New LabLit Novel/Shameless Self Promotion

[tmahony]

I have a new addition to the LabLit genre: my novel, IMPERFECT SOLITUDE, will be published by Casperian Books in spring 2011. Anyone interested can read a brief synopsis and excerpt here: http://tommahony.net/imperfectsolitude.html.

--Tom Mahony

[hedge]

Wow, congratulations - it sounds fantastic!
Any whiff of autobiographical substance in your protagonist?

[Mad Dan Eccles]

Well done Tom!

Note that we shall be interviewing you for the LabLit podcast, now...

[tmahony]

Thanks, guys. Not autobiographical, but the protag does work in biological consulting, which I've worked in for the past 10 years, which of course influences the writing.

[hedge]

Did they make you do a lot of editing before they accepted it? Were there in-house editors who helped with that?

I'm always curious what happens after they say 'yes'...

[tmahony]

They accepted it conditioned on some editorial changes. I'm currently going through revisions on the manuscript right now, and imagine we'll go back and forth with revisions for a few months before the final manuscript is complete.

[Dr Mike]

That must be a bit nerve-wracking. I assume we're not talking just typos and the odd word. It must be hard because everyone's tastes are so varied; what happens if the editor likes things a way that you don't? I hope you can maintain artistic control...do keep us posted on the process, because it really is interesting.

[tmahony]

There were definitely plot changes, nothing major, but they did require some reworking of the manuscript. So far I've agreed with all the editorial suggestions, so I actually welcome the process to improve the book. I'm sure there will be a give and take in future revisions. I think the key is to keep an open mind about changes, but to hold your ground on anything you really disagree with.

[John from Florida]

Wow, plot changes. I guess that will make little ripples throughout the whole book?

[tmahony]

Yeah, so you definitely have to make little tweaks throughout the whole book, because if you changed something on page 30, it might require a change on page 200, and so on. Honestly, I've revised the manuscript so many times through the years that minor changes don't even phase me. I view the manuscript as sort of fluid until it hardens into the published book.

[hedge]

I like the title, BTW.
Was that contentious?

[tmahony]

Thanks hedge. The publisher hasn't had a problem with the title (not yet, at least).

[rwintle]

Well done you. Congratulations.

[Beatrice]

I can't wait to read it, the synopsis sounds really exciting.

[Dr Mike]

Well, I hope they don't make you over-edit the thing. I guess there is a danger that you think too hard about stuff and it loses its freshness. Or is 'freshness' just an illusion created by a very carefully edited text?