Galley Ho!
Along with scoring $40 worth of toiletries for $21 yesterday, my other huge accomplishment was receiving the galleys for the book in the mail. Introducing the plain-cover-version-because-we-don’t-have-the-cover-art-finished-yet copy of Navigating the Land of If: Understanding Infertility and Exploring Your Choices.
It is pretty damn trippy to hold a copy of your book. I mean, sure, I’ve held a construction paper covered and stapled copy of the novel I wrote as a four-year-old: Miss Piggy Sings A Lot of Songs on Tuesday Morning. But I guess it’s different when it has a real binding and cool graphics and can be purchased at the local bookstore rather than “rented” from my makeshift “library bookshelf” in my bedroom. With an old address label as the “bar code.”
Obviously I knew that the book was going to be coming in bound form at some point, but I decided to bring it over to my parent’s house and surprise them. I handed it over and said, “I found this really cool book at the bookstore today.”
I know–how fucking lame can I get with announcements? Seriously, I did something equally lame for when we told them about the twins. It’s like I have announcement anemia. My announcements are so anemic that they only elicit a confused, “what?”
Here is a random page so you can see how cool it looks on the inside. While I’d love to do a side-by-side comparison with my Miss Piggy book, I believe that it is currently being housed in a drawer at my mother’s house.
This random page has a text box on what to do when you hit a blood vessel during an injection and whether the drugs still work at full potency if you reinject them (they do–you get a bruise, but you save $50 without having to throw away that shot of Gonal-F) which is something I always wondered and I’ve never seen covered in a book. And while the nurse that I asked thought the question was strange and needed to go do research herself to answer it, she agreed that it was sound information to have. The other text book is why bruising occurs at all and how to minimize it. Shazaaaaaaam!
This is what I didn’t know about galleys–they are essentially the butt-ugly, quick version of getting the book into bound-form so you can send it out for blurbs, medical vetting, and the like. Most of the time, galleys are not even produced in-house. It is only going to get better from here and I already love the layout.
So, that’s the update on the book. Galleys are in. I’ll post the cover as long as the publisher says it’s okay when I have that in hand. The bound version that I’ll use for the final edit will be sent around January. And um…that’s it. Oh–and there’s a message to all of you on page 286. That’s just me being a tease–you’ll have to wait until May to find out what it says. I sure hope they don’t change the page numbering now that I’ve said that.
0 comments
CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS
THAT IS SOOOOO AWESOME MEL!!!!!!!
I am so excited for you.
That is SO exciting! Congratulations!!! 🙂
Awesome! I can’t wait to read it next year! Congrats Ms. Author!
I have to wait until MAY to buy your book?
All this waiting…
(Yippee! I am so freaking excited for you!)
There is seriously a thrilling chill of excitement coursing through my veins now.
Congratulations, and I can’t wait to buy your book!
I seriously don’t know what is cooler. The book’s arrival or your use of the word “fucking” in this post. 🙂
How trippy it must be to see your name in print. Well, not just in print, but in print as the AUTHOR of a honest to goodness BOOK.
And check out that hair-do! Hubba hubba.
Wow! I’m super impressed, this is so exciting! I may buy the book even if I consider myself an IF expert, just because I “know” the author.
How totally cool is that?? You must be so thrilled! (I sure would be!) Congratulations, Mel — I cannot wait to read it!
That is so cool!!!! I’m so prund if you! I sure hope to be PG before May, but I will still by the book becasue it’s by you! 😉
It is beautiful!!!
xxoo
OOOOOOHHHHHH, HOW COOL!
Congratulations! I can not wait to get my hands on your book.
I can only imagine the feeling. The only thing I get published are articles in the school magazine, and some stuff in our campus literary journal. A book, now that’s a league of its own.
Congratulations! That’s so wonderful to see it taking shape so tangibly. Can’t wait to stroll into my local bookstore and order a copy. Well, actually, I’ll probably tell them to order in a huge number of copies, and then I’ll buy at least one!
hooray hooray! so very exciting. mighty congratulations!
now if we could just get you out here again for a book signing…
Wow, new book…new short hair…which do I like the most?
Hearty congrats on both.
YAY! I don’t care that I’m a crusty ‘ol barren bitch, I am totally buying your book!! Congrats to you (ps-LOVE the new ‘do!!)
Wahoo!!!!
Can we have a book release party when it officially comes out?
I think this calls for a Lushary celebration.
Sooooo excited for you! I have goosebumps.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOO COOL! Congratulations on your book!!!
I am so excited for you. This is amazing!!
Congratulations — and your hair looks great!
WHOO HOO!!!
How exciting!
Im so thrilled for you!
This book will help SO MANY PEOPLE – You have done a huge service to humanity!!!
PS – Im buying copies for all of my family and friends!
excellent excellent! This is going to be so good for you!
How amazing is that. A book. YOUR book. Published. Woohoo!
Woohoo!!! How very exciting ! Congratulations!!
Whoohooo!!!!!!!!!!!
So, are you going to be signing all of our copies that you buy????
so happy for you and your book! looks great!
How cool!!! Can’t wait to go buy the book as soon as it is available!
Congratulations Mel, that’s awesome 🙂
J
that is so damned exciting. so impressed, as always!
Awesome!!!
wow… that is AWESOME!!! congrats!
How exciting, Mel! That is just totally awesome.
I can’t wait to read it!
Wow, wow, wow! How exciting!
How awesomely fantastic!
Wow. Congratulations! I can’t wait to buy it! 🙂
Fantastic!
I am SO SO SO SO SO proud of you!!!
Congratulations – can’t wait to get my greasy mitts on a copy!
x
oh how exciting! Congrats!
How cool is that? Your own galley!
And the list of accomplishments grows ever longer. Congratulations! I can’t imagine how exciting this must be for you.
When you’re on Oprah and shit can you give me a shout out? Maybe a subtle touch of the side of the nose? A quick pimp of Music Monday? I’ll take anything.
wooooo hooooo!!
This is totally a cartwheel moment in life. SO proud of you.
(& so thankful- as I TOTALLY was a gal that freaked when she created a crime scene with a misplaced PIO injection.)
GO YOU!
Congrats on galley stage! Wouldn’t I love to be the freelance proofreader for your book. : )
I knew that the book would be emotionally helpful, but I had no idea it was so practical too! Hooray for you!
The strange thing about galleys is what to do with them later. There are typos and errors and the cover is ugly, so it’s not a real book, but it seems that most authors can’t bring themselves to throw them away. I definitely can’t imagine you throwing it away.
Did I mention Hooray for you?
How awesome! I think you should do The Daily Show in addition to Oprah.
Hooray hooray — now that calls for a celebration!
What a wonderful gift you’ve given people who struggle with IF Mel,
truly, a gift.
If we don’t thank you enough — we should…everyday.
Pam
Congrats!! I’m so proud to say I know you!! can’t wait to get my copy
Squee! How terribly exciting!!
Where the hell is the button on my keyboard that can make a high-pitched delighted squealing noise? That’s the button I want. That’s the noise you deserve.
Woooo Hooooo, that is awesome. I’m so excited for you, and I can’t wait to get my own copy!!!
Hooray! So exciting for you!