12/1/08: Anna Shinoda Journal Entry # 21

new note by Anna on her journal:

I accepted an offer from Atheneum - what does that mean?

Monday, December 1, 2008

For the past year my fantastic agent, Jennie Dunham has been shopping my young novel, currently titled CROSS BONES, to different editors. When the right offer to publish the novel was presented by Athenuem, I enthusiastically accepted! The next step will come sometime this month when we make the offer completely official by signing a contract. Then, my editor will send me a letter with suggested revisions and I will revise and revise and revise and revise until we are both happy with the final draft. Next comes the months of waiting while the publishing process of taking my manuscript and making into an actual book, available to purchase in stores, possibly in Spring 2011.

I am ecstatic about the idea of seeing one of my books in print! This is my first publishing contract and will be my first book available for purchase!

There will be a lot of hard work for me in the coming year, but I am really excited to revise this novel again and have the guidance of an editor that can help me make it the best I can produce.

A note about the title CROSS BONES: this novel has nothing to do with pirates. Think more along the line of secrets referred to as skeletons in the closet as well as a skull and crossbones being a symbol of poison and how that can be a metaphor for an environment. It is a working title that I hope will end up being the final one, although we will see what happens as the writing process continues.