Dear Diary: I quit.

Dear Diary:

I quit.

Ok, maybe I don’t quit, but I am admittedly overwhelmed. Today my head is spinning and I want it to stop. I feel like I’m in over my head on this publishing project and need to see the light at the end of the tunnel. To get my mind off of all things “bookie”–ISBN’s, copyrights, front matter, back matter, acknowledgments, review submissions, Library of Congress cataloging approvals, etc–my editor told me to pick a place for the book launch. That I can do! Things are getting really close to this book dream actually happening. The second round of edits are done, rewrites are being rewritten, it’ll be in layout within weeks, and print bids are currently in process. If everything goes smoothly, the book will be sent to the printer in July, hopefully pallet shipped in August, and then we’ll officially be ready for the launch in September! Whoa.

Just in case anyone is jealous of this little endeavor, below is an excerpt of a conversation regarding ISBN numbers and the process for coding for libraries.

If I am to get a substitute for LoC CIP data, what is better, PCIP (or some equivalent) or LCCN? Help me out here, again, if you would. I heard that with LCCN, through the PCN process, one could follow-up the reception of a LCCN by submitting a copy of the published book to the Cataloguing Directorate, and they might be inclined to add the book to the LoC Catalog if it seems appropriate to do so.  - Comments to Joel Friedlander

For the moment, the book battle ends. Tonight, a date with my pillow. Tomorrow, phone calls regarding locations for a book launch. Let the games begin!

–Signed, Ashlee Bratton