Novelization assignment for Star Trek [XI] film?

[Radio Cicero Rockettes]

Why is the turnaround for book publishing so long, anyway (aside from writing time)? Magazine publishing and newspaper publishing have very quick turnaround times and often extensive distribution. Why is it so difficult to move a book trough the pipeline quickly?

 

[David Mack]

^ Start with the length of the product. A long magazine article is a few thousand words. A moderate-length novel can be more than 100,000 words.

Fiction also requires a greater finesse in editing than non-fiction. Unlike other media, authors have a right and an expectation to vet all changes to their copy.

Also, it's a cost-saving measure. By not rushing the printing, binding, shipping and other distribution aspects of a book, its costs are kept under better control. To rush a book out to market would require overtime and exorbitant fees, undercutting much of its profitability.

Not to put too fine a point on it, novels are complicated things. Rushing them is not a recipe for success.

 

[Greg Cox]

I suspect it's a money thing. You can practically publish a book overnight if you throw enough money at it--like an "instant book" on Amy Fisher or something--but the profit margins on most book projects don't justify that kind of expense. No overtime, no rush fees, etcetera. Plus, book publishers are generally understaffed and overworked, so that, on any given day, people are working on dozens of book projects at a time.

Only sure-fire bestsellers get pushed through the system with blinding speed.

 

[Radio Cicero Rockettes]

^ I did notice that Harry Potter seemed to be printed at the last minute.

Thanks, guys. I wonder why books so seldom take off here.

I've heard 'literary' fiction (and its introduction in high school) suggested as a reading-killer, but haven't seen any research to back up the hypothesis. It is a niche taste given prominence though, and one which usually gives poor financial returns in other settings (and in book publishing for the most part, but that seems to be true of all genres). I wonder.

 

[Greg Cox]

Actually, just for fun, let's go through the whole process:

1. The author delivers the book. (Yippee!)

2. The overworked editor finds time to read and edit the manuscript. Perhaps he takes copious notes and asks for revisions.

3. The author revises the book. (Groan!)

4. The editor reads it again, and maybe asks for more changes before putting it into production.

5. The manuscript is given to the copyeditor, who notes any errors or inconsistencies.

6. The copyedited ms. is returned to the author for more corrections. (Typically, you get about two weeks for this.)

7. The author returns the copyedit to the publisher.

8. The book is typeset.

9. The uncorrected galley pages, which can be full of typos, are sent to both a freelance proofreader and the author for one last read. (At this point, the poor author never wants to read the damn book again!) That's another two weeks.

10. The final corrections are delivered to the publisher.

11. The book is printed, bound, shipped to the warehouse, and eventually to the bookstores.


And that's just the basics. If you're talking a TREK novel or any other media tie-in, add the studio approval process to the whole procedure. Plus, commissioning the cover art, approving the page designs, writing the cover copy, proofreading the cover copy, arranging any publicity efforts, and so on.

It's a miracle if it only takes nine months or so!

 

[Radio Cicero Rockettes]

11. The book is printed, bound, shipped to the warehouse, and eventually to the bookstores.

That process, in both duration and general outline, rather resembles - to the outside eye - that of motion picture production until the final step. The printing and distribution segment seems to move faster for the average motion picture than the average novel.

(Thanks, btw.)

 

[Greg Cox]

Well, we use slower trucks.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Mack's turnaround is somewhat less than that it seems for the Destiny Trilogy.

Or are my numbers out?

 

[KRAD]

Hm. Keith and Greg are pretty much the most active novelizers in the Trek-author stable these days, so I was kind of expecting it to be one of them.

There's a guy whose initials spell out a synonym for "notebook" that might argue with that assertion regarding me and Greg.

(I'm speaking of Peter David, a.k.a. "PAD," who's had three novelizations in the last two years, which is three times as many as I've had....)

 

[OmahaStar]

Hm. Keith and Greg are pretty much the most active novelizers in the Trek-author stable these days, so I was kind of expecting it to be one of them.

There's a guy whose initials spell out a synonym for "notebook" that might argue with that assertion regarding me and Greg.

(I'm speaking of Peter David, a.k.a. "PAD," who's had three novelizations in the last two years, which is three times as many as I've had....)

Oh, Mr. Listmaker, you're also the only one who has ever had a novelization for Firefly or Serenity.

 

[KRAD]

^ True....

But I've yet to novelize a single comic book or comic book movie. Greg and Peter have me buried on that one.....

 

[Greg Cox]

I think Peter has all us all buried on that one . . . .

 

[Christopher]

5. The manuscript is given to the copyeditor, who notes any errors or inconsistencies.

And adds some new ones along the way.

 

[Greg Cox]

5. The manuscript is given to the copyeditor, who notes any errors or inconsistencies.

And adds some new ones along the way.

True enough, sometimes. My favorite example is the clueless copyeditor who changed "ion rifles" to "iron rifles" throughout an entire science fiction novel.

Groan.

 

[Christopher]

Sometimes you just wanna buy a rubber stamp that says STET...

 

[David Mack]

Mack's turnaround is somewhat less than that it seems for the Destiny Trilogy.

Or are my numbers out?

To put this in perspective for you, I started drafting Gods of Night in July 2007. Delivered manuscript at the end of September 2007. Started writing Mere Mortals on October 3, 2007, delivered it in early January 2008. Immediately began work on Lost Souls, just finished the manuscript last night. Technically, by delivering the ms. for book three next week sometime, less than 8 months before publication, I am "overdue." (But not late enough to cause a panic yet.)

 

[trampledamage]

Mack's turnaround is somewhat less than that it seems for the Destiny Trilogy.

Or are my numbers out?

To put this in perspective for you, I started drafting Gods of Night in July 2007. Delivered manuscript at the end of September 2007. Started writing Mere Mortals on October 3, 2007, delivered it in early January 2008. Immediately began work on Lost Souls, just finished the manuscript last night. Technically, by delivering the ms. for book three next week sometime, less than 8 months before publication, I am "overdue." (But not late enough to cause a panic yet.)

And you're thinking of sleeping, when exactly?

 

[BrotherBenny]

Mack's turnaround is somewhat less than that it seems for the Destiny Trilogy.

Or are my numbers out?

To put this in perspective for you, I started drafting Gods of Night in July 2007. Delivered manuscript at the end of September 2007. Started writing Mere Mortals on October 3, 2007, delivered it in early January 2008. Immediately began work on Lost Souls, just finished the manuscript last night. Technically, by delivering the ms. for book three next week sometime, less than 8 months before publication, I am "overdue." (But not late enough to cause a panic yet.)

And you're thinking of sleeping, when exactly?

When he's destroyed the odd universe, here and there.

Seriously, get some sleep. We will appreciate all the hard graft when we get to read Destiny. That I can assure you.

 

[David Mack]

And you're thinking of sleeping, when exactly?

This word you use...sleep...I know not this word...

I have tonight off to spend with my wife before she goes away to a weekend business conference, and tomorrow I start the polishing draft on Lost Souls.

When that's done…I have a vacation planned.

And after that, it's time to start rounding up new work. I have some leads, but the moment I'm off-contract, or close to it, I get antsy. Need…more…work…

 

[Lonemagpie]

5. The manuscript is given to the copyeditor, who notes any errors or inconsistencies.

And adds some new ones along the way.

Nice to know that's not unique to Dr Who publishing!