People often say that writing is a solitary venture, and I can agree with that. There are times when I’ve been staring at my laptop, the white screen mocking me in its sheer lack of words, that I have felt utterly alone. On the other hand, I have found my traditional publishing career to be anything but lonely. Truly, it takes village to publish great books.
Having worked with so many talented professionals with Harlequin Enterprises since I sold my first manuscript in 2001 – people who massaged and polished my stories until they were the best they could be – I thought I had a good understanding of how many people were a part of my village.
During my visit and tour of the Harlequin headquarters in Toronto last week, I learned just how wrong I was.
Okay, I admit that the Harlequin staff might have dazzled me with their queen-for-a-day treatment, the champagne toast and that general Canadian niceness. Still, I couldn’t help being impressed by the sheer number of behind-the-scene individuals involved and the amazing amount of detailed work required in editing, laying out, printing, marketing and distributing a book with my name on the cover.
Even after the lovely tour with Lola Speranza, Director of Publishing Services, I cannot begin to tell you all of the steps required as a manuscript moves from contract to publication, but I will offer just a taste here as a way of honoring the many individuals who work in these offices every day with the goal of producing great books.
I had the chance to meet copy editors, proofreaders, those responsible for typesetting print novels, another group responsible for converting those files for e-books, some who made the brochures for book club sales and those who planned the cover and back-cover content or made sure it was perfectly aligned, that its colors were true and its text was clear. Among those was Shane Dobson, Manager of Production Art, who is the go-to guy for ensuring that a cover is perfect. (Yes, that’s my cover on his desk and on his monitor. )
Then there were those who market the books once they are printed and those who ensure that the books get into the hands of happy romance readers. Just one of my brief visits was with Farah Mullick, Marketing Director, but I have to admit that I already knew her. (We’ve bonded on the dance floor at a couple of Harlequin Parties…oh, and at some work stuff, too.) Throughout the tour, I was amazed to see all of the varied work these individuals do to produce books for readers and make sure readers know where to find them.
After the tour, I had the chance to sit down with my editor, Karen Reid, and Victoria Curran, senior editor of the Harlequin Superromance and Heartwarming lines, so we could discuss my next project. (Crossing fingers here.) That was especially cool as my daughter, Alexa, had come along for the tour and had the chance to join us for the meeting.
My gracious hosts topped off my visit with lunch with the whole Superromance and Heartwarming editorial staff. What a great day!
As much as I enjoyed the chance to be treated like a celebrity for a day, I really appreciate the new perspective I gained from this visit to the Harlequin offices. It was great to see so many people, who are completely invested in transforming wonderful relationship stories into high-quality books for readers to enjoy. Each job is crucial to the mission. Every details matters. It really does take a village to publish great books. I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of my village.
Hi Dana, It was great to see you again and meet your lovely daughter. Thanks for highlighting the visit in your blog. It’s always fun to see authors in our offices. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Thanks, Kathryn. It was great seeing you, too. Alexa had a great time. I loved hearing about your beloved team!
Dana, it was wonderful that you both could pay us a visit! And I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. Lovely post!
It was great seeing you again, Piya! It was great chatting at lunch.
It was so nice to meet you and Alexa! Thanks for visiting us!
It was great meeting you face-to-face, Deirdre! So next time when I’m apologizing for a late AFS, you can imagine the contrite look on my face. 🙂
Hi Dana,
It was wonderful to meet you and your daughter! So glad you had the opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes with your books. Cheers!
Thanks, Birgit! (Yes, I’m the one who accidentally called you “Bear-geet.”) It was great meeting you!
We sound so great in your post, Dana… I’m blushing! Thanks again for making the trip up north to visit us. It was an absolute pleasure. Best regards, Victoria
Thanks, Victoria. It was a lot of fun. I’ve encouraged all of my Superromance pals to make plans for a visit.
What a nice post! Thanks for coming in – we love to meet our authors. Come back next time you’re in town!
Thanks, Megan! It was so nice getting to know you. I definitely will. 🙂
Dana, it was a pleasure meeting you and Alexa! So glad you enjoyed the tour! Hope to see you again…would love for you to meet the wonderful team at our Harlequin Distribution Center in Buffalo next time. 🙂
Thanks, Lola! I thought about emailing you for the exact step-by-step plan for a book, but I figured the blog post would get very long. 🙂 Yes, I’ll head to Buffalo next time. Sounds fun!
Dana, thanks for sharing your visit to Harlequin Toronto. What an exciting experience for you to see the behind scenes first hand and top it off by meeting face to face with everyone who makes the books possible — after you write them, of course. I’m more determined than ever to get back in the game. Your blog today was inspiring and encouraging.
Thanks for the kind words, Loralee. Can’t wait to read your next title!
What a fun day!
It was, Cheryl. Thanks for stopping by my website.
What a great post – I’m glad you had a nice visit. (And you’re making me even more excited for next fall, when I plan to make a trip there!)
Oh, good, Elizabeth. You’ll love it there. 🙂