2016

I've kept this blog, on and off, since 2006. In 2015 I used it to chart daily encounters, images, thoughts and feelings about volcanic basalt/bluestone in Melbourne and Victoria, especially in the first part of the year. I plan to write a book provisionally titled Bluestone: An Emotional History, about human uses of and feelings for bluestone. But I am also working on quite a few other projects and a big grant application, especially now I am on research leave. I'm working mostly from home, then, for six months, and will need online sociability for company!


Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Pressing "send"

Had you been close to my house ten minutes ago, you would have heard a loud "squeak". That was the sound of me pressing "Send" as I sent off the first six chapters of my book on the Order of the Garter to the very patient editor at the big US press I hope will publish this book. We've never signed a contract to publish, which was a good idea as I would never have met a deadline, and it would have just been a source of stress (as I'm writing this post, I can see in the email "progress" window that a quarter of the ms. has now been sent).

The deal is that these chapters can now go out to be read, while I finish the last, a third of which is drafted.

There are many stages to go, of course. If the reports are positive, I hope we'll then sign a contract; and while I secretly hope and believe the readers will think it's perfect as it is, there will certainly be changes to make. Then there's final approval, copy-editing (half of the message has now gone), tracking down of permissions for images, checking, and cross-checking of references, compilation of bibliography and all the rest of it.

Still, this is a big day: the first, very big milestone on the last stretch towards completion.

What am I going to do now?

I'm going to go outside and feed the goldfish, then come back in and work on a grant application for an hour or so. And then tonight, I am going to see this. How's that for timing?

And how's this? Entourage has just played its little chimes: message SENT.

7 comments:

David Thornby said...

That's great news; congratulations. Good to see you have your celebrations already sorted out too.

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

*SQUEAK!*

Penthe said...

Oh congratulations!

stray said...

In bocca al lupo...:-)

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

Also, I hope you're going to blog about the opera!

This old world is a new world said...

mille grazie, Stray, e tutto!

Yes, I will blog Aida, which was a sumptuous treat, but first I have to go to Canberra tomorrow. And it was Perth on Monday, so it's a bit mad at the moment. More soon, I hope.

Download Entourage said...

O really this is very good news. Congratulations!!!!!!! .I am so happy.