Friday, December 07, 2007

A galley - I have the proof.

Yesterday I received from Tim Travaglini - my US publisher-man - what in the US publishing industry is called a galley (here in Oz we called them ubers, or somesuch - not sure why, probably an acronym) of Book 2, Lamplighter. This galley is what most folks would call an uncorrected proof. Indeed, that is what it says clearly on the front: "UNCORRECTED PROOF NOT FOR RESALE"... and uncorrected it is: I am still working with Mr Travaglini to make the final adjustments for the US edition.

But the best bit is that a galley is actually an early, paperback version of the book! Yipee! It looks very nifty, I near took it to bed with me as some kind of blankey... and talk about thick! Now I reckon it is not seemly to judge a book by its weight, but deep inside some part of me cannot help but go "HURRAH! Look how dense it is! " - 730 odd pages with all things included. "Did I write that? It looks just like a bought one," I marvel to myself much more than I did with Foundling, but too much self-congratulation is not a good thing so I stop.

Just to note, there is a little treat in Book 2 for many of the brave souls who have contributed to this blog with their comments. Speaking of which, thank you very much to those who dared to answer my questions last post, your entries were brilliant. In fact they have helped greatly in expanding my sense of people moving about independently in the Half-Continent, doing their thing apart from any narrative. It would be great if others would give them a go too.

And as requested today for breakfast I had Apricot Fruity Bix[TM].

10 comments:

Femina said...

'Uber' is a prefix meaning superlative example - as in "I am an uber-geek" :) - but I'm not sure that fits with the uncorrected nature of the thing. And this is why I'm not an editor. Anyway, the important thing here is... YOU HAVE THE GALLEY! Now - how many more sleeps before the rest of us get to read it??

Congratulations on the (mostly) finished product, and marvel away, my friend. I'm trying to relate ti the feeling but the closest I can come is when I cook something that looks exactly like the picture in the recipe book. A sense of satisfaction, but perhaps not quite the same...

Anonymous said...

Wow, must be neat to get a galley in the post...and speaking of post:
As requested, here's another profile for you:
Name: Marcus Hestoni
Home: Clementine
Social Station: Peon, I'm afraid.
Occupation: District Postman
Sedorner or Invidist: Undecided, but leaning towards Invidist.
Looks: I would wear a worn blue overcoat with brass buttons and a jaunty old hat, leggings, and buckled shoes.
Random note: I guess I would carry some sort of concealed weapon on me. Never know who you'll run into...

Anonymous said...

Name: Abbin Arrows

Home: Doggen-Brass

Social Station: outsider Rarly seen during day but born of high rank Second and larg amount of money(not that you could tell by looking at him(if you saw him that is))

Occupation: Theif Sneak sometime assassin

Sedorner or Invidist: a invidist or a Sedorner depends on his situation and who he is curently in bussiness with.

Looks: shaby dark close carrys himself with dignity soft brown shoes, carries an odd asortment of tools ( climbing equipment rope pinions ect hand cufs throwing knifes a sthenicon which he got in most unusual cercomstances a colection of soporifics droughts to put people to sleep
wicked looking knifes and a small cross bow atached to his left for arm)

babez said...

hi again heres my stuff cause i didnt get to give my answers in time so i thought u might want to read them 4 urself!!

i love the book soooo much i checked out what websites there are for it.(thats how i found this site!)
i just want to say im 14 years old so if there other people simmilar i would love to hear what you most like about the book!!
also what d.m cornish what do u like best about book one??

ok to answer the questions


WHAT WOULD BE YOUR NAME?

why of course i would be known as Rackay rose fillip (i made it up but it sounds goo to me!!)oh by the way its a girls name

WHAT PART OF THE HALF CONTINET WOUL YOU LIVE?

dunno but i dont mind .but it would have to be in a large city


WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SOCIAL STATUS??

i would be a duchess in waiting just like Europe.

WOULD YOU BE A SEDORNER OR A INVIDIST?

this is the interesting part !!

i would be a sedorber who cares about how high up i am in the ladder.at night i would sneek out and free monsters in cages .some of the nice ones i would keep to help me further my work in saving monsters from a cruel fate!!

WHAT WOULD YOU LOOK LIKE???

easy i would have light brown hair thats is in curly locks.i would have freckles all over my nose and green eyes (thats what sets me appart) i would be 4 inches high and wear a cute dress like Europes!!ide also be the same age as i am now!!

WOULD YOU HAVE SPOORS OR CRUORPUNIXS??

no way .ruin my good looks not a chance!! any way somthing could happen and then i would be helplessly dependant on somone to keep me alive. thats not my way!!!

WHAT ELSE WOULD BE INTERESTING ABOUT YOU??

well by the time i was 16 i would save enough monsters to be famous and be loved (and hated)as the monster savior!!
so id have to dress in black and wear a mask .the only weapons id have would be two small daggers to attack from behind!!
also because im so rich i would be able to buy special glasses (or what eva u call them)so i would be able to see clearly in the dark.thatd help heaps in my awsome quest!!

also Europe used to be my hero until i came face to face with her and she just shoved me away to kill a monster who was terrorising the town.from that day on i promised to be rebelious and help creatures secretly!!

cool hey!!

any way love talkin to u guys!!!

Anonymous said...

One step closer to the book being released in good ol' OZ next year! :D

...and you have such exciting and varied breakfasts. I'm extremely jealous.

Lawrence said...

This is good news ... very good news, although there's also something a little depressing knowing that a physical edition know exists in the world, but that we can't read it for another few months.

(sigh)

Oh well. I've really enjoyed reading people's profiles. Maybe I need to re-think m original one, or do some drawings or something. (Also, what are the odds on a line of Monster-Blood Tattoo action figures? I am strangely excited by this idea.)

Cheers

Lawrence

PS - DM .... get in touch if you're keen on a care-package of some of those CDs I mentioned. My email address is somewhere in the comments of the previous entry.

D.M. Cornish said...

My word, folks! I am loving these character ideas - such variety. I like the idea, babez of Europe having a genuine opposite - someone of equal status but working to opposite ends with masks and daggers and a sthenicon and all; a humble postman markus all the way from the Imperial Capital - I can see him now doing his rounds;
and an assassin (at last!) giantfan - these fellows are commonly called bravoes in the Half-Continent - and from Doggenbrass no less, certainly an apt place for such darker folk to come from.

Lawrence, don't change a thing about Auster Ingerslev : I love the humble fellow, lurker of grimy eateries (often called tomaculums - which, funnily enough, is Tutin for "sausage"). I shall get to you very very shortly about that "care package" - definitely have some artists in mind.

Thank you so much.

babez said...

im so glad you like my person

to be honest i wish i could be more like her!!

rebellious and not caring of what others think of her!!

but not to rebellious.

ohh im soo happy u like my girl

oh by the way what is a sthenicon??

Anonymous said...

i glow with pride at your prase

Lawrence said...

DM - yup, I'd definitely be a hanger-outer in tomaculum. I am very fun a fan of all things sausage. (Oddly, I've just returned from a trip overseas which involved 10 days in Denmark, where the popular street food is the "polser", which is basically the Danish version of a hot dog, but infinitely superior to their American cousins.)

Having read and enjoyed all the contributions to the "who would you be ..." section, I'm wondering who *you'd* be, DM? Is there any autobiographical stuff in Monster-Blood Tattoo?

All right ... I'm going to polish of the rest of the Sunday afternoon finishing "The Abstinence Teacher".

Lawrence

PS - this is a great blog. Thanks.