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May '04
So, here's what's been going on along the road to the dark tower lately. I was out Thursday attending my wife's Master's paper defense and when we got back home I found an e-mail from my agent saying that he had been let go from the agency. Ethan Ellenberg is a small shop -- there's basically Ellenberg, who I've never met or spoken with, Michael and some part time assistant. Michael to me has always been “my agent,” my advocate, the person interested in my career.
However, The Road to the Dark Tower is represented by Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. So, what that means is that if my agent moves elsewhere, as it seems likely, Ellenberg continues to act on my behalf for things like collecting royalties and selling foreign rights for this book.
If I decide that I want Michael to represent me for future work -- and that's how I'm leaning at present -- then I'll end up really having two agents. A couple of years ago I was hoping for one. It's a bit of a kerfuffle, a bump in the road, and it'll probably take a while for things to settle down before I see how everything is going to shake out, but I've been reassured by others that Ellenberg is a great agent.
Life's never dull!
Oh, by the way, my wife did great at her presentation and defense.
Author: CRinVA
I am sure it will all work out in the long run!
Congrats to your wife. What is her Master's in? Her thesis?
Author: newinside
I know very well how tough those theses can be. Getting on actually finsihed is impressive.
I imagine this agent thing is quite the pain, but I am sure it will all work out in the end.
Author: Bev Vincent
She's doing advanced study in nursing and her research paper was on end of life issues for nurses.
Author: newinside
That sounds like interesting and useful stuff.
I am impressed!
Author: Old Darth
All the best Bev. Choices like that are tough to make.
Author: Lin242
Bev, I'm so sorry I missed this yesterday. I don't know how I did. Firstly, kudos to MA for her MA defence! I have seen many a Master's and Ph.D. student in preparation for such a day and I know there is a lot of work leading up to this moment. What an interesting topic and one that is very topical in this day and age.
Thanks so much for letting us know what your “tumult” was. I imagine your judgment in such matter is quite sound and instinctively you will know what is best for your future.
All the best with these decisions.
Lin
Author: DTUK
“End of life issues” is serious business and am pleased your wife did very well
Am sure the agent stuff will sort itself out, Bev
Author: Bev Vincent
We've had our first expression of interest from a publisher in Norway. Not sure if it's an agent or a publisher, though.
Author: DTUK
“Expression of interest” - Bev does this mean a nod or a wink or something like this:
or or 
or :? or #)
(hehe)
Author: Old Darth
Bev - have you reread the book recently? Has enough time passed for you so that you feel distanced from the material? If so, are there things you would change? Things you are really proud and happy with?
Anything in the creation process you would change?
Thanks
Author: Bev Vincent
Darth: I haven't reread it lately. I'm waiting for the page proofs to come so I can read them with a completely fresh eye. I have to go over them carefully in a short period of time to look for any errors, really the last chance to make any minor fixes to the text. I do think that enough time has passed that I am somewhat distance from the material and I'm actually looking forward to reading it again after all this time. I've found a couple of new, interesting details that I hope I can squeeze in, but they publisher usually frowns on substantial changes once you reach the proof stage.
I can't think of anything in the process I'd change. I'm getting ramped up to tackle a similar sort of project and I think that the approach I took with tRttDT will be pretty much emulated with this new project if it comes to fruition.
I think I'm quite pleased with the book in general. Ron's editorial input on how to restructure what I wrote in the first draft helped me turn it into something that flows well from beginning to end, which had been my intent from the beginning.
DTUK: Something even more aggressive than that -- a hand on the thigh, a toss of the head. My agent has a foreign rights subsidiary agent who handles the Scandanavian countries and he asked for the manuscript and a short description of the book to shop around over there, which is a very good sign.
Author: DTUK
Bev - a hand on the thigh is a good sign in any language
Author: Lin242
Bev, this new “project” you speak of, will I be killed off in it? Remember, you promised to keep that in mind.
Lin
However, The Road to the Dark Tower is represented by Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. So, what that means is that if my agent moves elsewhere, as it seems likely, Ellenberg continues to act on my behalf for things like collecting royalties and selling foreign rights for this book.
