The wait continues...
And it probably will for a few more weeks. I guess I have to come to terms with it. I finally got up the guts to contact my publisher on Friday to find out what was going on and received an email back saying that she had been busy but that I was high on the priority list and would hear back from her that day.
Didn't happen.
Still hasn't happened.
I do know that she's at the NADE (National Association for Developmental Education) conference right now through the weekend in Denver. Publishers go to these conferences to schmooze and push their products and their authors. Theoretically, next year at this time, they'll be pushing me on the public at the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC), which I'll be attending in Las Vegas over Spring Break in March. Since they'll be there as well, I'm assuming they're going to be in big prep mode for their party and their publicity events for that conference (I'm pretty sure it's one of their biggest events of the year), so I'm guessing I'm not going to get any comments prior to that conference either.
I guess the plus side is that I can actually track her down at the conference and force some feedback from her personally.
The down side, of course, is that with each and every passing day and week, we get closer and closer to that June 15th date by which I am contractually obligated to give them a draft of the book or I don't get paid. However, we are now pretty much at March and I have no reviewer feedback, no publisher feedback, and no comments on the TOC or chapters that I actually have edited. In other words, I have absolutely nothing to work on and no direction, yet I have only 3 months to pull the damn thing together.
Essentially, this sucks.
On the bright side, my doctor has prescribed me enough anti-anxiety medication to keep me well sedated and oblivious to the larger ramifications of these deadlines and time-crunches. And I continue to think that this may all be happening for the greater good as the more time that passes, the better my mindset is. I think that as time passes I am more and more grounded about the project and farther away from having taken on the project and actually sent them anything that I produced, thereby actually feeling more distance from it. Now I think I can actually get feedback or criticism and not take it personally or negatively. Everything does happen for a reason, doesn't it?.
And, we have snow, which always has a lovely calming effect on me. Today was especially lovely because it kept falling - I like it when it continues to rest on the tree branches and gives everything that picture-postcard look - rather than that slushy-melty look. I'm hoping that tomorrow the girls actually take a nap at daycare so we can get in just one more day of sledding before it all disappears. We have to head down to see my parents this weekend, and they don't have any snow, so we may miss out on it if we don't manage to squeeze it in tomorrow afternoon and that would be sad; although when you consider our crazy weather, who knows?!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
My Wandering Mind...
Still waiting.
No word.
I have absolutely no idea when I will hear anything about this book.
At this point, I think I may have almost reached a point where I've made peace with the fact that comments and ideas are coming and have come to a place where I'm ready for them. Perhaps I have swung around full circle and made it to a good place. Maybe enough time has passed that I've gone through the mania and the depression and made it to a nice neutral space where I'll be able to handle the feedback and comments in a calm and rational manner.
Or, maybe I'll still get them and totally freak out and have no idea how to handle them.
In any case, we talked to our tax guy yesterday and tried to figure out the different ways we'll deal with this next year. At the moment, we'll be calling it "extra income," however, if I continue to do it in the future and royalties become part of the deal, and they're significant in any way, then I think we'll have to start calling me a "small business owner." This whole thing just becomes weirder and weirder every day.
In other news, there are a couple of shows coming up at the community theater that I've been thinking about doing. One is clearly a better fit than the other, but there's conditions to both. One is a lab show, which means it runs for only one weekend and has a rehearsal schedule of just a bit over a month. Obviously, this would be a better fit because it isn't a huge time commitment. The problem is that I have a conference in the middle which would require me to be gone for a week, so we'll have to see if the directory is cool with that. This would be a review show, so that would be nice as well - just a collection of songs - no real plot or show to speak of.
The other would be an actual show - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. We'd be looking at about 8 weeks of rehearsal and three weekends for the show. It's a small cast - I think about a dozen people - which would be nice and might allow for fewer rehearsals, but it's a bigger commitment which could drive me crazy with the book. I'm not entirely sure if I should even think about this one, but if the first one doesn't work out, I'm seriously considering it. I know I need to do something that gets me out of the house and that isn't work related, but I'm afraid of overloading myself and being stressed out....
It's just the damn not knowing of this book. I know I'll have to have a draft done by June 15 and with each passing day that deadline gets closer, yet I have nothing to work on.
