A Washington Post writer had a tweet this week wherein he said (paraphrasing here) that praise from a copy editor was the highest praise and from a publicist was the lowest. It started me thinking, because I disagree (I do that sometimes.).

I get what he means. Publicists are paid the big bucks (!) to hype and promote, by definition. Copy-editors are often obsessive-compulsive (by deifnition, almost!), detail-focused, and have no liaison to the market.

But that pair of truths gets only part of the way and misses an important point. It is because a publicist (or marketing person) spends his or her whole day thinking of ways to promote/sell/extol every book on the list, to one degree or another, that serious personal praise and support from them matters so much.

Think about it. Every morning you psyche yourself up to promote titles that, in your innermost being, you know are forgettable, interchangeable with others, even boring, not your thing, opposed to your own ethics or views. You still have to get on the phone or computer and do it. Find ways to hype. You can’t only do your job when you love a book.

So the flipside is, when you do love a book, when you think it deserves to be read, reviewed, discussed, awarded, that author is a gift to you, and you become a gift to him or her. The job can become a passion again. Your enthusiasm is real, your commitment when you talk to a reviews editor or magazine editor about a profile will be unfeigned and passionate – and that comes through. I have heard it too many times from the media side of the discussion. They can tell when someone means it. Actually, most of us can. Nothing helps a book or a writer as much as the fire of those discussing it. Nothing.

That applies to the publisher’s sales reps too. They are inundated with titles each seaosn that they have to ‘get out there’ to their bookstore accounts. It applies to those accounts, too, the buyers for independent bookstores or chains, or the managers and sales people at those stores. ‘Handselling’ books is still a real part of the process. A customer walks into a store and a salesperson they know says, ‘The new Kay is in! I love it. You have to read it.’

That’s another gift to a writer. And, if all goes well, to the customer who buys that book. Relationships get started that way.

So, with all respect to the view at the top here, that started me thinking, I’m not down with the idea of placing publicity or marketing at the bottom of the ‘value’ scale when they praise or love one of my books. I am moved and very happy when that happens. If the passion for the novel is real, it actually matters more, in the formal scheme of things, than the endorsement from a copy editor.

This doesn’t take into account whether the copy editor is someone whose taste and judgement matters personally to you (as is the case for me with Catherine Marjoribanks), nor does it factor ‘routine’ remarks of praise from the marketing people, the kind where you might feel they are saying what they have to say. If these elements are in the mix, then we are talking about something completely different: the individual judgement of a trusted person or the supportive mumbling that comes with the territory.

But, no, real enthusiasm for a book from publicity and marketing and sales? Priceless.

Springbank, claret cask. Making this a motif, I guess.

I spent five hours in a boardroom today at Penguin Canada, working with Sandra on her two proofreaders’ queries and notes. Coffees, and I brought chocolate chip cookies when we took a break, since this was a heroic session for her, most of her workday. I was dealing with their notes, she was inputting my page by page responses into the master copy, which will now be turned into the printed and bound book for April.

She outdid my choc chips with an elegantly casual mention that one of the two freelance proofreaders had written ‘This is a masterpiece’ on the last page of her copy. She said she’d never seen that before. I said that this was an exemplary demonstration of proper care and feeding of the wild author.

Levity aside, this felt awfully rewarding. It is the first ‘outsider’ response to the book. Only people I know had seen it to that point. I never have any idea who the freelance proofreaders are (though have asked that my thanks be relayed for careful work here). It is obviously and always reassuring to get support from any readers, especially for a new book, and it is even more so to hear such words from professionals in the business.

Even at this stage errors or typos get caught – that’s why three people plus Sandra are prowling through the manuscript. I was proud of myself last week for spotting a directional error that everyone had missed (score for Team Author, late in the fourth quarter). But there was a naming error right in chapter one that got spotted — it was caught by a reader of the Facebook uploads, too! (Thanks are going out there, as well.)

