On Wednesday, May 18, I went to Madison and met with Liz, my editor at the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. After not seeing one another for what seems like a long time (since pre-pandemic), we had a very pleasant hour and a half visit about the upcoming schedule for the Al Jarreau biography.

It is a process! We now have a working schedule for getting the book from where it is now to publication. Here’s the short version: Liz works intensely with the manuscript between now and mid-summer. She might send me certain sections that she is working on, especially if there are any significant changes that she foresees. But starting in mid-summer (roughly the beginning of July), we will be doing “back and forth” edits (electronically) as I look at the work she has done and react to it. There is much give and take involved, as I see what she suggests for changes and respond with agreement, disagreement or “what if we tried this?”. This is really what I think of as the meat and potatoes of the process that gets the book where we want it.

But there’s plenty more: By early September, we tie up all of that editing work and submit the manuscript for copyediting. At that time we also pull together the art work (photographs and cover), which must be finalized and “transmitted to production” by November 11. We should get the page proofs by mid- to late-December to review (just in time for the holidays). Second page proofs will probably show up in early March (2023); I may or may not need to review those, although I probably will choose to. In April we review the index.

If everything goes according to plan, and the WHSP does not have to fight supply chain issues (yes, they’ve hit book publishing hard, too!), the book will be released with the WHSP’s other new fall books in September ’23.

I realize these nuts and bolts issues will not be of interest to many of you, but also that they are of interest to some of you. Bottom line — the book has over a year to go.

Very best wishes to all of you. Enjoy the summer, and stay healthy.

Kurt