The Water Tower 5 Sold!

Yes, it finally happened. Yesterday I got word from Super Agent Kerry Sparks that she had finalized a deal with Sourcebooks to publish my YA novel, The Water Tower 5, in April of 2016. Like last time, I’ll explain it all in more detail below for those readers who really don’t understand the publishing world. But really, you already know the important info – I sold my book! So if you want to stop reading now, cool. Just know I’m expecting you to buy ten copies of the book when it comes out. Start saving.

But for those of you who want more details, let’s resume the mock Q&A from my last post.

Wait, you just got an agent. Now you want us to believe you sold the book this quickly?

Yeah, it really happened fast. In the span of three and a half months: I signed with Super Agent Kerry Sparks (her official title, in my opinion), took her suggestions and turned out a revision with that greatly improved the novel, watched as the book went on submission to publishers, and then was told yesterday that the deal was done. So yeah, fast. (None of this includes the year and a half of writing and revising, but that was pretty fast, too.) I think you’re either lying about selling your book or you’re being catfished. Which is it?

No, I’m serious. SA Kerry confirmed the sale yesterday and everything. Sourcebooks is a publisher out of Chicago, and, honestly, they’re awesome. I’m going to get lots of one-on-one support, and they’re going to push my novel like crazy. Plus, and this just thrills me, they want my input on the cover. (Suggestion #1 – No pictures of real people on the cover. I’m not a fan.)

Okay, so when can I buy this supposed novel of yours?

April of 2016.

Wait, what the hell?

I know, that sounds like a long ways off, right? But it takes a year at least to: finalize the book–revisions and copy edits–design a cover, develop a marketing plan, get ARCs (Advanced Readers Copies) to reviewers, etc. Look, this isn’t a guy in his basement with a printer and Swingline stapler; it’s a real deal. Besides, there’s a 15 month waiting list on renting the Goodyear blimp which will fly around the world with my face emblazoned on the side. No book title, just my face. People will figure it out. (I’m a very big deal.)

Then the book comes out and you get to stand outside the high school where you teach and tell kids what you really think of them, thereby quitting since you’ll be rolling in the dough?

No, my students won’t be getting off that easily. I’ll still be teaching. I could never give that up.

But you’ll at least make the students refer to you as Published Author Mr. Dinan, right?

Of course. Along with everyone else.

So now what?

Now I get editorial comments from my editor at Sourcebooks, Aubrey Poole. I’ll make whatever changes and revisions she suggests, then turn the book back in to her. At some point she’ll come to me with copy edit suggestions, which are things like weirdly phrased sections, moments of dumb writing, and whatnot. In the meantime, it’s a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff with cover designs, marketing plans, etc. All of this, of course, excites me greatly.

And after the book is finalized?

I’ll resume work on my follow-up, a YA detective novel.

Um, you do know there are minimum age requirements to being a detective, right?

Yeah, I’m trying to figure out a way around that. Shut up.

I guess this mean you’re going to be updating this blog a lot more often, aren’t you, since you think you’re a bigshot and everything?

Probably. 🙂 I’m going to at least write about the process as it happens because as I was working toward this goal, I loved reading about other people who had sold their books. It inspired and motivated me. Maybe this blog can do the same thing for someone.

As if. Shut up.