Also, don't hate me, but I wish we'd have the winter storm they're predicting for Thursday (although it looks less likely by the day). Katie desperately wants to go sledding and hasn't been able to. I don't want any more than one day of snow (or one weekend at most), but this would be a nice time for it.
Breathe in - breathe out. I'm getting there.
No word.
I have absolutely no idea when I will hear anything about this book.
At this point, I think I may have almost reached a point where I've made peace with the fact that comments and ideas are coming and have come to a place where I'm ready for them. Perhaps I have swung around full circle and made it to a good place. Maybe enough time has passed that I've gone through the mania and the depression and made it to a nice neutral space where I'll be able to handle the feedback and comments in a calm and rational manner.
Or, maybe I'll still get them and totally freak out and have no idea how to handle them.
In any case, we talked to our tax guy yesterday and tried to figure out the different ways we'll deal with this next year. At the moment, we'll be calling it "extra income," however, if I continue to do it in the future and royalties become part of the deal, and they're significant in any way, then I think we'll have to start calling me a "small business owner." This whole thing just becomes weirder and weirder every day.
In other news, there are a couple of shows coming up at the community theater that I've been thinking about doing. One is clearly a better fit than the other, but there's conditions to both. One is a lab show, which means it runs for only one weekend and has a rehearsal schedule of just a bit over a month. Obviously, this would be a better fit because it isn't a huge time commitment. The problem is that I have a conference in the middle which would require me to be gone for a week, so we'll have to see if the directory is cool with that. This would be a review show, so that would be nice as well - just a collection of songs - no real plot or show to speak of.
The other would be an actual show - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. We'd be looking at about 8 weeks of rehearsal and three weekends for the show. It's a small cast - I think about a dozen people - which would be nice and might allow for fewer rehearsals, but it's a bigger commitment which could drive me crazy with the book. I'm not entirely sure if I should even think about this one, but if the first one doesn't work out, I'm seriously considering it. I know I need to do something that gets me out of the house and that isn't work related, but I'm afraid of overloading myself and being stressed out....
It's just the damn not knowing of this book. I know I'll have to have a draft done by June 15 and with each passing day that deadline gets closer, yet I have nothing to work on.
Also, don't hate me, but I wish we'd have the winter storm they're predicting for Thursday (although it looks less likely by the day). Katie desperately wants to go sledding and hasn't been able to. I don't want any more than one day of snow (or one weekend at most), but this would be a nice time for it.
Breathe in - breathe out. I'm getting there.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Damn
As is the life in bipolar land...the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction.
We have reached the zone of depression. God I love this disorder. In it's predictability, it is frustrating in the extreme because you know what is going to come...yet you know not when.
All those months and months of terrible anxiety...all those days of wanting to chew my fingers off waiting for feedback and news...all those nights lying awake awaiting news...they've all led to this moment. I suppose in a way I knew it was coming, but it's been so long since my manias have led to a true depression that I pushed it to the back of my mind. I assumed I was immune. After so many manias and fighting off so much anxiety, I assumed there woudn't be that downward spiral that should typically follow that mania. I assumed I was safe and that controlling the anxieyt and the mania would be enough.
Well, we all know what assuming make us, don't we?
Damn.. That's all I have to say.
A couple of weeks ago, at the height of my mania and anxiety, I met again with my doctor because it was simply too terrible. I couldn't deal with the daily anxiety and hyped up energy that was pent up inside of me. Being a person who teaches communication and who tries to teach my students how to be good communicators, I'm having a great deal of difficulty dealing with a publisher who goes into complete radio silence. I mean, when we discussed what changes she'd like me to make (let's remember those helpful comments I received - "work on" chapter 2), that was the last I heard from her. I sent her two chapters and a table of contents over three weeks ago. I've heard nothing.
No - "thanks - got it."
No - "waiting on delayed reviews."
No - "be with you in a couple weeks."
Literally, I have heard nothing.
For a person who generally deals with free floating anxiety, OCD, and other issues, this is a worst case scenario. I don't even want to tell you want scenarios my mind has come up with to dwell on and worry about in the mean-time.
