Thick Envelopes

UPS came yesterday and left me a thick envelope (7 lbs). My heart started pounding. Thick envelopes ALWAYS mean a physical/emotional reaction. I thought it was the copy edits for Heart Quest, and since I hadn't even heard that my editor had read it, it was quite a surprise. I began thinking how I could wedge in a big copy edit project with my daily writing and when I'd get paid for the book. Then I opened the envelope to find the OLD copy edits of Road of Adventure and Heart Choice being returned. This is the first time this has happened to me, so I figure it's because of my editor's new assistant. I'll drop her a line to say that they can recycle and she doesn't need to send stuff back to me.

When you're unpublished thick envelopes cause nausea. You take one look and know that your manuscript has been rejected. Again. So, on the whole, I'm glad of the reactions I have now.

When you're first published, large envelopes bring excitement. You see one and are sure that the publisher has decided everything was a mistake and they AREN'T going to publish you after all, then you rip it open to find contracts. The copy edits are sweaty-palm stuff, too, but I can usually wrap my mind around those. The page proofs/galleys weird me out (though I have been getting better at this lately). Since the ones from Berkley look so much like a book, I immediately put in a call to my friend Rose, who does the line editing for me.

A Thick Envelope Day. Whew.

May all your writing use excitement today.
Robin