As Sandra and I were pushing through the pages, Nicole came in herself to give me my first copy of an ARC. These will start going out in January to selected media outlets, then more widely to reviewers in February. There may be a few surprises before that. (Chapter 2, by the way, will only be on the Facebook site for a little longer – that share/read really was conceived as a short term bonus for those who like tasters. Chapter 1 will migrate to the main publisher sites and likely stay up until the book is out, that’s becoming fairly standard.)

After we were done, I shuttled down to the marketing department wing. Beth and Charidy each got to rap my knuckles. They were grinning at me but pretending to be kind: I had been pretty edgy about the decision to bump the ‘Share’ level from 150 to 500. It was heading into a Friday, the weekend has next to no publisher activity, it seemed a big number for a second go-around … but they’d been sublimely at-ease and sanguine.

Shows how much I know. Though I don’t think any of them would pass a lie detector test if they tried to say they expected the 500 level to be reached in just over 24 hours. Bottom line, marketing heads get social media rhythms better than the author does. What a stunning surprise! Who could have predicted it?

I will retreat with such grace as I can muster, with my single malt. It is a cold night out there.

I spoke with Sandra in Production this morning and we set up our scheduled meeting to go over anything the proofreaders queried (as opposed to just correcting, as in a typo). But on the phone she told me that one of them had noted a particular word cropping up a fair bit, and wondered if I’d want to have a look.

The glories of the PDF age. I was able to search for it, note the pages, and this splendid proofer was entirely right. We can fall into vocabulary rhythms and over two years + of writing and revising might not catch ourselves repeating. But someone reading the book steadily and fast and with a necessarily obsessive word by word focus might spot these.

So spent an hour this morning addressing that. And no, before anyone asks, I won’t say what the word was (it was not ‘tangible’!) because you’d all become hyper-aware of it. I’m being good to you. But I’m also really grateful to the proofreader for the alert.

This next hour or so are actually a nervous time for me, irrationally. The book will be picked up any minute and couriered to the publisher across town. It is way too easy for an author to have ‘Homeland’ style nightmares of car accidents, or brazen daylight robberies by rival publishers or desperate readers (just.don’t.say.it.). Sandra has promised to call me as soon as it is in her hands.

Here’s a memory. First novel I ever wrote, never published, was drafted on the south coast of Crete, handwritten. Partway through the winter I woke up one morning with the sudden thought that if my room was ransacked and robbed, or there was a fire or anything, I had zero backup. I couldn’t work that day. Took the bus to the north side of the island to a town called Rethymnon and found a mom and pop shop with a single photocopy machine. I got a lot of change and made two copies, eventually gave one to a friend to keep in his room in my village, and mailed the other home immediately. But on the bus over the mountains north and walking through Rethymnon, that envelope with the manuscript stayed tightly clutched in both hands.

So I have a long tradition of worrying about the fate of the only finished copy of any book.

Alec, one of the coordinators of brightweavings.com asked and I can confirm that the launch on April 4 will absolutely be open and free of charge. Sometimes events have a fee, at author festivals, or when a bookstore has to rent a space because they expect more people than the store can hold, but this one won’t.

Oh. There will be good UK news very soon. They are doing a press release. I’ll wait for that. And a new, unexpected foreign rights offer. Still being finalized as to terms, so I’ll tease with that only, for now. But I love new, small markets. It says something really affirming about books and human nature if people in so many different cultures want to read something we write.

I considered posting a photo of the cat with a bottle of scotch, on top of the fully proofread manuscript, but really … there are limits, right? And the cat prefers campari.

But I can report that this morning, shockingly on time, I finished the proofreading. It is due tomorrow. I am way too diligent.

As I have said before, the thing about ‘finishing’ a book is that there are so many legitimate stages to that. But this one really is done since, after I drop it off at Penguin, it will be collated by the Production Editor (the typos I caught merged with those found by the two other proofreaders) and, well, made into a book. Once again, an odd feeling, staring at it now, but also a very good one.