Each day that passes is another day that brings three different feelings:
1) what's wrong?
2) when will it come and how much will it entail?
3) thank God!
But, after the sleep deprivation of this week and the anxiety that has been a pretty stable constant in my life since I landed this job in December, I think I crashed about mid-last week. And I crashed hard.
It's difficult to get out of bed..or teach...or care. And I know I need to and I know it's just the depression swing of the whole bipolar lifestyle and that it will swing back to normal here very soon.
But it sucks.
And having my kids be sick and being stuck in the house all weekend while they're driving each other (and, subsequently, us, up the wall) is not helping.
I need to get out of bed and function. I need to teach my classes and enjoy it. I need to have fun with my kids. I need to pull out of this.
And I need to quit posting depressing blog posts.
Damn winter....you suck.
We have reached the zone of depression. God I love this disorder. In it's predictability, it is frustrating in the extreme because you know what is going to come...yet you know not when.
All those months and months of terrible anxiety...all those days of wanting to chew my fingers off waiting for feedback and news...all those nights lying awake awaiting news...they've all led to this moment. I suppose in a way I knew it was coming, but it's been so long since my manias have led to a true depression that I pushed it to the back of my mind. I assumed I was immune. After so many manias and fighting off so much anxiety, I assumed there woudn't be that downward spiral that should typically follow that mania. I assumed I was safe and that controlling the anxieyt and the mania would be enough.
Well, we all know what assuming make us, don't we?
Damn.. That's all I have to say.
A couple of weeks ago, at the height of my mania and anxiety, I met again with my doctor because it was simply too terrible. I couldn't deal with the daily anxiety and hyped up energy that was pent up inside of me. Being a person who teaches communication and who tries to teach my students how to be good communicators, I'm having a great deal of difficulty dealing with a publisher who goes into complete radio silence. I mean, when we discussed what changes she'd like me to make (let's remember those helpful comments I received - "work on" chapter 2), that was the last I heard from her. I sent her two chapters and a table of contents over three weeks ago. I've heard nothing.
No - "thanks - got it."
No - "waiting on delayed reviews."
No - "be with you in a couple weeks."
Literally, I have heard nothing.
For a person who generally deals with free floating anxiety, OCD, and other issues, this is a worst case scenario. I don't even want to tell you want scenarios my mind has come up with to dwell on and worry about in the mean-time.
Each day that passes is another day that brings three different feelings:
1) what's wrong?
2) when will it come and how much will it entail?
3) thank God!
But, after the sleep deprivation of this week and the anxiety that has been a pretty stable constant in my life since I landed this job in December, I think I crashed about mid-last week. And I crashed hard.
It's difficult to get out of bed..or teach...or care. And I know I need to and I know it's just the depression swing of the whole bipolar lifestyle and that it will swing back to normal here very soon.
But it sucks.
And having my kids be sick and being stuck in the house all weekend while they're driving each other (and, subsequently, us, up the wall) is not helping.
I need to get out of bed and function. I need to teach my classes and enjoy it. I need to have fun with my kids. I need to pull out of this.
And I need to quit posting depressing blog posts.
Damn winter....you suck.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
My Long Week
I know I've shared this before, but this has been yet another week where I feel that I can best use my favorite phrase from an older TV show, "The Drew Carey Show" -
"I'm Drew Carey - God's hackey-sack."
Sometimes in life, this feels far more applicable than others and this has just been one of those weeks.
It all started on Friday when Brian brought the girls home from daycare and Hope was sounding rough. She was congested and her cough really didn't sound good - more wheezy and gaspy than a traditional cough. So, knowing that we were fast approaching the weekend, we gathered up our things and high-tailed it for the walk-in clinic to see a doctor before the 6:00 deadline. Once there, we found she had a very low grade fever and an ear infection. The doctor said her lungs were clear, but that he'd give her some amoxicillan so that way even if there was something bothering her lungs, the antibiotic should take care of both issues.
Saturday, the girls were due to spend the night at Brian's parents' house - and we were finally due to have an evening to ourselves (something that we haven't had in...oh...well, let's just say I can't remember when). I was concerned because Hope hadn't sounded good and I was reluctant to let her go, but after a nap and a few doses of her medicine, she seemed to be in good spirits and as good as she would be with or without us. Their plan was just to have dinner at home and bake cookies, so it seemed to be a no harm plan, and we desperately needed the break, so we let them go with the warning that she needed plenty of rest and fluids.
