What's next?

I want to be as transparent as possible about the publishing process, but I have been asked not to reveal the name of the publisher who acquired my book until all the contracts have been signed, so I'll talk around some things for the time being.

So, what am I doing now that I've learned my book will be published?

I've already spoken with my editor and they have let me know that there will be some edits to the Zomburbia manuscript, though, thankfully, nothing structural. I won't receive those until after the contracts are signed, either. In the meantime, I'm thinking about the general shape of book two. Later in the year, I'll need to deliver the first three chapters and a detailed outline. That part scares me a bit because I haven't worked from an outline before – not a detailed one, at any rate. Zomburbia had a four-page plot and I diverged from it somewhere around the middle of the book. Regardless, that needs to be done.

I was also asked to start looking at YA book covers. While I will not have anything like final say, I was told I'd be consulted on the cover design. I sense a field trip coming on, maybe to Powell's, though our local indy bookstore has a great YA selection.

And as to what I'll actually be writing as I wait for notes from my editor, I am 91,000 words into a steampunk novel that I started writing because I had no idea whether or not Zomburbia would ever sell. I wasn't being pessimistic, just honest about how the world of publishing works. I plan to barrel along on that manuscript for as long as I can before I have to back-burner it. No matter what else happens, I will finish it, it just might take me longer than I planned.

Finally, I plan to wrap my head around the fact that someone wants to publish a book I've written. And its sequel. It's still a bit unreal to me. Part of that may be that I haven't had a chance to really celebrate it. A friend asked me today what happened when I found out about the deal. I told her the truth: I showed my wife the phone with the email from Ann, my agent, and we both cheered and jumped around for a bit. Then we regained our composure and my wife reminded me that the garbage needed to be taken out to the curb. I'm sure that we'll time to celebrate, but we have to get on with life at the moment, since life just keeps happening.

I should also take a few days and update the links and other stuff on this blog. It's all painfully out of date...

If folks have any questions about this process as we go, please feel free to leave a comment, or send me anemail.