Category Archives: Nora shares some thoughts

Nora shares some thoughts

A Note from Nora — 11/17/25

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It pains me a great deal to have to share this, and I cannot apologize enough: less than half of The Seven Ring preorders from Turn the Page will arrive by tomorrow. I know so many people have waited months for The Seven Rings to finish the trilogy. Some have waited years to start the trilogy.

It’s absolutely gutting to disappoint readers like this.

For 30 years, TTP and I have taken great pride in shipping out signed new releases to arrive on publication date. The process takes time, coordination and many evenings signing books after a full work day.

What happened this year? The sheer number of orders for Framed in Death, The In Death Cookbook and The Seven Rings, along with BW undergoing spinal surgery, (he’s recovering nicely) overwhelmed the tightest of plans and put us way behind the curve.

Normally, I sign four tubs of books three times a week, and that works. But it hasn’t been close to enough this fall. Please know, the staff at TTP is doing their very best, and working so hard to fulfill orders. I’ve signed my hand off, but it just hasn’t been enough this time. And I understand this time is so important for the readers who’ve waited so long for the conclusion to The Lost Bride Trilogy.

Until the backlog is cleared, I’ll sign six tubs of books nightly, and TTP will ship them out daily. That has to exclude this Thursday when I’ll sign books at TTP for Girls Night out, and next Thursday when I host 11 for Thanksgiving.

Again, I’m so very sorry that The Seven Rings won’t be in your mailbox tomorrow. It doesn’t lessen the disappointment in any way, but we’ll do everything possible to ship the rest of the books out as quickly as possible.

Nora

Books, grandkids, Nora shares some thoughts

Let me say…

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something about the In Death Cookbook by Theresa Carle-Sanders. [One quick note:These are not my recipes, but Theresa’s. NO, I will not be writing a cookbook.]

First, it’s gorgeous. Beautifully put together, quality all the way. The photographs of the food are stunning, and the ones of New York just wonderful. The recipes are smart, creative, and written so well I expect even non-cooks will enjoy trying them. And the snippet from the books Theresa includes with each recipe? Clever and fun.

Those of you who’ve ordered the cookbook from Turn The Page, requesting my signature on the forward, and received it, know exactly what I mean.

Those of you who’ve ordered and haven’t yet received it, let me explain.

TTP received 1,000 pre-orders of the cookbook. That’s a bunch of a lot of books!! Once they received the books, there’s a process. It goes like this.

I sign four tubs of books three times a week. This is the best I can do considering I work all day, get my workout in, deal with dinner. And have a life. So TTP’s hard-working staff processes the orders, loads up the tubs. And my heroic grandson Logan hauls them home to me. The cookbook tubs weigh over 30 pounds. Those books have weight! Plus I have books I’ve written to sign, too.

For the cookbook, because the high-quality paper is also slick, I can’t just sign and tub. I sign, put a sheet of paper in so the ink doesn’t smear, set the book aside to dry, do the next. Repeat. Fifteen cookbooks a tub as they’re weighty.

Then I take the paper out, tub, repeat, repeat. Haul up that 30-plus pounds, haul up another. Good thing I work out!!

Then Logan takes them back when the staff prepares them for shipping. And Logan hauls back another load to me.

This is a time-consuming process. We are more than halfway done, but shortly, I’ll need to start signing orders for The Seven Rings, and that must be my priority. We’re all going to do our best to get those cookbook orders out, and to get The Seven Rings orders processed signed and shipped. But there are also 1,000 orders of The Seven Rings.

We’re all so grateful to the readers, to the customers who patronize Turn The Page. I have to ask for patience and understanding on these two books. I’m human, and have one signing hand. None of us want to disappoint anyone, and we’ll do everything we can to get the books shipped in a timely fashion.

If yours is late, I’m sincerely sorry. Believe me, it’s not for lack of effort.

Turn The Page will get more of the cookbooks in stock after the first of the year, when we’ve all had a little breathing room.* Meanwhile, if you’re anticipating The In Death Cookbook and/or The Seven Rings, I promise you’re we’re working hard on it.

Nora

* Note from Laura — AND after Nora’s signed all the pre-orders for Stolen in Death.

Nora shares some thoughts

Please Stop and Think

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On this day before Thanksgiving, I didn’t write. Horrors!!

After my morning workout, I made four pies—from scratch, including the crusts. I made 32 deviled eggs, made cranberry sauce—from cranberries—made sour dough pretzel rolls, from scratch.

