This week, I submitted my final version of "Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger."

Why the EEK? Well, anyone who has ever been published probably knows what it's like to submit a "final" manuscript to a publisher. For me, at least, I agonize over the final draft for weeks then finally ship it off to my publisher, harbouring a naive belief that the manuscript is perfect. Then my publisher puts their editor to work and...well, just put it this way: my various students, past and present, have had their sweet vindication, for the manuscript is soon hacked into tiny pieces.

Well, it's all just part of the process and I'm not one of those authors who believes I don't need an editor. I think the editing process helps make for a better book, ultimately. It's just a little disheartening to see all the markups back from the editor! When the manuscript comes back to me, I'll have another week or two of work, just to go through and evaluate her comments, then decide which ones I want to keep and which ones I don't want to accept (which often means fighting with the editor). Did I say fight? Perhaps that's too strong of a word. I meant discuss!

Out there, somewhere, my students past and present will chuckle at all of this. How many papers have I scribbled all over with red ink in my day? Well, as I've always told them, I know exactly what it feels like!

Well, as I await the manuscript, it's back to working on the illustrations. When I next blog, I hope to reveal here a brand new character who plays a major role in the book.