As I also mentioned (avoiding last kicking cat jokes) that I have added to their workload by making some small (honestly!) word trims all through. Why more work for them? Think about it. If I cut three words in a paragraph, and that paragraph ends with two words on a line, my trims shift the page break. Sometimes a page ends with a fleuron/dingbat. That forces Production to do arcane things that only those with the secret handshake fully understand. (It apparently does not involve sharpening machetes in anticipation of the author’s next visit. Apparently.)

In the meantime, the ARCs ought to be ready this week or next, though with limited exceptions they will not go out till the New Year. The exceptions are that monthly magazines need as much lead time as possible, since some are already at work on their April (or even May) issues. But publicity departments tend not to inflict galley mailings on the Christmas season. The ARCs, as may be obvious, precede this proofreading and my (small, Sandra!) last-stage fine-tuning … this is a reason that reviewers are always asked, on the cover of a galley/ARC, not to quote from it without checking against the final text.

Did I mention this? After the really wonderful evening we had for Under Heaven, the worldwide launch of River of Stars has just been locked in: it will again be at the Toronto Reference Library, in their big Atrium space, on the evening of April 4th. It looks like it will be a short reading, as last time, then an on-stage conversation with a Mystery Interlocutor.

Hmm, this may be risky on my part but … if you want to play, throw out names of people you think would be fun on stage with me that night. Yes, you are allowed to suggest Isabelle Adjani, but I think she’s booked.

I just said over on Twitter that readers (and publishers) can make it hard to be properly irritable. I may need something like a hockey lockout or no Yankee 3rd baseman to regain duly dour mien.

In a nutshell, the Penguin Canada team knew exactly what they were doing – they just didn’t believe we would do it so well, or that readers would be that responsive. I suppose I could claim ‘Author Wins Stunning Victory!’ because it took just ver 25 hours for the 500 Shares to land over on Penguin Canada’s Facebook page and unlock the next instalment of River of Stars.

But it would be churlish of me. This was a blending of supportive, generous readers, and publishers knowing how to alert them online that something was happening. So I can’t claim a win for the amazingly quick unlock (remember the ‘war’: the marketing team knew they’d get interest but wanted it to run through weekend, into Monday or so, and I was teasing about wanting it hard and fast) . It is their savvy, and readers’ interest that caused this to just explode this afternoon. How to stay focused on curmudgeonitude?

Well, really, who is going to play 3rd base, dammit?

We’re all touched and pleased. Penguin Canada decided that the enthusiasm deserved a response, and they have just unlocked all of chapter 2, instead of staging a third unlock/reveal … and I am completely onside with that. I think it is great.

Next step, because without it none of this means anything, is for readers to decide if they like what they see. As I mentioned before, I am completely down with the idea that many will want to wait till spring and read/consume/devour/skim/inhale/flick through the book then. Others like a small taste of what is coming, and there are a lot of people who will have never read me, or not for years, and who might be inclined to see what River is like before they commit. That’s a part of what this is all about.

When Penguin approached me with this, I suggested limiting it just two chapters, because – as I mentioned a few days back – each of the first two introduces one of the main figures, and does so (in parallel, but widely separated) when they are quite young. The two opening chapters make for a tidy introduction to some of what will be at stake while not giving away where the plot will go. And they have a different structure from some of my other beginnings.

As it happens, my ‘reading passage’ is different this time around. I’ll try to remember to write a bit about that here (the whole process of public readings interests me).

But for now, back to proofreading. Due Monday, and I’ll make it. As always, I am still making tiny trims, comma cuts, single word changes. I will owe Sandra Tooze in Production a latte or Sidecar or something, this does mean extra work for her and her team. But I have to do it. I always do.When I deliver Monday that’s it.

I really want to say that proofreading is therefore my last kick at the cat, but after the cat-on-chair photo of a while back here, I have terrible feeling someone would decide … well, you know.

There will not be seven veils in this dance. There will be three (3). The second is coming. It follows the first (1st) and precedes the third (3rd). Just to be clear on all of this social media mystery theatre.

