It's official. The signed contract should arrive on Monday, we have a deadline, we're on Llewellyn's production schedule. It's finally starting to feel real. Last night Georg and I went out to a tony Italian restaurant to celebrate, courtesy of my employers. Dinner was exquisite, even considering that it was UNC graduation and the place was mobbed.
The release date, I confess, is a bit of a bummer: March 2002. I was really hoping V/R would be out by Christmas of 2001. Barbara says she tried to get it out earlier, but they're releasing so many decks in 2001 there's just no room for it on the schedule. Besides, the contract gives them two years, so I can't really complain. At least they didn't push it back six months for Christmas 2002.
The manuscript deadline is officially September 16. Up until now, V/R was just my hobby, personal obsession or whatever you want to call it. So I could work on it when I felt like it, and put it aside for a year if I didn't feel like it. Now it's a legal obligation. Yikes! I spent a week or so panicking at the thought of having a deadline, got over it, and spent the day writing interpretations for pip cards.
We don't have an editor yet. Apparently they don't develop a marketing plan, assign an editor, or any of that fun stuff until they have all the art & manuscript from us. I thought that all happened as soon as the contract was signed, but I can see why they do it this way. So I guess Barbara is stuck with us for another four months.
My author friend Judith says I can legitimately call myself a published author now, even though it won't be on the shelves for another two years. It's all good.
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