If I decide that I want Michael to represent me for future work -- and that's how I'm leaning at present -- then I'll end up really having two agents. A couple of years ago I was hoping for one. It's a bit of a kerfuffle, a bump in the road, and it'll probably take a while for things to settle down before I see how everything is going to shake out, but I've been reassured by others that Ellenberg is a great agent.
Life's never dull!
Oh, by the way, my wife did great at her presentation and defense.
Author: CRinVA
I am sure it will all work out in the long run!
Congrats to your wife. What is her Master's in? Her thesis?
Author: newinside
I know very well how tough those theses can be. Getting on actually finsihed is impressive.
I imagine this agent thing is quite the pain, but I am sure it will all work out in the end.
Author: Bev Vincent
She's doing advanced study in nursing and her research paper was on end of life issues for nurses.
Author: newinside
That sounds like interesting and useful stuff.
I am impressed!
Author: Old Darth
All the best Bev. Choices like that are tough to make.
Author: Lin242
Bev, I'm so sorry I missed this yesterday. I don't know how I did. Firstly, kudos to MA for her MA defence! I have seen many a Master's and Ph.D. student in preparation for such a day and I know there is a lot of work leading up to this moment. What an interesting topic and one that is very topical in this day and age.
Thanks so much for letting us know what your “tumult” was. I imagine your judgment in such matter is quite sound and instinctively you will know what is best for your future.
All the best with these decisions.
Lin
Author: DTUK
“End of life issues” is serious business and am pleased your wife did very well
Am sure the agent stuff will sort itself out, Bev
Author: Bev Vincent
We've had our first expression of interest from a publisher in Norway. Not sure if it's an agent or a publisher, though.
Author: DTUK
“Expression of interest” - Bev does this mean a nod or a wink or something like this:
or or or :? or #) (hehe)
Author: Old Darth
Bev - have you reread the book recently? Has enough time passed for you so that you feel distanced from the material? If so, are there things you would change? Things you are really proud and happy with?
Anything in the creation process you would change?
Thanks
Author: Bev Vincent
Darth: I haven't reread it lately. I'm waiting for the page proofs to come so I can read them with a completely fresh eye. I have to go over them carefully in a short period of time to look for any errors, really the last chance to make any minor fixes to the text. I do think that enough time has passed that I am somewhat distance from the material and I'm actually looking forward to reading it again after all this time. I've found a couple of new, interesting details that I hope I can squeeze in, but they publisher usually frowns on substantial changes once you reach the proof stage.
I can't think of anything in the process I'd change. I'm getting ramped up to tackle a similar sort of project and I think that the approach I took with tRttDT will be pretty much emulated with this new project if it comes to fruition.
I think I'm quite pleased with the book in general. Ron's editorial input on how to restructure what I wrote in the first draft helped me turn it into something that flows well from beginning to end, which had been my intent from the beginning.
DTUK: Something even more aggressive than that -- a hand on the thigh, a toss of the head. My agent has a foreign rights subsidiary agent who handles the Scandanavian countries and he asked for the manuscript and a short description of the book to shop around over there, which is a very good sign.
Author: DTUK
Bev - a hand on the thigh is a good sign in any language
Author: Lin242
Bev, this new “project” you speak of, will I be killed off in it? Remember, you promised to keep that in mind.
Lin
Comments
Lin: I don't think you want that in this case, since it's non-fiction!
Author: Lin242
Never mind.
Lin
Author: Old Darth
Yes we don't want take the art imitating life thing too seriously!
Author: Bev Vincent
Brian announced this in his newsletter so I guess I can print it here:
Just a quick note: Cemetery Dance Publications is offering a neat opportunity to purchase a Promotional Chapbook LIFETIME membership -- essentially you'll get every promotional chapbook CD produces for the rest of your life without jumping through the hoops required. (These chapbooks are not available for sale -- they're printed to promote a particular title or group of titles so normally you have to purchase something to get them.)
On top of that, there will be exclusive chapbooks published just for the Lifetime Members -- the first is an original, never-before-published story from author Ray Garton! If CD sells 30 memberships, there will only be 30 copies printed, making the chapbooks extremely collectible!