I’m still fascinated by the whole process, still sorting out my own responses to it. Here’s an example. I was (as I said last post) really happy and touched by how quickly (and by how much) readers blew past the 150 Facebook Shares to unlock chapter one. (Chapter one introduces Ren Daiyan, one of the two main protagonists in River of Stars, chapter two will introduce the woman who is the second central figure.)

But the publishers, ironically (to me), were wishing they’d set the bar higher so it would take time. I get what they mean (after it was explained to the naive author here). If it becomes ‘blink and it is unlocked’ they have no time to discuss it, tweet it, monitor. It is … up and it is over. So they tell me … to almost-quote Jaws, ‘We’re gonna need a bigger number.’

Because I am a self-confident sort of fellow I am prepared to be out there with jokes along the lines of ‘Guy wanted it to be fast, but the others wanted it to last longer.’ I’m safe. Nancy Huston already won the Bad Sex Writing Prize yesterday!

But, joking aside, I remain intrigued by exercises like this. I’m fine with a chapter or two being released (we are splitting chapter 2 midway with a good ‘curtain’, it is a very long chapter – I do that sometimes). I discussed it last post, how old the tradition is of serialized chapters from novels. What is new, where the changing culture and tech come in, is this empowering or enlisting of readers in the process. The intersection of social media and the book world.

The covers are up on Amazon.com and .ca and on Indigo and Barnes&Noble, which is nice. Won’t be anything new for those reading this … you can just look at the top of the Journal, but I like seeing them out there, adds an element of the tangible to the book. (There was a major riff on ‘tangible’ in the journal for Under Heaven because I used the word 3-4 times and then noticed I’d done that, and promised something – I forget what – if I used it again.)

The Canadian and American covers will be identical in look, though will feature different quotes. That is normal in the industry. All countries showcase major quotes form their own markets, which makes sense. Canada will use the Globe and Mail, the American edition will use the Washington Post. Not sure yet which quotes (one or two, usually) will go on the back of each.

Back to proofreading, the wild, ecstatic joys thereof. About 125 pages to go. But have to read slowly, or you miss things.

I did promise something new this week. Have a look at

https://www.facebook.com/PenguinCanada?ref=ts&fref=ts

As of today, my two North American publishers are offering an early look at the beginning of River of Stars. They are making it a bit of a game (why not, they said) so chapter 1 will be ‘unlocked’ once 150 people ‘Share’ their cutesy locked cover image on Facebook.

If this goes smoothly then, yes, the plan is to unlock chapter 2 at some level of sharing, and likely in two parts (it is a long chapter).

I wasn’t so much arm-twisted as skillfully cajoled this time. It is kind of interesting (I think): I do a book every three years or so, and the market changes a lot in that time. Chapter reveals are becoming more normal, though I am told this particular process is a bit newer, just for the fun part, I guess. In addition, as pre-orders become easier at the major online booksellers (with, I really hope, good discounts for buyers) that’s another factor.

They originally wanted three chapters. I am drawing the line. (No, do not ‘share’ arm-twisting, OR cajoling.) As it happens, chapter 1 introduces one of the major protagonists, and chapter 2 introduces another so together the two chapters do a nice stage-setting job. Chapter 3 starts to complicate that. (As I tend to, I guess.)

And, not incidentally, for all those who prefer to wait and read the whole thing in what I (and Mrs Malaprop) like to call one swell foop … don’t peek! I get that! But I also know, over the years, that many people do like an advance taste, like the small spoons at an ice cream parlour.

So if you want to taste River of Stars, and meet Daiyan, and then Shan, when they are young … they are there. Or will be when unlocked. Enjoy.

I am trying not to be a tease (he says, teasing). There will be some real announcements, one as early as next week, but at this point everything is about coordinating and I need to let my various publishers do their thing.

I’m about halfway through the proofreading. Have spotted only 6-8 straight typos, or missing commas etc, but I am guilty of my usual transgression: am cutting on average about 3-5 words a page. Simple trims. I am very aware I am making work for the production people … depending on how a paragraph ends, dropping one or two words can alter the page breaks. I do feel contrite (see I am even noting that here!) but I also know these slight, invisible trims make me happier.