I spent over six hours in the kitchen and will easily spend that much in there tomorrow as I’m hosting Thanksgiving dinner for my family. This is my pleasure.

After five, when I decided I needed food, needed to put up my feet and zone out awhile, I found BW had brought home four tubs of books—roughly 60–to sign. It’s part of what I do three times a week.

So I’ll be dealing with that shortly.

So forgive me if after a day like this, when I read comments complaining that the trilogy books don’t come out fast enough, I want to punch someone.

I’m not speaking about the comments that say they can’t wait for the third book. That’s a compliment. I mean the ones who tell me it’s not fair they have to wait a year. Who whine it’s too long between books, who demand to know why they have to wait, even after Laura or I have explained why.

I work hard, but I also work at my own pace. My editor and everyone at St. Martin’s works hard—and guess what—publishes more than my books.

I am not going to detail the publishing process or the time needed again. I’ve done it before. You can look it up on the blog if you haven’t read it before. What I will say, again, is I’m not going to push my creative process, and give up more of my life to meet the demands of those who want more, more, faster, faster.

What the reader who demands or constantly asks for more, faster, forgets is there is a human being behind the books. A human being who needs to eat, sleep, who wants and needs to spend time with family. Who needs and is entitled to the occasional break and is not obliged to chain herself to the keyboard. A human being whose goal, every time, is to write the best book possible, not the fastest book possible.

The reader who gobbles the book within hours makes that choice, and then, the reality is that reader must wait for the next. Because yes, it’s going to be a year, and yes, that is perfectly fair. No one is entitled to more than I can give. No one.

Now I’m going to sign four tubs of books. Tomorrow morning, I’ll be back in the kitchen stuffing a turkey and making all that goes with it.

I hope, like me, you’re lucky enough to spend time with family tomorrow, enjoy good food, eat some pie and enjoy the holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Nora

General, Nora shares some thoughts, writing

Just a little more

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I’m informed that some writers, particularly some self-pubbed who do series, may seek reader suggestions, or incorporate certain twists, actions, relationships, whatever, the readers request.

I won’t, never have or will, criticize another writer’s process. Every writer has their own, and that process is right for them. There’s no right way, no wrong way, only the individual writer’s way.

But.

This is not, never has been and never will be my process. I don’t, and won’t write by committee or to satisfy certain readers. I won’t, never have, never EVER will, take a reader’s suggestion for any aspect of a story-no matter how well-meaning or how courteously offered.

I’ve been published for four decades. I don’t need or want any help. The ONLY suggestions for a change or an angle  I will ever consider would come from my editor. If the idea, no matter how big, how small, doesn’t come from me, it’s never, never going to end up on the page.

I add this to clarify, and to further address why so many feel entitled to make demands on what they want for a character, for a story line. You’re barking up the wrong tree with me.

And to let others know, who honestly believe their very nicely offered suggestions may be considered—they won’t be. Not ever.

Nora

Cranky Publicist, Nora shares some thoughts

Big, Giant Wow

September 6, 2025: this is a post from March 2024 that somehow was deleted. Since I like the record to show Nora’s thoughts, I’m re-posting now.

Some readers will complain that this blog isn’t upbeat and happy. I’m sorry, but I feel strongly there are things I must address. I promise I’ll be posting happy blogs down the road. Gardening season’s almost here. Kayla’s college graduation (!) is around the corner, Girl Spa’s coming.

There will be cheerful posts and lots of pictures!

Anyway, for the not upbeat and happy.

Recently Laura began posting random posts on the Robb FB page as we’d reached a point too close to newer books, and don’t want to spoil them

Apparently this gave a number of readers an excuse to demand—and it came real close to demands (sometimes over the line)—why Eve and Roarke couldn’t have a baby.

Oh God!

Let me say here, we don’t mind readers responding with courteous: Nora said no because. Or something along those lines. There’s just no need to pile on as the poster might be new to FB, might not read the blog where I’ve certainly explained my thought process on this.

However, this escalated into a particular poster telling me to “open my mind” to the idea as Roarke told Eve he wanted children in a previous book. Listen, sister, check your entitlement at the door. What absolute arrogance, telling me to open my mind to kids. Hello, these are FICTIONAL CHARACTERS, ones I created in a series I control. Plus wanting’s not having. I write what I write, and I have good reasons—explained far too often. Don’t like it, don’t read it. And don’t think you can tell me what to do, what to think, what to write.

