Slogging through winter is not easy. It’s cold (except for today – it’s supposed to be almost 60 degrees here!). You just want to stay in and read (which is actually a good thing). And there are only, like, three minutes of sunlight each day. Things always feel better when sunset crosses the 5:00 mark. Which it totally did! I am welcoming the light. Or I will be right after this dark, rainy day is done. Not that I’m complaining. Rainy days are cool if they are also warm.
More daylight is bringing even more happiness this year. I’m getting really excited about the release of Something Like Fate. My book tour information and other festivities are still being finalized, but I will share all of the details here as soon as I can. In the meantime, The Book Girl has posted an early review of Something Like Fate. Thanks for your excitement about this book, Renee!
It’s sort of weird to be working on a new book when Something Like Fate isn’t even out yet. That’s how the publishing world works, though. Last week, I met with my editors about book five. I never know if a new book I’ve written is any good until they give me feedback because I don’t show my manuscripts to anyone else. So I’m thrilled to report that book five is approved! It will naturally undergo revisions, but it looks like no major overhaul is needed. Major overhaul = stressful times. I have definitely been there and I don’t miss it. When It Happens went through so many major revisions that it ended up looking almost completely different than what I started with. Which was a good thing – that first draft was atrocious. Hopefully, I’ve learned a few things since my first book was published in 2006. Like how to write a less atrocious first draft.
For those of you also working on revisions or trying to improve your life in any way, we are all in this together. It’s time to shine.
Susane Colasanti - Blog 
Congrats on the 5th book, Susane! 5 books, that’s such a big accomplishment! Your posts always make me feel better when I’m having a bad day. So, thank you for those last uplifting words! I needed them. Hope the sunset comes after 5 again tonight 🙂
Thank you, friendly neighbor! And yes, sunset will be at 5:04 today (along this latitude, anyway). Even though it’s not a sunny day, just knowing the daylight situation is improving is enough for me 🙂
Congrats on your 5th book, Susane! 5 books, that’s such an accomplishment! Your posts always make me feel better when I’m having a bad day. So, thank you for those last uplifting words! I needed them. Hope the sunset lasts after 5 o’clock again tonight 🙂
PS: if this comment comes up twice, sorry!
Ha! I totally had a feeling it was you!
Well I hope that is a good thing! Haha
5 books?
I own Take me There and WHen It Happens, I will own Waiting for You when it comes out in paperback, and I am waiting for Something Like Fate to come out, but what is the fifth book?? Did you write one for adults? Just wondering!!! Thanks!
Re: 5 books?
I just submitted the manuscript of my fifth book to my editors. Before it can be published, we have to take many more steps. After a manuscript is submitted, it goes through several months of revisions, then line editing, then copyediting, then galleys are printed and final corrections are made. Generally, this entire process is completed about one year before a book is published.
Since publishing works on this kind of schedule (where books are completed way before they’re available in stores), I’m always working on the next book before my upcoming book is released. So when Something Like Fate comes out on May 4, I will still be revising book five. If everything goes well, all the steps that book five has to go through before publication should be completed by August or September. Book five should be released in May 2011.
Re: 5 books?
OK that makes sense. I just recently started following you. Now I’m in the know 🙂
I can’t wait to read Something Like Fate. I really just can’t even wait. :]
BOOK FIVE!
I can’t wait to read that, either. ;D
Woot! I’m loving your enthusiasm. I seriously can’t wait for you to read Something Like Fate, either. You should be getting a galley soon – you were on my mailing list, right?
Are you still sending out galleys for Something Like Fate?
I think Penguin started sending them out to book reviewers recently.
Okay. I wondered if you were still doing that for the online book bloggers, because if you were, I would gladly review it.
Dude, were you not on my mailing list? Whaaat?! Okay, email a link to your blog, your full name and mailing address to me at friendly.neighbor [at] hotmail.com. I’m compiling a second mailing list, but I can’t guarantee that any galleys will be left.
Just emailed you the info! Thanks!
Yeah, and I am BEYOND excited. I’m sure I will love it. You wrote it, so how can I not? :]
Congrats on finishing the 5th book already and on Something Like Fate coming out soon!
Lately, I read a lot about how authors (particularly YA authors) have critique groups with which they share their manuscripts before submitting them to editors. Good to know it’s still possible to write a good book without that, because sometimes sharing your work with others is very hard until you’re sure it’s ready.
http://bsoulflowers.blogspot.com
Thank you! Yeah, I know a lot of YA authors who belong to writing groups. I’m the only author I know who doesn’t show their manuscripts to anyone before submitting them. Clearly, these groups serve an important purpose and receiving feedback is helpful. For me, though, it doesn’t make sense to receive feedback that might pull the manuscript in a different direction than my editors would like. They’re the ones who are deciding how the story should be revised, so it makes the most sense for me to just focus on their comments.