Crank up the time machine

[pbray]

Galleys for THE FIRST BETRAYAL arrived today. The cover letter was dated February 8th and asked that I please return the galleys no later than February 8th.

Now would be a good time to have a TARDIS.

I know what I'm doing this weekend.

Comments

[larryhammer]

I assume you're calling to find the real deadline?

---L.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Yes, and expect to hear this morning. But I'm betting the deadline is real damn soon now, since the galleys are late (by Bantam standards) given that the book is supposed to hit stores on May 30th.

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

That's a good one. That's not even a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.

[fancythat2.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, I didn't realize the deadlines would be so tight. :-)

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

The times when they want the ms back before you receive it--those are rough.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Hee!

Generally I have a week to turn around galleys, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. But the time machine trick is a new one for me.

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

*laugh* The assistant editor at Harlequin who sends me my galleys and copy edits always puts a note in saying, "I know it's a bit of a short turn-around this time, but we appreciate all the work you do," or words to that effect. Since I don't think I've ever had more than five days between arrival of the manuscript and "it has to be in New York on this date", I teased him about that, and he said it was his way of trying to make us authors think this wasn't usual and that next time we'd have more time. *laugh* I wasn't supposed to call him on it. *laugh*

[kinzel.livejournal.com]

The problem is, of course, when the galleys arrive and are dultifully left on the step by DHL five minutes or so after you've boarded a train for the other coast. Authors, alas, oftne have other things to do than wait for promised galleys.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Yup. I'm glad the galleys are here now, since I was worried that they'd arrive while I was at Boskone (or right before I left), and I'd come back from the con to find I was already overdue.

If I am going to be out of town for more than a couple of days, I always let my editor know well in advance, and she's been good about making sure that revision letters, copy-edits, galleys, etc arrive before I leave town or are held till after I get back.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Hee! Good for you for calling him on it.

The short turnaround has been my experience as well. There's never a note saying "Hey, we're really organized this time so you can have extra days to look at your copy-edit or page proofs." Instead, if the galleys arrive on a Monday then they need to be back in New York by Friday, and if they arrive during the week then they need to be finished over the weekend.

[scott-lynch.livejournal.com]

HA! Amazing. I got my fist-pass page proofs via FedEx yesterday, the 9th. The cover letter requested that I have them back no later than the 7th.

Apparently, someone put something in the coffee at Bantam... (I have since found out by '7th' they meant '23rd').

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, I was told that by February 8th they meant the 23rd. Must be the magic day.