I’ll never forget the most terrifying moment of my first publishing experience.
After signing the contract, I diligently completed my editor’s suggested revisions. I’d already written a letter to the editorial board detailing the changes I planned to make, and they’d reacted with support. I was in the clear! All I had to do was finish these last revisions and my book was home free, after three years in the making. I wrapped them up as quickly as I could and sent them to my amazing editor. I couldn’t wait!
And then I saw her reply.
“Great, Amanda!” she wrote. “I’ll present this to the board next week and let you know how it goes. I may need to get a few more things for you between now and then. If so, I’ll let you know.”
I froze. My heart beating in my throat, I texted my mentor.
“Help!! Can you talk??” I typed. When she didn’t reply, I pulled up my book contract. Sure enough, right there in black and white was a clause I hadn’t noticed—the contract was contingent upon my completing the revisions to the board’s satisfaction. Did that mean they could cancel the contract if they didn’t like my changes?!
When I finally talked to my mentor, she gave me the perfect advice—call your editor. (This is the only advice for anyone with a book contract, by the way—your editor is there to help!) I called her and, trying to keep my voice steady, asked her what the editorial board meetings were like.
As I learned then (and have seen many times since), these meetings are a chance for the press’s editorial staff to review the titles they’ve contracted and be sure that every title is on track to align with their editorial standards.
My editor wasn’t concerned about my book, but she did tell me that she’d have to make an argument—every editor had to do so for their forthcoming titles.
Because she believed in my book, she wasn’t worried about this, but she promised if she needed any information to strengthen her argument, she’d let me know.
In the end, everything was fine. My book was approved unanimously, and it bopped its way over to production and marketing.
But it was still scary and unexpected. Since then, I’ve shared this anecdote with many contracted authors, just to let them know what’s coming. Editorial board review is nothing to panic about, but knowing it’s coming can help you mentally prepare for this final hurdle of the editorial process.
