This past week at Bleak House, I had a few things to do:
1. A first read of a new ms.
2. Working with our cover designers to come up with 6-7 options for the front cover of a spring title, then sharing the comps with Ben and the author to decide which direction we'd like to go.
3. Collecting/creating the elements the designers will need to make the front cover a full cover (flap copy, author bio, author picture, blurbs, bar codes, etc.)
4. Checking in with the printer to be sure that the title we have with them now is in production and on schedule.
5. Double checking the suggested proof changes for two mss, communicating with the authors about questionable suggestions, compiling the authors' changes with the proofreaders' changes, and packaging everything for our interior designer so she can input the changes.
6. Rereading two mss that have come back from the authors with revisions, and approving them as final and sending them on to interior design.
7. Ensuring that galley mailings are going out on time and to the right lists of people for a few titles. (This mostly just means keeping the interns motivated and happy, which is easy with coffee and candy and the Beyonce Pandora radio station.)
8. Keeping up on emails with my authors and colleagues.
9. Making sure that the productions schedule I created is disseminated to everyone involved, so the deadlines are clear and easy to find (Yay, google calendars!).
10. Incessantly checking facebook, twitter, and several blogs -- in theory, to keep up with current events, but mostly because it's a good distraction when I can't focus.
11. Dreaming about owning my very own Kindle, and attempting to justify using my tax return to purchase it.
I did some other, non-Bleak House things this week, too. Roller derby meetings and practices, drinks with friends (Happy Birthday, Punch!), keeping myself fed and clean, spending time with my cats -- you know, life stuff.
And this weekend, today in particular, I have no pressing deadlines, no social engagements, no obligations or invitations or ANYTHING! I mean, I guess I could be reading partials, or reading friends' books, or attempting some kind of work productivity ...
... But I'm not going to. I'm nearly finished with my Slinky Tree Bark Rib Tunic (found in the awesomely awesome Loop-d-Loop by Teva Durham), and instead of attempting any kind of multitasking, I'm going to single-mindedly focus on this one thing until it's done. Knit 2, Purl 2, Knit 2, Purl 2. There's a real joy in doing one thing until it's complete. In book publishing, if you're publishing more than two titles a year, it's impossible to focus on only one at a time. You've got to keep several the titles in the air at once, all in different parts of production.
It's nice to a have a respite every once in awhile. :)
