Guess what??

Guess. Go on - guess.

Ashley in Neverland is in copy-editing!!! 

Which means that after 6+ months of revising, the manuscript is out of my hands. Whew.

(Actually, I wasn't really expecting it. I sent the lastest revision off on Friday, completely sure that Monday would bring a bunch of last-minute fixes.)

My editor Barbara - well, probably her assistant Alex, to be more accurate - will send the ms document to Managing Editorial, who will send it to one of their copyeditors. That copyeditor will either check the ms for grammar, spelling, consistency problems, etc. - or the copyeditor may send it out to a freelancer, who will check the same things.

Then Managing Editorial will route it back to Editorial, and Barbara will look over it and ask Alex to mail it to me. (Or email it if it's done digitally.)

But that'll probably take weeks and weeks.

For now, I have some time. I think I'll do a happy dance and go to Pinkberry to celebrate!

Update! GASP!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!

My editor sent me a cover sketch* for Ashley in Neverland today!

I'm so sorry - I can't share it.

I know I'm being mean by dangling it in front of you, but I was just so excited! I'm actually in DC now, visiting a couple of my oldest friends. I couldn't really see it on my phone, so I had to stop the day's excitement and find a computer with internet.

It's so adorable! The drawing is expressive and fun and happy-looking, and I don't know how I'm going to wait until I see the next stage. When it has color. And lettering!

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

*Cover Sketch = the preliminary drawing that the cover artist makes to show the publishing house what they have in mind. This one was a pencil drawing.

Update!!

Guess what?

It took some time. It took a ton of brainstorming and many emails between me and my editor (and between my editor and the Sales department and other HarperCollins powers-that-be that need to approve things). But we finally FINALLY have a title.

Ready for it?

Ready?

Ashley in Neverland

By Zoe Barton

Coming to stores near you in Fall 2011

Wow, it looks so beautiful. And official. 

I'm not totally sure if I'm allowed to mention this, but you might be curious about the previous incarnations:

When I started the project last year, the placeholder title was Return to Neverland. It was perfect...except for just one important thing: it was already taken. By a Disney sequel.

This spring, my editor and I agreed on Peter Pan & Me, which was rejected, because it sounded too young. (There's also a song by the same name.)

But I'm very happy with this new title. It's so pretty. I can't wait to see it in type. :-P

Let's look at it just one more time:

Ashley in Neverland

Happy sigh.