Yes, Gentle Reader, I said that. I am not here to be a slave to certain reader’s wants, needs, whims. Again, I write what I write, and these are MY characters, in my books. Not yours. They are yours to enjoy or not, but they belong to me, they come from me.

Another was upset that I didn’t give Eve a good blood family member. This reader had read the blog, even cited my reasons for not doing so. She didn’t agree, and was adamant in her opinion of what I should do.

You don’t have to agree, but I’m not writing for your particular point of view. Again, I’ve explained my reasons for this. I won’t do so again. My characters, my books, my decision. If you want something else, read something else.

And yes, I said that, too. Blast away, it changes nothing. I am not obliged to meet an individual’s demands.

No, Peabody and McNab will not marry and have progeny any time soon. Morris will not find a new love of his life any time soon. Eve and Roarke will not get a puppy. They will not have a child, and she will not discover a kindly grandmother or delightful cousin.

Don’t like it? Sorry, not sorry.

I do understand, and have no issues, with a new reader or a new to the blog or FB asking these questions. You don’t know until you ask. I strongly object, and refuse to tolerate readers who tell me what I should do, need to do, must do, and get pissy with it. Or fucking accuse me of breaking my word.

So there’s that.

Then, on the Nora page, there has been a wave—a tidal wave—of people who just don’t read the post, then ask: What book is this, when is it out, what series is this, is this an old book, is this a new book, etc. When those answers are IN THE POST. Or very easily Googled. People skim, don’t actually read the information, then Laura has to answer their questions multiple times in the same thread. Because many don’t bother to read her previous answers in those comments.

When Laura, who has more patience in her pinky finger than I own in my entire body, finally writes a Cranky Publicist post, outlining this, asking people to read the information, or do a quick Google, some commenters suggest she retire, find another line of work. They call her rude, say she’s not suited for customer service.

I will not put up with that crap for one quick minute.

There would be no social media for me, or for my readers, without Laura. She answers repetitive, and yes, lazy questions, over and over, with courtesy and patience. But she’s not entitled to finally hit a wall, and say, Please, people, pay attention, or take a few minutes of your own time? Suddenly she’s rude, not cut out for the job, she should pass it on to someone else.

Here’s what I say to that. Bite me.

I write the books. Laura handles the social media—in addition to other things. It’s a lot, for both of us. And both of us love our work and try to do a damn good job of it.

You don’t like what we do and how we do it? Go somewhere else. Seriously, go away.

Someone posted they were tired of social media admins admonishing readers. Boo fucking hoo. No one would `admonish’ you if you didn’t deserve it. God knows, Laura tolerates much more than I would in her position.

Now, let me add. Most of you who read this are appreciative, are courteous, are respective and actually have a sense of humor. We’re both grateful for you. Seriously grateful for you. We value you. We want to keep all this going for you.

So thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the books and the posts.

To the others, let me repeat: Bite me.

Do not tell me what to write and how to write it. Do not, I swear to God, have the stunning nerve to tell Laura she’s not good at her work, and should move on. This woman is not just my personal publicist and social media goddess, she’s my friend. She’s my goddamn family.

Seriously, who are you? What makes you so incredibly special that you dare to say such nasty and rude things to her, to me? And if you believe you’re entitled to do so, go away.

Please, for the rest of you, just enjoy what we both try to provide, for you. For all of you.

And if you think any of this is easy? Think again.

Once again, thank you, all of you, who understand and .appreciate. It’s helps us get through these weird times.

Nora

Book Chats, Inheritance, Nora shares some thoughts, The Lost Bride Trilogy, writing

Here’s the deal

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We’ve gotten a lot of comments (and complaints) on where Inheritance ended.

We expected them.

Expecting them didn’t and can’t change how I create a story, how I write a trilogy. (Poor Laura!)

Inheritance ended where it ended because it needed to. Creatively, for the individual story, for the trilogy, for the characters, that’s exactly how and where  it needed to stop. I have reasons, and they’re good ones. I can’t share all of them as that would have to include spoilers for The Mirror.*

I have, always, looked at a trilogy as one big story in three parts. YMMV, but I’m the one writing them. Yes, at one time each book came out in six months, not a year.

But.

