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Tue, 12/04/2007

Penguin Imprint Focus: MEETINGS, EARTHLINGS!:

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If this blog post had a nineteenth century subtitle, it would be In Whiche Meetings Make the World Go Round or possibly In Whiche Our Heroine Discusses Manuscriptes That Shall One Day Be Bookes in Front of a Large Grouping of People Who Work at Penguin, Purveyors of Fine Bookes Ltd.

Today I went to three meetings. The first one was an editorial meeting. Because Roc is really a sub-imprint of NAL, I attend the NAL editorial meeting. There, we bring up anything that's come in and we'd like to get another read on, or that we think we want to buy. Sometimes editors even bring up books they don't think are right for our imprint, because they think they might sell elsewhere or are otherwise notable. Discussion ensues, and very often kind colleagues will offer to take a look. Publishing really is often a process of consensus, which I like very much.

In the afternoon, I attended the publisher's meeting about Roc's July 08 mass markets (for example: Justine Musk's follow up to Bloodangel, Lord of Bones) and the strategy meeting about Roc's August 08 mass markets (including, but not limited to, Gale Force, Rachel Caine's new Weather Warden novel!). They are fairly similar in scope and style--an editor introduces each book and gives the major selling points for it. The sales, publicity, ad/promo, art and copy department representatives hang rapt with attention to every brilliant pearl that springs from our lips. Well, maybe not every word is brilliant (possibly 1 in 20?), but it's a good chance for every department to make sure we're on the same page about a book (unintential almost-pun) and to talk about what each department plans to do for the book. At the pub meetings, which are about a month after the strats, the covers are generally ready and they get passed around. This is the first time the sales department has seen the covers, and they'll sometimes suggest changes.

And that is a short summation of the meetings I attended this very day. A small sampling of three of the seventeen types of meetings I could have attended.

In addition, if you'd like to know, today I:

*Had a fifteen minute discussion with Anne Sowards about which adjective to use in copy describing a vampire. The options were gorgeous, notorious, infamous, or no adjective at all. By the end of these discussions it's hard not to get a little loopy. The insouciant vampire! The punctilious vampire! The short but commanding vampire! The chaste but hopeful vampire! But clearer heads prevailed and I believe Anne went with gorgeous.

*Ventured down to the scary room where we keep older contracts. It has those rolly bookshelves, and I am drenched in paranoia that one day someone will come along while I'm in the stacks and begin rolling the bookcases and then splat. (Or crunch? Splunch?) It could happen. But I needed to find the mass market royalty for Dread Brass Shadows, a great Garrett P.I. book by Glen Cook that we're reissuing in December 08. Let it not be said that an editor's life is not fraught with danger.

*Wrote descriptions for the two books I’ll be cover conferencing tomorrow. Tune in tomorrow to find out what happens in that thrilling installment of AWINTFLOAAR. [Ed note: I think she means A Week in the Fabulous Life of Ace and Roc. Or possibly A Winter in Nashville That Feels Like It’s On Armadillo Rollerskates. Whatever…]

*Talked to every colleague I saw about how excited I am to see 'The Golden Compass' when it comes out this weekend!

* Received 43 emails and sent 21. Signed off on 1 cover. Made 3 phone calls. Wrote one blog entry! Answered 2 of the fabulous questions blog commenters posed! Ate one free bagel. Whew!

-- Jessica Wade, Roc/Ace, Associate Editor