Other authors who will be writing for these chapbooks include: Gary Braunbeck, Ed Gorman, Brian Keene, Rick Hautala, Thomas F. Monteleone, Bev Vincent (featuring exclusive material excised from THE ROAD TO THE DARK TOWER), and many others, along with a few big surprises!
For more information, check out this website
My contribution is tentatively titled The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and consists of about 6500 words of material that I removed from the manuscript before I submitted the first draft.
Author: Old Darth
Very nice Bev.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly eh. Too bad it didn't make the book - it's a fairly obvious
inspiration to King.
Author: Bev Vincent
I do mention TGTB&TU in tRttDT and I recently saw the film for the first time. I was astonished to discover that I knew absolutely nothing about the movie and hadn't seen even a snippet of it before. There is one lengthy desert scene that is clearly inspirational for THE GUNSLINGER. The title just seemed appropriate to the content--one of those bursts of inspiration that comes from...where? I dunno!
Author: Old Darth
~0 ~0 ~0 ~0 ~0
Wow - that's amazing Bev! I have always pictured Eastwood's Man with No Name gunslinger from those spaghetti western as Roland.
Author: Lin242
Bev -- well, the question has been answered as to whether my RTTDT will arrive safely, I got all the information you mentioned from Cemetary Dance yesterday in the mail. What is interesting is that it's my correct home address with my WORK postal code only, but it arrived at my office. Works for me.
Pretty cool stuff. Bev, I always thought it was awesome in The Wastelands when Jake sees the poster of Clint at the theatre and thinks gunslinger eyes...
Lin
Author: Bev Vincent
QUOTE]Originally posted by Old Darth
Wow - that's amazing Bev! I have always pictured Eastwood's Man with No Name gunslinger from those spaghetti western as Roland.
I'd seen some of the other ones -- For A Few Dollars More, films like that, but never TGTBTU.
Author: Bev Vincent
I wasn't around much today because someone in our community cut through a major fiber optic cable and we lost our phone lines and both our T1 internet connections. It made the office very quiet.
I found out that I'll be getting the page proofs tomorrow, so it will be time to revisit The Road to the Dark Tower for the last time prepublication. This time armed with a fine-toothed comb!
I also heard that the manuscript is currently with the subsidiary agents in five different countries with the possibility of several more in the works, too. Some fun!
Author: Lin242
~0 Bev, you must have felt like you were in a vacuum!
One thing I found very, very odd this morning when I opened my Outlook inbox--no spam. Not.....one.....little.....bit. I'm scared, really. I normally have a ton of e-mail -- spam, news from my other newsboard where it comes straight in to e-mail, that type of thing. There's something funny in Dodge....
Have a great day, I just popped in quickly to say welcome back!
Lin
Bev same thing happened to my daughter. She is in her first week of summer session at Christopher Newport Univ. and a contractor hit some cables. They have no phone, internet or cable tv in their apartment and have been told they will have none until next week! That sux! She lives on IM and does a lot of homework on the net. Now she has to schlep to the library or the SGA office to get any homework done - she cannot drive as she has a parking permit for the campus apts only and not the campus in general. Costs too much. For the Fall 04/Spring 05 year the campus apt parking fee is $200! This is getting absurd!
I am having intermittent internet problems at home too. I have comcast cable and it just keeps dropping - the modem lights indicate all is well but I can connect to no sites - then 30 minutes later I can! Not getting much customer support either!
Author: Old Darth
Ah Ok - my bad. I took it to mean you hadn't seen any of Eastwood's spaghetti westerns.
Good to hear your book is making inroads internationally.
Sorry to hear everyone is having internet problems. Then again, I trundle along with my dial up access at my measley 31.2 K speed. 'Course it only costs $3.00 a month.:) Can't justify the $40 a month for cable or dialup.
Me too Lin! You have an excellent memory!
Author: CRinVA
ditto on the congrats!
I have not had to dial up for a few years - dread having to go back to that speed - yep I am spoiled big time!
Author: Old Darth
Yeah - the difference in speed from home and work can be a great burden to bear. One adapts.
Author: CRinVA
I adapted by having less $$$ in the wallet!