Those were paperbacks, smaller stories, and not as complex as what I’ve done since I had the idea for Chronicles Of The One in 2016. In those paperbacks I had six main characters who would couple up, one per book. The only resolution in those trilogies was the relationship. Technically, except for the relationship element, most of those also ended on a kind of cliffhanger. The storyline, the plot, the external conflict was NOT resolved until the last book.

It couldn’t be, or it wouldn’t be a trilogy.

I can’t and won’t write any faster than I write. My publisher schedules the books, and I write them to meet my publication deadline. After I finished Inheritance, I wrote the next Robb, the next stand-alone Roberts, the NEXT Robb, then started on the second book of the trilogy. I turned in the ms of The Mirror* in last month.

It must be read by my editor, then line edited—yes, line by line (and mistakes still happen). A cover must be created and approved. The managing editor must read, it must be proofread (and yes, mistakes still happen.) I have to read and proof the galleys (and yes, still mistakes slip through because we’re all human).

The book must be formatted, for print and electronic editions, the audio book must be produced, the book must be printed.

It’s a long, laborious process. It takes time.

I can’t write faster. The publisher can’t produce faster.

I can’t ask readers to stop asking me to write faster because that’s pointless. But it does amaze me that the demands keep coming. Writers are not machines. We’re human beings who have lives outside the work, who do the best we can do. I write every day, hours a day, and this is it, people. This is all I can do.

I love what I do, or I wouldn’t do so much of it, I wouldn’t sit at the keyboard hours a day, every day.

Frankly, writers aren’t obligated to meet reader demands (which vary anyway). We’re, to my mind, obligated to write the best book we can at that time. To, again to my mind, meet our deadlines barring illness or serious emergency. To listen to our editor if revisions, rewrites, changes are requested.

Now, as for the ending. It was not meant to be cruel as some have suggested. It was not the first time I’ve done this in a trilogy, as others have claimed.  I did not just decide “done writing now” – which is, honestly, insulting.

It ended where it did because that’s what I planned, Because that event, that story thread, can and will weave through the next book—that’s the big story in three parts. Where it ended matters for the second book. Where the second book ends—and some will not be happy—will matter for the third and final.

These are creative decisions.

To paraphrase one of my favorite characters from Game of Thrones. This is what I do. I drink and I write stories. (Not at the same time!)

Many, many readers commented that they read the book in a day, within hours, stayed up half the night to finish. This is incredibly flattering. We write to pull readers into the story, engage them, entertain them, compel them to turn the next page. It’s incredibly gratifying to feel I succeeded.

But I can’t write as fast as you can read! What takes a reader hours takes me months, and then months more for the book to go through the editing and publishing process. This is the reality.

I’m sorry there are some who are upset or angry or disappointed. Surely not the goal. But I can’t tailor my writing process, my story telling, my schedule or the publisher’s to meet those demands and expectations.

I’m doing the best I can, each and every time. It may not be good enough to suit you, but it doesn’t change the fact it’s the best I can do.

Inheritance was incredibly hard work, and terrific fun to write. So was The Mirror*. So, I hope, will be the final book—not telling you the title yet, though I know it. I planned it because this is what I do.

It’s a trilogy—three parts. And though it’s also pointless, I’ll ask please, please, when the time comes, don’t ask me for a fourth book. The story will be told. Finished. Done.

I hope, sincerely, this explains some things, makes some aspects more clear.

And, I wish you all the very best of holiday seasons and happy, happy reading.

Nora

*(Laura note: yes that’s the title of Book 2. It will be in stores in late November 2024.)

Nora shares some thoughts, writing

Zombie Ghosts

212 Comments

I’m assuming anyone reading this knows how to dispatch a zombie. It’s all about the head. I’m a big believer in confronting things head on.

Every few months, the walking dead of intimating or outright stating I use ghostwriters shambles onto social media. And like a zombie it shuffles on, spreading. I’ve confronted this before—head on—but have never successfully eradicated the infection.

So, try, try again.

Laura will link the other times I’ve written about this issue, so readers of this blog will, hopefully, understand why I continue to do so. And how often it all crops up again. [See below]

This is very personal for me.

I write my own books. All of them. Writing is my job, and I love my job. I consider it the best job in the world, and one I’m very lucky to have. I work hard at my job—I want to, and because I love it, because I want to work hard at it, because of my individual process, pace and rhythm, I’ve been able to produce a lot of books over the course of my career.

It hits me, very personally, when people who don’t know me, don’t know my process, my life, decide to imply or come right out and say I use ghosts.