On Sunday, she again seemed to be in good spirits and pretty good. A bit of a cough, but nothing much, and not much appetite. However, when we got home later that evening, she started having violent coughing fits and couldn't catch her breath. Then, when she was sitting with me, she sounded like she was having a difficult time breathing. So, I called the doctor's line and they told me to take her to the E.R. Brian and I went back and forth for about an hour on whether or not this was necessary. He claims I did not say that the nurse said we had to go to the E.R. - apparently, he heard that we were supposed to watch for certain things and then go. I heard the nurse say that we needed to be checked out and needed to go at that point. In any case, after finally clearing up our communication issues, we went.
It was a looooooooooooooooooooooong night. There really aren't enough "o"s for that. It was abnormally hot and stuffy in there and we were in a room right by the entry doors and had no curtain or door to our room. Hope couldn't walk around, nor was the bed big enough for her to lay comfortably as she squirmed. There were very few nurses on duty and apparently one doctor, so they were completely short stafffed (I know this is a typical problem, but not usually one we run into - this hospital usually has wonderful service, so it was sadly frustrating). They checked her out (she screamed); got her x-rayed (pathetic and she screamed); gave her a nebulizer treatment (she screamed); and gave her a popsicle she wouldn't eat and gatorade and milk she wouldn't really drink and determined that she had a haze in her lungs that looked like a virus. At this point, apparently someone in a nearby room crashed (we heard a code blue of some kind) and people came running from all over the hospital and we waited for a few hours as they had to stabilize that patient and the, apparently life-flight them out. While frustrating, understandable...but my daughter was screaming and I was tired and hot. At about 1am (we got there about 8), they gave us a new antibiotic and discharged us with the diagnosis of ear infection with possible bronchial virus. At this point, I still had to drive across town to the one 24 hour pharmacy to fill that prescription...drive around for 15 minutes while they filled it...and then drive home. About 2:30am we made it home and to bed.
The next day, Hope was still in good spirits and wanting to play - tired but in a good mood. But there was no eating or drinking. And no wet diapers. Not even from over night. We fought this battle all morning until I called Brian in frustration and had him come home at 1. I went to sleep and he took over. He apparently called the doctor at this point who had him come in; dehydration and RSV were finally diagnosed and Hope was then admitted to the hospital.
I never want to do that again. Brian would have stayed with her, but there's no way I could have left her. Thankfully, she had a private room with her own cage to sleep in - an honest to God, floor to ceiling metal cage - and a super-comfy (not) cot for me. She had to keep a pulse-oxygen meter on her foot the whole time she was there, so she really couldn't walk around (try keeping a 1 year old still) and she was hooked to an IV the whole time (super traumatic - 3 nurses and I had to hold her down, and when she pulled it out halfway through the night, we had to do it again. And this is not a short process - they have to put numbing cream on them first, and this has to sit for 30-60 minutes prior to inserting the IV; I'd say the cream pissed her off more than the IV. But it was more frustrating to know that when she pulled the IV out at 10pm that we would have to wait for them to call the doctor for orders to put it back in, then sit with the cream for another hour, and then put the damn thing back in - again, a long night). All she wanted to do was yank on the tubes and run around. It was more exhausting trying to keep her still than anything else.
Above all, it was worth it to see the change the fluids made in her - just the change from early evening to early morning was amazing. Her fever disappeared and she started eating once she had a bag and a half of fluid in her. And her mood went from good to really happy. It was nice to see her feeling so much better. But it's true - no one sleeps well in a hospital - no matter how old your are or what the circumstances, and I don't want to go back there any time soon. I am happy that it was a simple matter like dehydration. When I looked at the board and saw all the other reasons people were there or when I think about the people I know and the experiences they have been through, I have a completely new understanding and appreciation for just how hard that is for them and just how strong they are. I think that this week was a way of putting a lot of things in perspective for me and a way of showing me how to set some limits and priorities, so in that way it was really good.
