Back in September I got a message from my publisher, Avery Color Studios, asking when my next book would be received. I normally do a book every two years and am currently working on my 16th manuscript, so I replied to Avery that they would receive the text for the next book on my normal deadline date- October 31... 2014. Unfortunately, Avery was asking about the items for their 2014 catalogue and mis-read the date. Thus, they have been going along for a few months thinking that I had a manuscript ready for delivery last October.
Yesterday, November, 13th, 2013 I got another message asking where the manuscript was? It was a bit awkward when I gave them the bad news and we both came to the conclusion that there had been a misunderstanding. Now there was a huge problem; they have been holding a space in their 2014 catalogue for my new book that won't be out until 2015.
The solution came from a communication that I had with Avery last summer when they suggested that we should consider doing something with all of the material that I have which is now out of print. I choked at the idea of taking OOP books and re-covering and re-titling them... NO WAY! What I suggested instead was a "The Best Of" book. Avery liked that idea, but we let it rest. Now, that was the answer to this little dilemma.
So, what I've been calling "Book 16" will now become "Book 17" and my 16th title will have the words "The Best Of" in there someplace. Watch for it in the spring of 2014.
