August 17, 2007

So much for that.


DONE.
Originally uploaded by Citizen Rob.
I would like to officially record the following:

At exactly 1:27am on August 17, 2007, exactly one day shy of a year since I got the book deal for SCHUYLER'S MONSTER, with a farting pug at my feet and Shostakovich's Cello Sonata playing on iTunes, I finished the final edit and read-through of the manuscript. Aside from any typos that I didn't catch, this should be the version of the book that you'll see in the bookstore. If you're in the book and I thought of you as a big ass tonight, then by golly, you're a big ass in the book.

For those of you who are curious about the process, this last edit was startlingly Old Skool. None of it was done electronically, aside from me keeping my own personal file synchronized with the changes I was making with one of Schuyler's little red Crayola pencils. The copyeditor and the lawyer both made their marks on my original manuscript, and it was on those slightly dogeared sheets that they wanted my own edits. I have no idea if that means someone will then transfer all these edits to an electronic copy or if some poor slob has to retype the whole thing. I'm not going to think about that too much; I already feel guilty enough about all the trees I'm going to kill for this book.

(Just kidding about the trees. Fuck 'em.)

So. Now I have seven more days alone to amuse myself, and no actual work to do. That never ends well, you know.

20 comments:

Omar said...

Those trees are big asses anyway. I hope you said so in the book.

Linda Ball said...

Me! Me! I want to be the fat ass in your book. Yep, that's me for sure.

I don't know about St. Martin's but I know that a LOT of publishers these days (always?) publish typos. Real boners. Hope it doesn't happen to this book. I'm always spying them, though. And in the major newspapers every day.

Time for Rob to make a list of chores and activities and try not to spend too much time munching and glued to monster DVDs. Watch those with Schuyler when she returns! Think how happy your family will be to see what you accomplished while they were away. Yeah, right.

Anonymous said...

Congrats dude. I can't remember when the book is actually coming out? It will be the first adult book I've read since becoming a mother, just one of many reasons why I'm looking forward to it.

If you've got 7 days to kill, rent the movie "It's All Gone, Pete Tong", totally hilarious yet touching with a great ending.

Have fun!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to you!! Sounds like it might be time for a road trip to Austin, or find a good show and treat yourself to a concert.

Well done, Rob!

Julie Pippert said...

Congratulations and many good wishes to you!

Julie
Ravin' Picture Maven

Bernard said...

Good for you. Celebrate by going to a traditional diner and having a great breakfast at 3 PM today!

I can't wait to see it on my doorstep.

jennifergg said...

I think what happens is that you will see the book one more time, in its print-ready form, sometimes called Galleys. That version should have all your corrections, and the copyedits, and the lawyer's suggestions that you approved, incorporated.

Too, each publisher manages this process in their own way. My husband's publisher, Scribner, was very old school too. Mine (NAL/Penguin) has done everything electronically. My editor mentioned to me that she thinks in the near future, not only will electronic submissions/editing be the norm, they will be required.

I find all of this stuff fascinating. I apologize if it's TMI. Try to enjoy your solitude--I think you mentioned getting some work done on your new book? Someone once told me the only "cure" for getting over one book is to begin another...

Jim Howard said...

As your token Republican reader I certainly hope my big ass is one of the big assses.

Robert Hudson said...

Jim, now that I think about it, I was unexectedly kind to the conservatives in my book, at least the ones in Plano. No one was more surprised by that than me.

Anonymous said...

In all the time I've been reading your various blogs, until I saw your book up on Amazon, I'd always sort of passively assumed that the hyphenated name was just one of your cutesy obfuscations.

And how come you stopped with the mailing list? Now you barely even show up on the first page of google results for "slobbering minions". Clearly I can't be trusted to check for updates on my own. Sad face.

Robert Hudson said...

Nope, I am legally pretentious. Also, hyphenating allowed me to lose my student loan bounty hunters for about three years.

As for the mailinglist, I finally embraced the magic that is RSS. Although reallly, slobbering minionitude is a state of being. You just have to FEEL it.

Susan said...

You know, on your recomendation (as you're the only reason I know who she is) I'm reading Anne Lammot's Traveling Mercies.
I have come across at least 4 typos, and I'm slightly more than half way through the book.
I wonder if she went through the same process you did?

(By the way, I'm so glad I discovered you, and I'm so glad that through you I discovered her. I even find her love of Jesus endearing, and most people who love Jesus I want to make voodoo dolls of)

Iselyahna said...

For some reason this picture made me wonder what Schuyler takes pictures of.

Robert Hudson said...

Her toys, mostly.

Annie D said...

have a big celebration! congrats !!!!

Amy Linder said...

Congrats! I'm so excited for you and I absolutely cannot wait for Feb. to get here so I can buy the book. Yay!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, Rob!

~Meg in L.A.

misdee said...

now tell me, how do you move from blog to book?

;)

Jana said...

Hooray! Congratulations.

Special Needs Mama Prof said...

Well I'm sure you'll figure out how to fill the time ;)