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When last I wrote something here, it was to insist that my last entry had in no way been a Begging For Comments post.
To counterbalance that, THIS ONE IS!
Seriously, though, when I posted a new version of the first chapter of Ian and Co on April 18, it was to get initial reader feedback impressions. Then Maddie had the nerve to be BORN the next day, viciously stealing all attention away from her typewritten siblings (and her flesh and blood sibling if you ask his opinion), and I never did get any feedback. Not true. Emily did say it looked good and she'd get back later with specifics.
But I did not forget it, because it is after all my typewritten child; and slightly-better-than-I-have-been good little girl that I am, I have actually written close to an entire two pages of chapter 2 since then also (the one benefit of a baby waking you up too early to get her brother up but too late for YOU to go back to sleep). So my thoughts return to that post, wondering if anyone besides Emily read it given the timing of bigger and louder things, and if they HAD read it then why did they not MENTION reading it, seeing as that was pretty much why I posted it. And it reminded me of recent discussion I'd seen in the librarianesque blogosphere about the purpose of ARCs-- edits publishers send out before books are actually DONE so that reviewers can review them early-- and that if you were trying to get an ARC JUST because you wanted the book before everyone else, and you weren't intending to spread the word about the book, or worse, you were intending to keep it instead of buying the final copy, then YOU WERE DOING IT WRONG, and were a bane to all book-loving fairness-upholders everywhere. Well, I won't name names, but I know one of my several libraries has a few ARCs erroneously or malevolently shelved in their permanent collection, because I have taken a few out, and coincidentally I usually found those books lackluster. But it was only after reading all this stuff on the real purpose of ARCs that I wondered if I would have liked the books better if they hadn't been IN THE EDITING STAGE STILL when I read them, and all.
So I draw parallels to this chapter I posted, because it is very much in the editing stage being, for all practical purposes, a FIRST DRAFT, which is why I friends-locked it*-- it is not yet fit for publication in the permanent collection that is the World Wide Web. Therefore its purpose is not simply to entertain you or give you a FREE STORY!, but so that you can SAY something about it. Like I said originally, I'm not looking for copyediting or even stylistic suggestions at this point, so you don't have to screw on your old Peer-Editing heads or take a lot of time to craft a response: all I'm looking for are basic first impressions. What works for you, what doesn't, and would you want to read more?
So I repost, on the fairly good suspicion that I won't be giving birth tomorrow, a link to the new first chapter of the book with the really long working title I'm not sure I like anymore or even ever. Have fun if you like, but don't forget to tell me about it!
PS-- I'm still just being snarky because that's my writing voice. I'm not actually mad at you or anything.
*Which reminds me, if anyone is reading this and I know and trust you, but you don't have a livejournal account that is friended by me and so can't access that post, and yet you would really like to read and respond, just let me know and I'll send you it personally. Over email, not snail mail.
To counterbalance that, THIS ONE IS!
Seriously, though, when I posted a new version of the first chapter of Ian and Co on April 18, it was to get initial reader feedback impressions. Then Maddie had the nerve to be BORN the next day, viciously stealing all attention away from her typewritten siblings (and her flesh and blood sibling if you ask his opinion), and I never did get any feedback. Not true. Emily did say it looked good and she'd get back later with specifics.
But I did not forget it, because it is after all my typewritten child; and slightly-better-than-I-have-been good little girl that I am, I have actually written close to an entire two pages of chapter 2 since then also (the one benefit of a baby waking you up too early to get her brother up but too late for YOU to go back to sleep). So my thoughts return to that post, wondering if anyone besides Emily read it given the timing of bigger and louder things, and if they HAD read it then why did they not MENTION reading it, seeing as that was pretty much why I posted it. And it reminded me of recent discussion I'd seen in the librarianesque blogosphere about the purpose of ARCs-- edits publishers send out before books are actually DONE so that reviewers can review them early-- and that if you were trying to get an ARC JUST because you wanted the book before everyone else, and you weren't intending to spread the word about the book, or worse, you were intending to keep it instead of buying the final copy, then YOU WERE DOING IT WRONG, and were a bane to all book-loving fairness-upholders everywhere. Well, I won't name names, but I know one of my several libraries has a few ARCs erroneously or malevolently shelved in their permanent collection, because I have taken a few out, and coincidentally I usually found those books lackluster. But it was only after reading all this stuff on the real purpose of ARCs that I wondered if I would have liked the books better if they hadn't been IN THE EDITING STAGE STILL when I read them, and all.
So I draw parallels to this chapter I posted, because it is very much in the editing stage being, for all practical purposes, a FIRST DRAFT, which is why I friends-locked it*-- it is not yet fit for publication in the permanent collection that is the World Wide Web. Therefore its purpose is not simply to entertain you or give you a FREE STORY!, but so that you can SAY something about it. Like I said originally, I'm not looking for copyediting or even stylistic suggestions at this point, so you don't have to screw on your old Peer-Editing heads or take a lot of time to craft a response: all I'm looking for are basic first impressions. What works for you, what doesn't, and would you want to read more?
So I repost, on the fairly good suspicion that I won't be giving birth tomorrow, a link to the new first chapter of the book with the really long working title I'm not sure I like anymore or even ever. Have fun if you like, but don't forget to tell me about it!
PS-- I'm still just being snarky because that's my writing voice. I'm not actually mad at you or anything.
*Which reminds me, if anyone is reading this and I know and trust you, but you don't have a livejournal account that is friended by me and so can't access that post, and yet you would really like to read and respond, just let me know and I'll send you it personally. Over email, not snail mail.
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Date: 2009-06-03 04:20 pm (UTC)From:REALLY. I PROMISE.
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Date: 2009-06-03 05:23 pm (UTC)From:I was just thinking about you ten minutes ago. When last we met, didn't you mention both Go Dog Go AND You Can Do It Sam as favorites at storytime at your house? Throw in 123 To the Zoo by Eric Carle and you've got Sam's exact favorite must reads this week! (Go Dog Go is more like "this two months" but still).