Thursday, May 2, 2013

First Pass Pages and News Alert: The hardback isn't dying!

Guess what? This is me, putting my very first First Pass Pages in the mail to send back to my editor. It may seem weird, considering it was edits, but I've been dying for this milestone! It's the first time my edits come looking bookish. With the title page, Library of Congress page, dedication, bio acknowledgements, correct fonts and layout and chapter titles-- everything! It's actually the first time I've read the book in six months, and one of the last times I'll see it before it's printed. It's a little strange to be in the middle of edits on book 2 and writing book 3, to go back to working on book 1. But it was also pretty cool to once again get grounded in what started it all.


Also, word to the wise: if you mail 300 pages and need it to get somewhere in two days, it costs somewhere around $10. If you mail it overnight, it costs somewhere around $45. Plan accordingly.

Not that I meet my deadlines at the very last moment or anything...

And in other news, I read an industry news article in Publisher's Weekly about MG & YA sales, and it had this graph.


People have been saying for the past while that hardcover books are on their way out. That they are going to be a thing of the past before too long. But check it out, peeps! SALES ROSE ON HARDCOVERS last year! And really, in nearly every category! And holy moley. Check out the rise in e-book sales. Incredible! People still want to buy books. And they still want hardcovers. And e-books like crazy. All is right in the world. (And if you don't believe me, stop doing things like watching the news, and come hang out with me in my protective bubble. There's rainbows and lollipops here. And occasionally unicorns.)

And a huge thank you to Deanie at Thoughts and Ideas from Deanie Humphrys-Dunne. She just awarded me the Liebster Award. Thanks, Deanie!

16 comments:

writing and living by Richard P Hughes said...

It sure is a lot less expensive to mail an e-book.

Congratulations again, for the millionth time, I'm sure.

ilima said...

So exciting about your edits! I'd really love to see my book in a hardback, so that's good news.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I'll gladly join you in your bubble. (I just bought a hard cover last week...yep, it does still happen!)

Jessie Humphries said...

This post just made me all kinds of happy. I can almost taste the lollipops and see the unicorns! But alas, I have to get back to writing where no lollipops will follow...

Emily R. King said...

I buy hardcovers and e-books. So I guess I helped push up those numbers. It's great to see people excited about reading!

S.P. Bowers said...

I could see paperbacks becoming obsolete but never hardbacks. Isn't it nice that so many forms of reading are all increasing? Go reading and book buying!

Jai said...

Congratulations! That is very exciting.

Angela Cothran said...

So excited to see your milestones :) I LOVE Hardbacks! They are my preferred medium. LONG LIVE THE HARDBACK!!!

JeffO said...

Bet you didn't get any sleep until you received confirmation they got it, did you? Congrats on the latest milestone!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Awesome you hit a milestone in your road to publication.

Agree that people still like print books. I still prefer them. And I asked followers in one of my last book hop giveaways how they felt about e-books as I'm trying to cut costs. I was surprised that many still want print books.

M Pax said...

Glad to see folks are still reading.

Jenny S. Morris said...

This is so cool. And I'm going to try really hard next week not to fangirl on you. ;) But I plan on sitting my butt in your class for MG. Can't wait. I'll have my notebook ready.

Jeff Hargett said...

Odd how we choose our milestones, but gratifying all the same. Congrats!

Donna K. Weaver said...

How cool is that, Peggy? To see it on paper. Kind of makes it real.

Chantele Sedgwick said...

Woo hoo for getting your edits done! :D And yay for hardcovers! I love them. Kind of obsessed actually... :)

Golden Eagle said...

Congratulations! :)

That's an interesting chart. I wouldn't have guessed hardcovers did that well!