9.17.2007

Publishers

First off, have any of you seen the movie Warriors? I'm going to take a look at this one when I receive it in the mail. It's a Walter Hill film, so it should be solid storytelling. Don't confuse it, however, with this fine song.

Rainy day here in Florida. Dark and stormy. Feels like Oregon, which makes for a fun day at the word processor.

Bernadette has queried a number of editors from various houses. A select group of our favorite editors currently have my full manuscript, and the process of waiting has been both illuminating and nerve racking. The latter is obvious, but the former is also interesting. Now, when I look at the New York Times bestseller list, I check the publishers and imprints. Every time I pick up a book, I'm cognizant of the publisher and I'm curious about the process that led to the creation of that project. I wonder who the editors are on the other end that saw the book through to its creation. What sparked their interest? How many times did they re-work the manuscript?

I look at the artwork and the book layout. I check the dedication and acknowledgments. I think it's fascinating to look at the publishers' websites and see their rosters of authors. These are things that the average consumer might overlook when purchasing a book or selecting a title at the library. But when you take all of the elements into consideration, it really does speak to the notion of what a daunting and collaborative task it is to take a book from its word-processed format into a physical book as we have come to think of it.

How about you guys. Do you pay attention to the publisher when you browse the stacks at the library or stroll through Borders?

Man, you need to be in shape if you want to be a warrior!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ha - I'd forgotton all about The Warriors - must of been one of the first movies I'd seen as a young teenager round a friend's house (the first person I knew to own a VCR). Regarding looking at publishers when browsing the bookshelves, I must admit I do now, but never did before I became interested in writing.

DJ

Daniel Powell said...

Caaannnn yooooouuuuu diiiigggg iittt?!

I'll follow up The Warriors with Escape From New York.

It's strange how the details start to show up in the publishing process. Even a month ago I didn't check it. Now I browse by author and publisher more than title...

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