Are they in my house, my office, standing over my shoulder every day? They’re certainly not in the shower, in my gym, in my kitchen or anywhere else where I do other things while thinking about the story, working out angles, playing what if that I’ll turn into words at the keyboard.

I do not use ghosts. I have never used ghosts. I never will use ghosts. I’ve said that all before, will no doubt say it again.

So those who say I do are calling me a liar, and impinging my work. That’s personal.

Years ago a journalist with some shaky math skills and faulty information wrote that I produce a book every 45 days. That’s crazy and wrong, but it’s stuck over the years. The journalist didn’t consider that I had written several books (55k word category romances) before I sold the first one, and I was able to fix and fiddle and sell those previously rejected books rather quickly in those first couple years.

But who cares? What does it matter? The only people concerned about when I turn in a ms and how long that particular book took me to write are my editor and my agent. And the editor and agent—both of whom I’ve worked with for decades—know the work I turn in is mine alone.

I write how I write, and I write alone. I don’t collaborate or brainstorm or partner. I write solo because that’s my process. I don’t have staff, researchers, assistants, because I don’t want them. I work alone, which I find one of the great beauties of my craft.

If a book has my name on it, I wrote it—every damn word. That’s the Alpha and Omega.

Some say: She’s written over 200 books! Impossible.

No, it’s not. Not when I write six to eight hours a day, five to six days a week. That’s my choice, it’s how I work, and what works for me. It’s my process and process is individual to every writer. What’s right for one isn’t for another. We’re not the Borg.

My pace is MY pace, not anyone else’s.

I don’t do a lot of social media—my choice, my particular wiring. So I have the amazing Laura—who has her own space in her own house—to take care of the bulk of that.

I don’t do a lot of socializing (even pre-COVID). My choice, my wiring. I don’t take long breaks between books because I don’t want to. The next story is tugging at me.

I do what I do, and I like it—and it’s no one’s business but mine.

I don’t diss other writers on social media. I think it’s tacky and graceless. But if another writer wants to claim my books suck, okay. That’s opinion. Certainly if a reader wants to say so, or express disappointment in any of my books, they’re entitled. I stay off reader boards because they should be free to express those opinions without a writer wading in to snap at them or argue or attempt to intimidate.

That’s my opinion.

But no one’s entitled to call me a liar or a cheat. No one’s entitled to lie about me and imply or say I use ghosts. I will stand up for myself and my work.

And when a ghostwriter takes to social media to whine, that’s also a choice. But not when they whine about me. They don’t know me, and I have nothing to do with their choices—and ghosting is a choice.

To a statement like: If Nora Roberts and I wrote the exact same book hers would sell a lot more, first I say: Duh.

I say Duh because I’ve spend four freaking decades building a career, a following, a reputation, connections with publishers and readers. So duh.

But over and above, this is a stupid, foolish and ignorant statement because NO two writers would ever write the same book. Doesn’t work like that. We aren’t in each other’s heads, we all have our own creative path, our own style, our own voice.

No one creative would make such an asinine comparison, which only smacks of jealousy and a lack of understanding of how publishing actually works.

And, sister, you made a choice to take a ghostwriting job. Your reasons are your own, and I don’t question or criticize them—because that’s your personal business. However.

 Did you take a payment for the ghosting? Did you agree to terms and cash a check for the work you did?

Now if the person who hired you didn’t pay you, or agreed to give you credit and didn’t follow through, you’ve got a legitimate complaint. But if you took the money and agreed—as the term ghost implies—to forfeit any credit—quit your bitching.

And leave me the hell out of it.

Do the work, invest the time, take the risks every writer takes, deal with the rejections and disappointments and push on. That’s how it’s done.

Write. Spend more time writing and a lot less whining on social media—and trying to take shots at another writer or the realities of the industry itself.

A couple weeks ago I had another bout of vertigo—which sucks beyond the telling of it. The first day, after a few hours flat out, I could sit up. I thought: Hmmm, and asked BW to bring down my Surface and flash drive because maybe I could work in bed.

Found out quickly that was a big no.

Day Two, better, try again. And I found I could write a couple hours. Couldn’t stand up without everything spinning, but sitting was okay.

Day Three, a little better yet, so a full day of work—in bed because walking felt like walking on the deck of a ship in high seas.