In any case, we're all home and relatively healthy. Katie may be coming down with that flu bug, but we're going to hope it's just some exhuastion after a hectic week. Hope is still trying to catch up on her sleep, as are the rest of us, and is still not back to full health. We're watching her eating and drinking - she's still not quite up to par - and her cough is still nasty, but she's improving. We do need to figure out ways to get her to drink. She's a milk girl - which is a good thing; typically you don't want sugar, but we can't ever get her to drink other things. No juice, water, gatorade, pedialyte, soda - no jello, popsicles - nothing that hydrates. Some fruits. We need to figure this out before summer because I am not doing this again.
In any case, our Valentine's present to each other is sleep. Lots and lots of sleep. Like by 8pm tonight sleep. And I love it - best present ever :)
"I'm Drew Carey - God's hackey-sack."
Sometimes in life, this feels far more applicable than others and this has just been one of those weeks.
It all started on Friday when Brian brought the girls home from daycare and Hope was sounding rough. She was congested and her cough really didn't sound good - more wheezy and gaspy than a traditional cough. So, knowing that we were fast approaching the weekend, we gathered up our things and high-tailed it for the walk-in clinic to see a doctor before the 6:00 deadline. Once there, we found she had a very low grade fever and an ear infection. The doctor said her lungs were clear, but that he'd give her some amoxicillan so that way even if there was something bothering her lungs, the antibiotic should take care of both issues.
Saturday, the girls were due to spend the night at Brian's parents' house - and we were finally due to have an evening to ourselves (something that we haven't had in...oh...well, let's just say I can't remember when). I was concerned because Hope hadn't sounded good and I was reluctant to let her go, but after a nap and a few doses of her medicine, she seemed to be in good spirits and as good as she would be with or without us. Their plan was just to have dinner at home and bake cookies, so it seemed to be a no harm plan, and we desperately needed the break, so we let them go with the warning that she needed plenty of rest and fluids.
On Sunday, she again seemed to be in good spirits and pretty good. A bit of a cough, but nothing much, and not much appetite. However, when we got home later that evening, she started having violent coughing fits and couldn't catch her breath. Then, when she was sitting with me, she sounded like she was having a difficult time breathing. So, I called the doctor's line and they told me to take her to the E.R. Brian and I went back and forth for about an hour on whether or not this was necessary. He claims I did not say that the nurse said we had to go to the E.R. - apparently, he heard that we were supposed to watch for certain things and then go. I heard the nurse say that we needed to be checked out and needed to go at that point. In any case, after finally clearing up our communication issues, we went.
It was a looooooooooooooooooooooong night. There really aren't enough "o"s for that. It was abnormally hot and stuffy in there and we were in a room right by the entry doors and had no curtain or door to our room. Hope couldn't walk around, nor was the bed big enough for her to lay comfortably as she squirmed. There were very few nurses on duty and apparently one doctor, so they were completely short stafffed (I know this is a typical problem, but not usually one we run into - this hospital usually has wonderful service, so it was sadly frustrating). They checked her out (she screamed); got her x-rayed (pathetic and she screamed); gave her a nebulizer treatment (she screamed); and gave her a popsicle she wouldn't eat and gatorade and milk she wouldn't really drink and determined that she had a haze in her lungs that looked like a virus. At this point, apparently someone in a nearby room crashed (we heard a code blue of some kind) and people came running from all over the hospital and we waited for a few hours as they had to stabilize that patient and the, apparently life-flight them out. While frustrating, understandable...but my daughter was screaming and I was tired and hot. At about 1am (we got there about 8), they gave us a new antibiotic and discharged us with the diagnosis of ear infection with possible bronchial virus. At this point, I still had to drive across town to the one 24 hour pharmacy to fill that prescription...drive around for 15 minutes while they filled it...and then drive home. About 2:30am we made it home and to bed.
The next day, Hope was still in good spirits and wanting to play - tired but in a good mood. But there was no eating or drinking. And no wet diapers. Not even from over night. We fought this battle all morning until I called Brian in frustration and had him come home at 1. I went to sleep and he took over. He apparently called the doctor at this point who had him come in; dehydration and RSV were finally diagnosed and Hope was then admitted to the hospital.