Italics are dying en masse.

New York tomorrow. A long day, straight from airport into four separate meetings, then more on Friday. This is the US equivalent of the meetings I had here last week and on Monday of this week.

Oh. I think I can say this: the worldwide launch event for River of Stars looks like it is confirmed: will be here in Toronto on April 4th. Details, as always, to follow.

I’m proofreading, if the header didn’t give that away. For reasons discussed earlier (production department joined marketing department in having their way with me) this is the first time I’ve seen River of Stars on the page, as opposed to on screen. I know that some readers will never not see it on a screen (or perhaps hear it as an audio book) but it makes a difference for me.

I know I’ve said it before: italics are louder on the page than they are in pixels. I delete many of them as I go through this time. I need to force myself to slow down, too, read for typos, not making last-chance edits. I am very happy two others are proofing (both professionals) and one friend has volunteered to do a read, as well. So far I’ve only caught a handful of punctuation errors and a few bad choices as to stretching or compressing words to make a line-break work.

Another meeting at Penguin here Monday afternoon, as to which I cannot (yet) speak or write. Then two days of meetings in NY at end of week, publishers, marketing/pr team, agents (including foreign rights). I’ll get to a gallery or two as a NY perk.

BTW, I’ve been sent a PDF of the ARC cover (fyi!). It looks terrific. I’ll check with Penguin as to whether I can post it here. Everything of that sort now involves coordination among several people in different locations (and the UK is about to come on board). I’ve always said these Journals are very much about looping readers in to how books get made and marketed and sold, and I have to say that the game is changing very fast. That includes all publishrs trying to organize releases and reveals together. Even in the three years since Under Heaven everything has altered. The online dimension was present then, and increasingly significant. Now it is a huge component of the process, for just about any book.

Back to proofing. Pass the italics excising knife.

Really good meeting today at Penguin Canada with Nicole Winstanley and the marketing team, headed by the Tag-team Wrestlers. (Beth and Charidy are easy to tell apart, one loves soccer and the other loves musicals. Since I like both, they manipulate me easily.)

Beth showed up with a 7-item agenda and rolled through it.  A couple of them surprised me. A few elements are going to start soon, but I shouldn’t do more than tease (here’s me, teasing) for yet.Seriously, at this stage they have some clear ideas as to timing and sequence, and I wouldn’t want to mess that up. A book does best when editorial, marketing, pubicity and sales all see it as their baby, too.

We will do, all going well, one of my favourite small things: a charity auction of the first book off the press. We usually use a literacy charity, and it is a fun process to watch. The same man has won the bidding for the last three auctions.

Tour was discussed, spring author festival gigs (and fall as well), the launch night here in Toronto (even which bookseller to have selling books). The marketing trio really wanted the ARCs to go to press immediately, as in today, since the monthly magazines are already doing their April issues, and they need to read it.

I came home and did the good soldier thing, finished my fast scroll through the typeset ARC, wrestling it into submission (I freely admit I used ‘wrestling’ here purely for the echo of headline and opening paragraph). Only one killer error (a poem set with all words jumbled together, no spacing at all, and as prose). I asked the production editor on the phone when I called it in, ‘How did that happen?’ A pause. ‘I have no idea.’ It was fixed. It will be printed asap. Nicole said these will be the most handsome galleys they’ve ever done, which is obviously nice. She sees it as emphasizing book-as-artifact, which suits the setting and story.

I am doing the same thing in NY next week, another set of meetings there.

There’s more in the works, I’ll save some for later. I’ll also have a U.K. announcement here soon. Again waiting on others.

Anyone see that News Corp (HarperCollins) is in discussions with Simon and Schuster? That was always going to happen once Random Penguin was done. Twitter has a few of us playing the name game (how can one resist?) One guy is offering a recipe for a Simon Collins (usual Tom Collins ingredients + agent and author tears). I think the gamesmanship involved just about demands SimHarper as a name. Gamers, get in the comments thread and tell me you laughed!