Author: DTUK
Noticed Bev's absence too and you were missed, matey.
I used to have dial-up years ago, and the amount of time I could not log on and was paying £12.00 a month was ridiculous, so when I got the chance to jump to broadband I took it and have never looked back...unlimited 24 hour internet access! does me rightly so it does
I think the internet company was deliberately knocking dial-up off because they had tried for ages to get us to sign over to broadband, and this has only went off once in two years when my SP were doing maintenance repairs. After awhile you just get really sick of the internet connection going off, and I have loved broadband ever since.
Author: CRinVA
Good Afternoon DTUK!
CRinVA here holding down the fort all morning long!
Author: Bev Vincent
The page proofs are here! It looks like a book, sorta, except it's unbound and printed on full-sized paper and has guide marks on each page that show how big the pages will be in the final version. I have two weeks from today to pore over them (without pouring over them) and check for any errors, glitches, mistakes or other snafus. This isn't the time to start rewriting paragraphs, though. Changes at this point in the process are quite expensive so they have to be kept to an absolute minimum. If I were to insert a new paragraph on one page, it could result in changes to a whole bunch of pages thereafter, which wouldn't make anyone in New York very happy!
My wife is going off to a nursing conference next week, good timing. I'll be able to devote a lot of time to staring at these pages until my eyes bleed.
Author: Rache4173
Get to it, Bev.... this is great news! Hopefully you're just as excited about it after this stage as you have been so far.
Author: Lin242
Bev, that is awesome news, it makes ME even more excited!!! I wish I could see them, you must be beside yourself with anticipation!!
Even if we have to do without you over the next little while, go then, there are other words than these!
Lin
Author: Bev Vincent
I haven't read the book in a long time, so it's going to be fun to sit down and go through it.
Author: Old Darth
How serendipitous!
Another step in the birthing process. BTW - does this include illustrations? Are there going to be any?
Have fun - may none of your participles be dangling!
Author: Bev Vincent
It does include illustrations. Not many, but a few that are pretty cool, I think. This is basically the book as it will look during the final production run. It's the last chance to check it over before they commit to printing however many copies they plan to print.
Bev,
I take it this is the trade version - what about the CD version - when will they get their hands on it to turn it into another beautiful CD publication?
Author: Bev Vincent
This is the trade version. CD is probably already working on their edition--I'm not sure how they go about the process.
Author: Bev Vincent
I just noticed that Amazon/Canada has a release date of October 5. Amazon/US and /UK don't list a date and I haven't gotten confirmation of this from my publisher yet, but I'm hopin'. Sooner is better!
Author: DTUK
Good afternoon, Bob
Excellent news, Bev - won't be long now
Author: Bev Vincent
I started with the page proofs last night and got through about 40 pages. So far I've found one typo, one missing word, a couple of stray quotation marks and a sentence that needs to be reworded to take into account a graphic that we inserted in the book. Not bad at all. It's also fun to be reading the book again after all this time. It's been a while.
Author: CRinVA
I bet it's a pretty good read too!
The trouble with proofing once's own work - especially this many words, is that you know what it's supposed to say and sometimes our minds gloss right over the errors and we read it like we inteneded - the missing words are read in our minds, the commas are there, etc. It takes concentration to edit one's own work. Not as fun as just reading it for pleasure! - imho of course.
Author: Bev Vincent
That's why allowing some time to pass helps a lot. I've done enough other stuff in between that I have a little more distance with the material so I'm not quite able to recite paragraphs by heart like I might have been able to once!
Also, a proof reader is going over the text simultaneously in New York, so between the two of us we should catch _most_ things. I am under no illusions that we'll catch everything. Something ALWAYS slips through.
Author: DTUK
That's what makes them unique, Bev - cause the subsequent editions can reclarify the errors and then they boost the price up of the original version because of the errors. Take King's Green Mile booklet series, for instance, they had an error in them to do with Steamboat Willy I think, which was corrected in subsequent editions, but I believe it will make the serial books more valuable.
Author: Lin242
#) Bev, what fun! Are you looking at them and having some awe about your lot in life right now?? I would be. I think it is probably harder to edit your own work when you're close to it, time in between helps you look with fresh (albeit bleeding
Look forward to more reports..
