(Sorry, Boy Scouts, debut writers need this motto more than you!)

If you are an avid follower of my blog you will notice two things: One, that my last post was exactly two Wednesdays ago. Two, that this post is very short. Both of these relate to today’s writing tip: Get all your auxiliary materials together before your editor asks for them… otherwise you will be a stressed squirrel!

GOLDEN BOY officially went into copyediting last Wednesday (hence the lack of posts up to then)… however, this prompted a flurry of activity that, though I should have been expecting it, I had not anticipated (hence the lack of posts since then).

Often with one-to-two day turnarounds, I have had to produce:

• a fact-check of my catalogue copy
• my official author photo (which, luckily, I had taken a while ago!)
• my acknowledgements
• my author’s note
• my glossary
• my dedication

Yikes! So, the moral of my story is: get this stuff together before they ask for it!