We notice!

Did anyone miss me on Monday? For over a year now, I've blogged every Monday. Faithfully. Without fail. Until this week.

I felt puny and called in sick on Monday morning. The idea that I was missing my blog day never even entered my mind. And so now, I'm attempting to redeem myself by posting in Becky's stead as she attends an all-day sales meeting. She was gracious enough not to scowl when granting my blog-deadline extension.

Occasionally, writers will let their deadline date come and go without so much as a mention to their editor. I suppose they figure if they don't call attention to their delinquency, we won't notice on this end. Um, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we notice.

Have we told you about our Monday morning production meetings yet? Every Monday at 9:15, the entire production department staff (usually about a dozen of us, including typesetters, editorial assistants, graphic artists, and editors) gather in the conference room with printed schedules in hand. We go down the list of upcoming titles one-by-one and make certain that each project is still on target for reaching the various deadlines. If an author misses their submission deadline, the domino effect can throw everyone's work load out of kilter.

While we try to build in a few days of grace in the schedule for each project, if one author is horribly late, it means another project has to be moved up to take its place, which means those "grace days" are gone.

We really try to be compassionate and understanding when unforeseen circumstances derail an author's writing plan. But please, if you have a growing suspicion that you won't be able to meet your deadline, give us as much advance warning as possible so we can go to Plan B. (As for me, I don't think I can get away with another "I forgot" excuse for a good long while.)

That big December 25th deadline looms large for us all! God bless us every one.

Susan