I worked because I wanted to work, because I have a deadline, because it’s my job. And then somebody who know nothing about me but my name implies I don’t do my own work.

So it’s very personal for me.

Every time a zombie like this pops up, I will aim for the head.

I’d like to ask you to join the army. If you see anyone on social media claiming I use ghosts, insisting I must, please let us know.

I’m not going to be shy about swinging my metaphorical axe at their head.

I’ll try to write a more cheerful and chatty blog next time out, but to catch you up with my world….

Logan is now a licensed driver (!!!!)

Kayla continues to do very well in college.

On-line school has in no way defeated Colt—Mr. Straight As.

And Griffin, as always, is adorable and full of fun.

BW and I get our second vaccine shot in about a week—what a big relief.

Lots of snow here, and we’re going nowhere. Which means plenty of writing time for me.

Alone.

Nora

On Readers, Writers and Ghosts (August 2014)

How it all Works (for Nora) (November 2014)

The Cranky Publicist answers another question (Feb. 2016)

Price Points, Discounts, Sales! (Feb 2016)

Writers are People Too (December 2017)

Mob Rule by Social Media (December 2018)

The process after the writing (October 2018)

Here’s how I Work (March 2019)

Conversation, Nora shares some thoughts, writing

The process after the writing

112 Comments

A note from Laura:  this post springboards from a little tidbit I shared about the title of the fall 2016 In Death title (Apprentice in Death) and the resulting “why can’t we have it now?” comments.  It’s also a preventative measure for the upcoming Stars of Fortune, book 1 of The Guardians Trilogy, and the predictable “why do we have to wait for the second and third books??”  (In the latter case,  it’s because book 3 is not yet written.)  We’re so lucky that Nora has the discipline and fast pace to give us more than one book per year but that can be lost in the fun and excitement of a new book.  So let’s get a peek into what goes into a book beyond the writing.

I think I’ve tried to explain the publishing process before, but I’m going to try again, with–I hope– more detail.

Laura will often announce when I’ve finished a book or the title of an upcoming. Many readers are impatient–and I appreciate that–and wonder why they can’t just have the book NOW. It’s written, after all.

Here’s why.

To begin, my process is generally a three draft deal. When I’ve completed the final draft, I send it to my editor and my agent. I let out a big WOO!

My editor and my agent will read the ms (manuscript). My editor–any editor–will read it through. He or she is the first reader. She–as mine’s a she–will read it to see if it engages, if it holds together, if it’s a good story, and makes sense, does the job. This read isn’t done at the office–too many meetings, too much other work for that–but most often on the editor’s own time. Mine read this last ms. over the weekend after I turned it in. The editor may make notes–have questions. Maybe something doesn’t hold together, maybe the ms needs some more work. If it does, those notes become an editorial letter or discussion, and the writer may have to do revisions. Minor or major, depending.

This triad–writer, editor, agent–all want the same thing. The best book possible. That’s work, and that’s time.

If the ms holds together, or the revisions are done, the editor then reads the ms again for a line edit. That’s line by line, editing. It takes time. It may be a very clean ms, so little has to be done, or it may need more work. Either way, this next step has to happen. Then it must be copy edited, and gets its first proofing after that.

Meanwhile, the editor is working with the art department on a cover. With Sales and Marketing on how the book will be sold in, how it will be marketed. It has to be scheduled, and this book is one among many. Accounts–bookstores, chains and independents, other venders like WalMart, Target, Costco and so on, have to be addressed–so there are book reps who deal with that. Catalogue copy must be written, Publicity has their meetings on the book–what to do there? Back cover copy, flap copy must be written. That cover has to be produced, maybe revised, produced.

None of this happens in five minutes. Or five days. Or five weeks. Or five months.

The book must be printed, produced–audio and e must be produced. If it’s a major book Advance Reader Copies are produced and seeded. And the book must be proofed again, by a proofer and by the author. Any changes resulting from the proofing must be fixed in the final product.

And yes, yes, yes, there are still going to be mistakes that slip through. You have humans, you have mistakes. A lot of people think/say: If I proofed that book, I wouldn’t have missed that mistake. Maybe not, but you’d have missed something else. If you think you’d miss nothing every time, let me just say: bollocks.

In any case. It’s a very labor intensive and creative process, on many fronts. It takes between nine months to a year to reasonably take a ms from completion to publication.

It takes a reader a matter of hours or days to read it.

