.

By: Karen Hawkins

Karen Hawkins — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:19:35 +0000

Hey! I was proud of taking a pic without a thumb in the front of it. Usually, ALL of my pictures have my thumb in the corner. I don’t know why, but that’s just the way it is.

And robbing Amazon . . . ???? All of those BOOKS??? Wow. No. i hadn’t thought of it but . . . ohhhhhhhhhh, yeeeeeaaaahhhhh. That would be niiiiice! Afterwards, we’ll head over to the Ghirardelli chocolate factory and stock up there, too!

By: pri.r.

pri.r. — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 06:45:23 +0000

*shakes head* poor sabrina and her dilated eyes, having to answer all our queries

also i too hope that Mt Olypmus doesn’t stream and check our comments…especially that time when KarenH posted all her *coughs* …creative pictures of her dogs. Zeus must have been shaking his head.

hmm i know this is peculiar thing to bring up…but has anyone had a dream of robbing Amazon.com? … think of the possibilities ladies!:)

By: Sabrina Jeffries

Sabrina Jeffries — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 04:05:30 +0000

Yes, Manuelita, you’re right on all counts. Foiling, raised lettering, and stepbacks are special additions. The longer a book is in print, the less you see them, although I hadn’t thought to check about the stepback. I’ll have to check that. But the latest printings of my book The Dangerous Lord (in its seventh or eighth printing at least) don’t even have the title in color on the cover. They just run it off with no foil, no raised lettering, and no color on the title.

The number line with the printing thing is also correct. As the printings go up, the last number shows what printing it is. So a book with 10 9 8 7 would be in its seventh printing, and a book with 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 would be in its fourth. Checking those numbers is sometimes the only way I find out what printing my book is in! Publishers are bad about telling authors that info.

By: Manuelita

Manuelita — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:15:12 +0000

“Did you know that foiling costs extra money?”
Is that why usually only the first print of a book has foiling, raised lettering, and stepbacks? These special additions certainly are an incentive to purchase a book as soon as it’s released and in its first print. Not to mention helpful to the author’s sales numbers.

I was told that a first print will show a number line with 1 in it. For example,
“10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1″. Is this correct?