Lin
Author: Bev Vincent
I think the awe state has been pretty much constant for the last year or so. I keep thinking each new milepost is going to be some momentous event, but they come so fast and furious that it's almost hard to take them all in.
Publication day--that's the big one, I think. Or the first high-profile review, positive or negative.
Author: Lin242
Seriously. I would be beside myself barely able to sleep -- my God, when I leased my first new car four years ago I couldn't sleep for the week before I picked it up. How tired MUST you be? ~z~ #) The second one I got just two years ago, it was like -- hey just throw me the keys!
What totally impresses me about you Bev, and I mean this sincerely, is that in the midst of this whole whirlwind of excitement you are just so gracious and helpful still to everyone. It's a rare gift to be able to do that.
Lin
Author: Old Darth
Amen Lin Amen.
Author: Rache4173
I'm throwing in my dittos on this one too...
Author: DTUK
Agrees with Linny and Rache
Author: Bev Vincent
Thanks, all.
I did a bunch of proofing yesterday and got up to page 100, in the midst of chapter 5. I haven't gritted my teeth at anything I've read yet, which is a good sign.
Author: Old Darth
Going to post a review?
Author: Bev Vincent
I wonder if I could slip one by the folks at Publishers Weekly? Send it in under a psuedonym -- Max Devore!
I'm into the Dramatis Personae chapter now, about 250 pages in. I think I'll have to go through this at least once more after I'm done. Still, I'm liking what I'm reading--there are even a few little tidbits in there that I'd forgotten about!
Author: Old Darth
Excellent!
Bev, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly was actually on tv last night, I flipped by it and also there is a special edition dvd coming out tomorrow for the movie.
Lin
Author: Bev Vincent
Rats -- I hate it when they release a special edition DVD after I've already gone and bought the existing one!
It's a cool movie. It goes on for-bloody-ever and has more twists than a game of Twister.
Author: Lin242
Lin
Author: CRinVA
And that's why I have the regular release and the extended releases for each of the LOTR movies thus far. LOTR ROTK comes out in DVD in a few days I think and I will have to get it - can't wait till the extended comes out months later to watch this movie again.
What I am really waiting for though is to get the extended and then watch the extended versions of all three back-to-back.
My wife might kill me but what the hey its a great movie! ~0
Author: DTUK
Lin: dvd sets are great entertainment value packs to add to one's CD collection. And yep, you'd better get started with the X-Files
I never buy them as they arrive, but wait till the “Season” packs are released - Season 1, 2, 3, etc...much better value for money.
Author: Lin242
Hey Dukky! Nice to see you...
Oh I know, there are so many great dvd collections -- I'd love to get The Family Guy also. It's more a matter of $$... if I really want to go to Bangor in July, I have to actually not buy anything for a bit!!
I just loved the X-Files, I wish they wouldn't have moved it from Vancouver to LA though, that was a big mistake. It lost some of it's sombre feel...
Lin
Author: Bev Vincent
Rose, my new editor, sent me a copy of the October NAL catalog that is sent out to various media contacts and review sources and there is The Road to the Dark Tower. The release date appears to be October 5th. Excellent!
Author: Lin242
#) Good news Bev, the sooner the better. Does that include the special copies pre-ordered from CD?
Lin
Author: Bev Vincent
I'm not sure about CD's schedule. The NAL one is engraved in stone more or less, but Cemetery Dance sometimes has unexpected scheduling things that crop up to delay their schedule somewhat. Their printer sometimes gets backed up or slipcases or dustjackets get delayed. Rest assured that they are working at it as diligently as possible.
Author: Lin242
I'm very patient Bev,
Lin (oh crap, I have to get my questions for Courtney~!!!!)
Author: Bev Vincent
Is that what you do to your books? ~0
Author: Lin242
~0 Naughty Bev strikes again... and besides, what goes on between me and my DTs is personal...
Lin
Author: CRinVA
there aint nuttin personal on the net Linny!
