But I Wanty my Booky!

[Ben_Who]

Geez, 6 weeks? That's incredibly quick. Had it already been through design/layout? It must have gone to the printer shortly after they got it for it to be on shelves that quickly. As for 4 years, man, I thought we were slow at averaging 18 months or so.

Yyyyyeah, noticed that myself and edited it out. (Oopsie.) I think we just figured out why it took so long for me to get published. Write fast, proof nothing.

For the record, I meant six MONTHS, and yes, the new publisher was all revved up and ready to go. He's one of those publishers who insists that the writer do as much typesetting as he can possibly get away with.

I was well aware at the time that a six month turnaround was incredibly short. Then I became an editor myself. Yikes.

I'd receive stories via E-mail, and then indignant letters less than _24 hours_ later demanding to know what I thought about the story and why I hadn't gotten back to them instantly. Excuse me, idiot, you're on the bottom of a 20 foot slush pile, and I'm almost certain your deathless prose isn't so gorgeous as to encourage me to drop everything and read yours to the exclusion of all other duties. Fuck off for a few months and I'll get back to you when I'm good and ready.

Which is what I wanted to write back, but never did.

Love, Who?