Nothing, absolutely nothing is ever going to change that gap. Writers can’t write as fast as a reader reads. Editors can’t edit that fast. Publishers can’t publish that fast. That’s reality.

But! There are scads of wonderful books published every month for readers to choose from and enjoy. There are scads because there are writers and editors and publishers working their asses off to make that so.

Enjoy them. And some impatience is fine. Just don’t blame the author, the editor, the publisher when the book isn’t in your hands five minutes after that final draft is done, and the writer lets out a big WOO!

Nora

MS at the start of the process
MS at the start of the process

Edited ms
Edited ms

PS. I did these two galleys back-to-back in the evenings–as like my editor I have too much work to do this task during the work day. That’s two solid weeks of proofing in the evening, after a full work day–and juggling that in between signing tubs of books three days a week.

Saturday soup
Saturday soup

But today I made soup!

Conversation, Nora shares some thoughts

How it all works (for Nora)

119 Comments

photoI’ve noticed when I scan comments, either on the blog or on Facebook, many posters assume I have assistants or staff. 

Nope. 

I have the amazing Laura, who stands as my personal publicist and Person Of All Details. You will note, when she posts or comments, she puts her name after the post or comment, so the readers know it’s Laura, not Nora. If I post or comment, I put my name on it. 

I realize in the strange world of the interwebs the person signing off with NR could be a four-hundred pound bald man, sporting full-body ink under his wife-beater shirt. You only have my word that it’s not. 

While Laura does much to keep me in line–ah, that is, to keep the business around the writing running as smooth as it can–she doesn’t assist in the actual writing. No one does. 

An assistant would, without question, drive me insane, and I would likely murder this poor, unfortunate individual in a bloody and brutal manner without a single twinge of remorse or regret. 

Keep away from me during work hours, and nobody gets hurt. 

I don’t use researchers, proofers, consultants. I don’t collaborate. I would also murder a collaborator, probably five minutes into said collaboration. There are plenty of blunt objects in my office. 

I don’t take ideas or suggestions on characters, storylines, story angles, settings from anyone. I do mean anyone. At all. Ever. What’s written in the book is mine. Mine, mine, mine. You might sense I’m a little bit territorial here. You would be correct. 

I don’t have a staff. I have a long-time housekeeper who comes in once a week to shovel out the house. If someone was in here fussing around with stuff every day? I would make good use of those blunt objects. 

I don’t play or work well with others. That’s why writing is such a good career choice for me. It’s solitary. I don’t have to see or speak to anyone for hours and hours and blissful hours every day. 

While I write the books, all by myself, that’s about all I do. I send the manuscript to my editor and agent. My agent handles ALL the business stuff. All of it. She’ll meet with my editor (who is also, in this case, my publisher), and they’ll hammer out business details. My editor will edit. If she feels changes need to be made, we discuss. I’m probably going to make them because 99 times out of 100 she’s going to be right. Every writer needs an editor. Every writer. 

The manuscript is copyedited by a copy editor who works for the publisher, not for me. It’s put into production. My editor has an amazing, truly amazing talent for visualizing covers. She’ll work with the in-house (the publisher’s) art department. I do not design the covers. I’m not an artist. I do have cover approval. 99 times out of 100, when I’m shown the cover proof I say: Thank you! It’s perfect. Because it almost always is. 

It’s proof-read in-house, and by me, in page form. The galleys–for reviewers–are uncorrected proofs that won’t have any corrections or changes made. And still, something gets missed in the final copy. I wish it was otherwise, but it happens. 

I don’t have anything to do with pricing, with scheduling, with distribution, with who reads the books on audio. (I am hugely grateful to Susan Erickson and her incredible interpretation of the In Death series.) 

Again, my job is to write the books. I let everyone else involved do their job so I can do mine. 

Most readers don’t understand how publishing works–why should they? The fact is, I don’t understand some of it myself. So I just write the books and let the rest happen. But this is a really, really basic outline of how it works for me. Other authors may choose to be more involved with publishing details. I’d rather just write–my choice.

Nora

A note from Laura:  All I said was “don’t you think every heroine should be a Laura?”  Then I noticed the blunt objects. 😉

 

Conversation, Nora shares some thoughts

Eve And Roarke With No Body

616 Comments

Recently Laura posed a question on Facebook asking what people thought Eve and Roarke might do if they had a free weekend without a murder to deal with. The most popular answers from readers were: Make a baby and/or find some young child and adopt, and Eve finds blood kin–a kindly grandmother, a sweet long-long sister.

