Harmony: I’m confused. We just did a revision in response to developmental editing feedback followed by two complete readthroughs with polishing edits, but you say I’m still not publishable. What more do you want from me?
Me: You’re almost done, sweetie. Just a little more work…
Harmony: You’ve been saying that for at least a year.
Me: Yes, well, I plan to have you out before the end of the Pride Month.
Harmony: That’s June, right?
Me: Yep! You’re about to undergo line-edits from your editor. Someone is working on your cover. And I’m getting my head wrapped around formatting. Oh! And you almost have cover copy!
Harmony: Almost?
Me: Cover copy is extremely difficult to write. You try summarizing you in an attractive way in under two hundred words.
Harmony: Yeah, okay. That does sound hard. What’s my cover look like?
Me: Pretty! I’ve hired a lovely designer and she’s nearly done with the digital cover. The print cover is being held up because I don’t know the spine width yet, because that requires formatting the book, which requires I stop messing around adding/subtracting long strings of words… And also because I don’t have things like the cover copy finished.
Harmony: I’m going to be honest with you, Andy… I’m not sure I believe I’m actually going to come out in less than two months.
Me: I understand. I barely believe it myself. I do think we’re on track for it though.
Melody: What about me. Wait, is my name Melody now?
Me: Yes! Book 2, as of now you’re called The Melody of Starlit Shadows.
Melody: Groovey. I like it. But I feel like I’ve been pulled apart, spread out on a beach, and left to bleach in the sun. What gives?
Me: Ah. So… Yeah, you’re undergoing a pretty big revision. And only be given part of my time because I’m also working on getting your elder sibling into readers’ hands.
Melody: You are working on me though?
Me: I am! And I'm really excited about the new focal character and their arc.
Melody: So there are four MC’s now?
Me: Yeah? I’ll admit I’m less enthused about one than the others and am considering cutting their POV segments. They’d then become more important in Book 3.
Melody: So they’d still be in the book, but you’d only see them in other people’s focus scenes?
Me: Exactly. But I’m not sure. Going to try outlining that to see how it feels.
Melody: Seems fair. Just don’t forget about me.
Me: Never!
Simple Minds: Will you stand above me? Look my way, never love me? Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling down, down, down. Don’t you forget about me…
Me: Begone, Earworm! I’m busy!
Blog: I feel you’ve forgotten about me…
Me: I’m here now though! And I wrote up a book I read earlier this week!
Blog: Sure. But when’s the next time I’m going to see you?
Me: I have a schedule for posting more between now and Harmony’s release. There’s going to be more talking about my characters and setting as well as hopefully more stuff about fiction written by other people.
Blog: I see your schedule and hope you’ll post at least half as often as you claim you will…
Me: Me too!
Blog: That song’s still in my head.
Me: Mine too. Listen to the whole thing? Maybe that will help…