how a manuscript becomes a book: introduction

There were two things that surprised me about the publication process when I began writing.

First, it takes a long time to get a book from manuscript to publication. About 18 months in total is perfectly reasonable for a large, mainstream publisher.

Secondly, an author is a very small link in the large and complex network of people who are involved in the publishing process. I have probably worked with 30 people, from cover designers to copy editors, on each volume of The Last Descendants. Mult...