Here’s why I’m going to disappoint those hopeful readers.

As I’ve said before, babies change everything. They must, they should. I’m simply not ready to change the scope and dynamics of the series.

But oh, you say, people have babies all the time! They adjust their lives, they make it work. Why can’t Eve?

Because she’s not ready either.

But! It would be so funny to see her trying to cope with a baby!

Yes, it would. For a scene or two. I have to think of the big picture here. I would hope if and when Eve and Roarke become parents (and an older child, adoption, fostering mean EXACTLY the same thing as a parent is a parent) they’re really, really good ones. A really good parent doesn’t toss the baby/kid to Summerset while they rush off at all hours to fight crime or work in-house on a case.

Yes, cops have babies/kids in real life. This isn’t real life. Consider the soap opera a moment. A character gets pregnant (drama, humor, pathos ensues) then the baby’s born. We have baby time for a few episodes. Then we don’t see the kid again until he’s ready for school. And THEN we rarely see the kid until he’s grown up enough to have his own story. Because the day-to-day parenting doesn’t make for good drama in a story that’s structured around action, investigation, sex. Think about it, how could they show all the latest fashion if the star has a maya wrap ring sling around here with a drooling baby… Not going to happen.

Also consider the structure of the series, the timelines. Each book normally takes a handful of days in book time, and the next book closely follows. How many of you are really interested in reading about a pregnant Eve for the next few years? I’m not, and if I’m not interested I can’t write it. Yes, I could zip through those months of gestation. Not interested in doing that either.

So, no babies, not now. No charming orphans of any age. No pregnancy scares, no miscarriages, no foundlings, no street-wise kid who needs a good home. Did I leave anything out? If so, fill it in, then answer no.

Now onto the kindly grandmother.

One of the main elements, for me, of the series is how Eve made herself. She came from monsters, yet she made herself courageous, strong, decent. She made herself a cop who’ll stand for the dead, for the victim, for justice. She overcame horrors and had dedicated herself to protecting and serving, is willing to risk everything to do so.

She could’ve made another choice, she could’ve used those horrors as an excuse, but instead she used them as a springboard and became a damn good cop.

There is no kindly grandparent or sweet, long-lost sister in her life. She’s not only made herself, she’s made her family. Roarke is her everything, as she is his. It matters, I think, that these two people who came from abuse and viciousness found each other, helped make each other into better people. Love opened them to more.

Eve has a sister. In fact, she has two. Mavis and Peabody. She has a father in Feeney (and a little bit in Dennis Mira, too). She has a mother in Mira. A kid brother in McNab. She has, like it or not, a father-in-law in Summerset. Family is what you make of it, and Eve and Roarke have made a fine one, and linked it with a solid circle of friends.

The Eve we met in Naked In Death wouldn’t have been capable of opening herself up to that family, to that circle. The Roarke we met in Naked In Death would only have accepted that family and circle on a very surface level.

Love changed them, and that’s more than enough.

Nora

It’s now 2 pm — less than 6 hours after the initial post.  In view of some to the comments, Nora asked me to add the following: 

Adoptions, any age child, would change the dynamics and tone of the series just as surely as conception and a biological child. There is no difference in the needs of or the love given to an adopted child than there is of or to a biological child. Eve and Roarke are NOT having a child, adopted, biological, off the streets, out of an orphanage, out of fairy dust, for the foreseeable future. I’m truly sorry to disappoint some readers, but MUST follow my own vision and be true to my characters.

Laura 

November 3, 2014

The issue about babies arose again and Nora posted the following on Facebook:

The Eve and Roarke must be/need to be/should be parents topic comes up too often for me to keep repeating why this isn’t happening. I’ve been clear, from the writer’s point of view, countless times. I feel it’s wasting everyone’s time for me to keep explaining my reasons–and it’s senseless for me to find myself upset when adoption is brought up as if there’s a difference between parenting an adopted child rather than a biological one.

So I’ve asked Laura to simply link my blog post on this subject whenever it’s brought up in comments. I have to stop repeating myself on this topic.http://fallintothestory.com/eve-and-roarke-with-no-body/

I’m sorry some readers are disappointed I’m not taking the series and the characters in this direction, but I’m not. Repeat: I. Am. Not. The readers who insist on telling me why this could/should work are wasting their time. I don’t agree, and I write the books. NR