First: official school reading, and call with my editor

Today I had two amazing firsts:
1) I read the first few pages of KELLY QUINN'S SECRET COOKING CLUB to Kindergarten-C. They listened well (even though it's a middle-grade story) and seemed very interested. I'm going to hit the third grade next week. The teachers have been equally interested.

2) I also had the first working call with my awesome editor, Alyson Heller, from Aladdin Mix (Simon and Schuster's children imprint). She was wonderfully patient with me. Things are moving along toward publication in fall 2010. It sounds like a long time, but it's quite standard. Imagine how long it sounds if you're a kid: you're finishing third grade, and when the KQSCC comes out, you'll be finished with fourth grade and be starting fifth grade. Those eighteen months are a lifetime.

Anyway, after the phone call with Alyson today, I have a better idea of what types of edits are needed, and how long I have to do them. I also got the skinny on copy editing, cover art, Galleys, and Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs). I'll surely write about each stage of the process, so stay tuned...