Author: DTUK
See, Linny ~0
Even Bev sees how your mind works now...hehe
“M-O-O-N-ing” : that spells what Linny does to her DT books
Author: Bev Vincent
It's official: October 5, 2004 is D-Day!
According to Amazon, The Road to the Dark Tower is the #71 Early Adopter Product in Science Fiction & Fantasy.
THAT is a cool statement... and one you should be quite proud of, Bev!!
Author: Bev Vincent
Yeah -- I'm one ahead of The Sillymarillion : An Unauthorized Parody of Jrr Tolkien's classic The Silmarillion!
Author: Lin242
#) Sometimes I wonder how you sit and talk sanely to us all. Then I think... “it really hasn't sunk in yet”.
Just to show how excited I am, I opened my M/C statement yesterday and saw the CD payment for TRTTDT!!!!! I was like, wow, I have spoken to this guy..... on-line!
Lin
Author: DTUK
Quite an achievement, Bev - Congratulations
Lin: I too still find it to be a dreamscape that I am talking to Bev also as well as watching each stage of this wonderous dream unfold
Author: CRinVA
Hey DT good afternoon!
Author: Brautigan
Awesome! Yeah Bev! I agree with everyone that it's great you have this site for chatting and “watching” your progress. I've never looked forward to summer going by fast, but this year may be different with DT and TRTTDT coming out!!
Author: Bev Vincent
I finished my second pass through the page proofs on Saturday, photocopies the pages with changes yesterday and will send the package back to New York later on this morning. They'll arrive there tomorrow, two days before my deadline.
I told my wife yesterday: I never have to read this book again!
Author: Lin242
That's where WE come in -- are you excited to hear all of the different commentary you will get from all the people that will read YOUR book? I'm sure there will be a lot of interesting activity post-publication.
Lin
Author: Bev Vincent
I am very interested to hear people's comments on tRttDT, though I'm nervous about the first big reviews.
I'm sure I'll read it again later on this year...but without having to pay such close attention to every little comma and apostrophe.
Author: Brautigan
Hey if SK and all of us love it then be damned with any of the reviewers.
Will you be doing any touring, book signings, Larry King Live kinda stuff or is it too early for that?
I know - how can we get tRttDT on the Oprah bookclub list? ~0
Author: Bev Vincent
All I know so far is that I'm supposed to be doing national radio interviews. Where or with whom, I don't know yet. Signings I expect will be all local to SE Texas. I'll be at the World Fantasy Con in Tempe over Halloween weekend, too, and will be signing there as well.
I agree with Brautigan, Bev - reviews are invariably written by two groups of people
first group - they will love the book and wish they had written it
second group - they will hate the book because they never had the idea to write it
There is nothing to be nervous about, Bev because reviews and polls invariably follow public opinion, and how many millions of DT fans are out there that would love to read this book? Quite alot I imagine...it is we who will read your book, and enjoy it and write the reviews about it through Amazon and other book sites, it is the fans and written by a fan that will echo this book and the entire DT series into literary history in scope not seen in a very long time.
You have nothing to worry about, matey
At the end of the day it comes down to one thing, do you care about a reviewer that might have a million reasons for whatever words they choose to write about your book? or do you care about how much love you placed into it and made it what it is?
We have King to thank for writing the series.
We have Robin Furth for letting us see all the notes that helped it grow.
And we have Bev Vincent for chroniciling the series, which, when released will show so many countless new fans the doorway to a fantastic series of worlds ever written about.
So what is there to be nervous about
Author: CRinVA
Couldn't have said it beter if'n I tried!
Author: Bev Vincent
Now I understand better the process of page proofs and galleys. I had thought that the galleys wouldn't be produced until I submitted my corrections and the proof readers sent in theirs, but that turns out not to be the case. They really are unrevised proofs.
My set of corrections arrived in New York today but my editor told me that she had just received the bound galleys and would be sending a few my way. How exciting -- in a day or two I'm going to have something in my hands that approximates what the book is going to look like. I wonder if they did a graphic cover or if it will be one of the plain covers. I'll let you know as soon as I do.
Another step along the road to the Tower.
Author: Old Darth
Very cool Bev! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the galleys.
Author: DTUK