I never want to do that again. Brian would have stayed with her, but there's no way I could have left her. Thankfully, she had a private room with her own cage to sleep in - an honest to God, floor to ceiling metal cage - and a super-comfy (not) cot for me. She had to keep a pulse-oxygen meter on her foot the whole time she was there, so she really couldn't walk around (try keeping a 1 year old still) and she was hooked to an IV the whole time (super traumatic - 3 nurses and I had to hold her down, and when she pulled it out halfway through the night, we had to do it again. And this is not a short process - they have to put numbing cream on them first, and this has to sit for 30-60 minutes prior to inserting the IV; I'd say the cream pissed her off more than the IV. But it was more frustrating to know that when she pulled the IV out at 10pm that we would have to wait for them to call the doctor for orders to put it back in, then sit with the cream for another hour, and then put the damn thing back in - again, a long night). All she wanted to do was yank on the tubes and run around. It was more exhausting trying to keep her still than anything else.
Above all, it was worth it to see the change the fluids made in her - just the change from early evening to early morning was amazing. Her fever disappeared and she started eating once she had a bag and a half of fluid in her. And her mood went from good to really happy. It was nice to see her feeling so much better. But it's true - no one sleeps well in a hospital - no matter how old your are or what the circumstances, and I don't want to go back there any time soon. I am happy that it was a simple matter like dehydration. When I looked at the board and saw all the other reasons people were there or when I think about the people I know and the experiences they have been through, I have a completely new understanding and appreciation for just how hard that is for them and just how strong they are. I think that this week was a way of putting a lot of things in perspective for me and a way of showing me how to set some limits and priorities, so in that way it was really good.
In any case, we're all home and relatively healthy. Katie may be coming down with that flu bug, but we're going to hope it's just some exhuastion after a hectic week. Hope is still trying to catch up on her sleep, as are the rest of us, and is still not back to full health. We're watching her eating and drinking - she's still not quite up to par - and her cough is still nasty, but she's improving. We do need to figure out ways to get her to drink. She's a milk girl - which is a good thing; typically you don't want sugar, but we can't ever get her to drink other things. No juice, water, gatorade, pedialyte, soda - no jello, popsicles - nothing that hydrates. Some fruits. We need to figure this out before summer because I am not doing this again.
In any case, our Valentine's present to each other is sleep. Lots and lots of sleep. Like by 8pm tonight sleep. And I love it - best present ever :)
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
My world of anxiety
Continues....
Last week I had my first "official" meeting with the publisher. We met on the phone even though we technically had nothing to discuss yet. I had only just signed the contract and put it in the mail - they hadn't received it yet and I hadn't gotten my signing bonus (which really, let's face it, is clearly the most important part of this scenario), but more importantly, the reviews weren't in yet.
Publishers ask instructors to review textbooks on a yearly basis - instructors are paid for these reviews. Some of the instructors who submit reviews are using the textbook and some are not. Some are genuinely interested in making the book better and some just want the cash.
I was one of those reviewers who just wanted cash - yet, somehow I ended up with this textbook deal out of all of those reviews. Who knew my half-assed reviews would land me in this position?
In any case, the reviews were apparently due this week, but I was warned that instructors, much like students, do not pay close attention to due dates - even though MONEY is involved. So they'll trickle in slowly. Once they are in, the publisher will compile the results and send them on to me along with a synopsis of what they believe should be changed in this new edition of the book. At that point, I'll be given the chance to agree or disagree and add in my own suggestions. I assume this will happen throughout February, although I have no real idea.
Last Tuesday, in order to give me "something to work on," the publisher, we'll call her "A" for my own sake, told me she would carefully go over the first chapter I submitted and send notes and that I should "work on the second chapter" and the Table of Contents.
I'm going to try to go over this without being too technical as this gets a bit crazy.
I submitted an original Table of Contents (TOC) during the interview process that was my ideal book - what the book should look like if it was up to date and in keeping with current pedagogy and methods. Unfortunately, that doesn't look a lot like the original book. When I was interviewing, I was asked to send a sample chapter from the TOC; when I did, I was sent back a message saying "thanks but no thanks - you don't understand that we want a revision and not a new book." Well, that night I quickly sat down and dashed out an entirely new chapter and sent it to A - that one she liked and that was how I got the job offer.
