My life is moving in a different direction...

Something has been in the works for a few weeks that I have been keeping a bit quiet about (not easy for me) since it isn't certain yet.  It still isn't certain, but I'm a step closer, so I feel it's safe to share some information.

A major textbook publisher (one of the biggest for English textbooks), approached me about talking about taking over the revisions for one of the biggest workbook series within their English catalog.  It's a three book series of differing levels and is currently in its fifth edition.  Apparently, the person who wrote and has been editing and revising the books wants to step back from the process, and so they were looking for someone new.

One of the perks of my job is that I am often approached by publishers to do reviews of products or to answer surveys about the current needs of the fields.  This publisher contacted me based on a review I did about two years ago that they thought was well reasoned and interesting.  I had a phone interview where we discussed my possible role and where I thought the series would go.  Not only does the job involve revising the books, but there is travel for promotional purposes and to train schools that choose to adopt the book.  After that, I had a written interview that required me to give some more specific ideas as to what I would do to work with the series and the needs that I think it's going to have to meet in the future.

Well, today we have moved on to what appears to be their final step in the process.  They are asking me to take the highest level book and use the Table of Contents to demonstrate what I would do with a potential revision.  Where would I make the edits, cuts, changes, etc...and then, the big question: did I see more work as an actual revision or as a new series?

Since it's already a successful series, I think that my comments will indicate that the book should be revised, but that we should probably start making more significant revisions that lead towards a new or changed series.  I don't want to lose the reputation or the following that the book already has.

In any case, all of this would be on top of my teaching job.  It's one of those processes where you do a lot of work up front (revisions and editing) and then, when the book sells, earn royalties.  From what I've gathered, the royalties on a book like this could be more than my yearly salary. 

So again - I don't know if it's my job yet or not (or even if I could handle it on my own), but it's an exciting development and something I never anticipated.  If you had told me two years ago that I would have my wonderful and complete family and would be fielding opportunities like this professionally, I would have laughed at you.

It just goes to show...there's a plan there somewhere.  We just don't always get clued in on it.