I just turned in my manuscript for the eighth Monk novel MR. MONK AND THE DIRTY COP, which will come out next summer. This is the first Monk
novel in several years that wasn’t written on several different computers in
various cities, countries, and modes of transport. I wrote it all at my desk at home.
I'm going to try not to think about the next Monk book for a few weeks. The outline isn't due until mid-November and I honestly have no idea what it will be about.
I will use the freed up Monk time to work on my next "standalone" novel, which I haven't started writing yet….though I have a file with a very rough, very broad outline, some relevant newspaper clippings, and some notes to get me started.
But not this week. I have some pitches to prepare for and I want to give myself a break to maybe read a book, catch up on the new fall TV shows, and go to sleep at a decent hour.
Congratulations on another finished manuscript! I must confess, I have fallen behind with the Monk books – I am only up to MR. MONK IN OUTER SPACE (which I just bought).
By the way, I am now two-thirds of the way through THE DEATH MERCHANT … I am going back and reading all the Diagnosis Murder books in order before I read the big finale.
Woohoo! Can’t wait to read this one! I’m looking forward to PARIS (how could I not be after GERMANY?!) but the little teaser you’ve thrown out about DIRTY COP has me anxiously anticipating the release of it.
Congratulations on turning it in. Out of curiousity, how much work will you still have to do on it? At this point in writing Monk novels, do you get many change requests from the editor? Or, can you pretty much consider this “done”?
I usually don’t get any major notes from Andy or my editor, so the next step will be to go through the copy-edited manuscript.
That’s basically my own manuscript sent back to me, all marked up, after my editor and the copy editor have gone through it, spotting typos, punctuation errors, inconsistencies, awkward phrases etc. They will make suggestions on the page for corrections, and changes and clarifications. They will also suggest trims or places where I might want to go into more detail…but the choice is mine. For the most part, it’s very minor stuff and I get through it very quickly. It’s also my last chance to do any rewriting that I want to do for creative reasons…which usually only amounts to a line or two, here and there.
A month or two after that, I will receive the typeset galleys, which is basically an unbound version of what the final book will look like. The editor, copyeditor and I read through it for errors (although we inevitably miss two or three big ones, much to my embarrassment).
At that point, my job on the book is done…if you don’t count promotion (like going to book signings, attending conferences, speaking at libraries, etc.)
Lee
That’s great, Lee! I hope the book does really well when it comes out.
Thanks for the explanation, Lee. The process is very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
And, speaking of conferences…I look forward to meeting you in Myrtle Beach next month.
Charmi
How do you feel about the Monk television series ending? Will you continue to write these books?