It is this chapter, incidentally, that she is now looking at and probably marking the hell out of...it was, after all, written in an evening.
This TOC, unfortunately, was the one in our contract and the one we discussed on the phone. She keeps talking about how we need to create this book yet keep the original so we don't lose any of the people who currently buy this book (remember, I'm being asked to create the 6th edition) and I keep telling her I can't give her that particular TOC and the original book - they are two different entities.
So, I basically sent her the original TOC from the original book with some small changes and some changes to the wording along with an eloquently phrased note about how terminology makes all the difference and how this marriage of the two TOC's is the best way to keep existing users while bringing in new ones.
Then I had to "work on" chapter 2. That was all the revision advice I got - "work on" it. WTF? So I sent that to her as well.
And I'm waiting on comments from that one-nighter chapter.
Since I have yet to hear back from her and I sent all this last week, I'm assuming I will be slammed with all of this feedback plus all the review feedback in one fell swoop. That shouldn't be overwhelming at all.
In other news, my anxiety has allowed me to lose ten pounds. I am looking on the bright side and calling this a win.
Last week I had my first "official" meeting with the publisher. We met on the phone even though we technically had nothing to discuss yet. I had only just signed the contract and put it in the mail - they hadn't received it yet and I hadn't gotten my signing bonus (which really, let's face it, is clearly the most important part of this scenario), but more importantly, the reviews weren't in yet.
Publishers ask instructors to review textbooks on a yearly basis - instructors are paid for these reviews. Some of the instructors who submit reviews are using the textbook and some are not. Some are genuinely interested in making the book better and some just want the cash.
I was one of those reviewers who just wanted cash - yet, somehow I ended up with this textbook deal out of all of those reviews. Who knew my half-assed reviews would land me in this position?
In any case, the reviews were apparently due this week, but I was warned that instructors, much like students, do not pay close attention to due dates - even though MONEY is involved. So they'll trickle in slowly. Once they are in, the publisher will compile the results and send them on to me along with a synopsis of what they believe should be changed in this new edition of the book. At that point, I'll be given the chance to agree or disagree and add in my own suggestions. I assume this will happen throughout February, although I have no real idea.
Last Tuesday, in order to give me "something to work on," the publisher, we'll call her "A" for my own sake, told me she would carefully go over the first chapter I submitted and send notes and that I should "work on the second chapter" and the Table of Contents.
I'm going to try to go over this without being too technical as this gets a bit crazy.
I submitted an original Table of Contents (TOC) during the interview process that was my ideal book - what the book should look like if it was up to date and in keeping with current pedagogy and methods. Unfortunately, that doesn't look a lot like the original book. When I was interviewing, I was asked to send a sample chapter from the TOC; when I did, I was sent back a message saying "thanks but no thanks - you don't understand that we want a revision and not a new book." Well, that night I quickly sat down and dashed out an entirely new chapter and sent it to A - that one she liked and that was how I got the job offer.
It is this chapter, incidentally, that she is now looking at and probably marking the hell out of...it was, after all, written in an evening.
This TOC, unfortunately, was the one in our contract and the one we discussed on the phone. She keeps talking about how we need to create this book yet keep the original so we don't lose any of the people who currently buy this book (remember, I'm being asked to create the 6th edition) and I keep telling her I can't give her that particular TOC and the original book - they are two different entities.
So, I basically sent her the original TOC from the original book with some small changes and some changes to the wording along with an eloquently phrased note about how terminology makes all the difference and how this marriage of the two TOC's is the best way to keep existing users while bringing in new ones.
Then I had to "work on" chapter 2. That was all the revision advice I got - "work on" it. WTF? So I sent that to her as well.
And I'm waiting on comments from that one-nighter chapter.
Since I have yet to hear back from her and I sent all this last week, I'm assuming I will be slammed with all of this feedback plus all the review feedback in one fell swoop. That shouldn't be overwhelming at all.
In other news, my anxiety has allowed me to lose ten pounds. I am looking on the bright side and calling this a win.
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