Justine Larbalestier

reading, writing, eating, drinking, sport

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Last Day of 2007

The year two thousand and seven was another good year for me personally. My third novel, Magic’s Child, was published in March which completed the Magic or Madness trilogy. The trilogy also finally earned out! That’s right. When the royalty statements come now there’s money attached. Woo hoo! The trilogy also sold in Japan.1 Surely the manga version can’t be too far off?!

I went from never having won a literary award to winning three. The Norton Award for Magic or Madness and the Atheling and Susan Koppelman for Daughters of Earth. So I’m legitimately an award-winning author! Now I just need the best-selling to go with it. :-)

I sold my fifth and sixth books—the fairy novel and an as yet untitled (and largely unwritten) book—to a brand new publisher, Bloomsbury USA.

I love my new house. Everyone I’ve met there—the editors, publishers, sales & marketing, publicity, just everyone—is fabulous. Their excitement about my fairy book makes me very very happy. I am very proud to be a Bloomsbury girl. And hopefully early next year—just a few weeks away—I’ll be able to share all sorts of cool news about the fairy book. Its new title! Cover! Exact date of publication! It’ll be all fairy news all the time!

And to speak of someone else’s success for a second: I’m thrilled to see how well Libba Bray’s The Sweet Far Thing is doing. I saw exactly how much work she put it to that book. Seriously, for a while there I thought she might not survive the experience. But she did and now the book (by far the best of the trilogy) is selling out of control. Yay! Congrats, Libba, you totally deserve it.

Non-professionally, I reckon the best thing that happened all year was the change of government back home. Did that happen only last month? I’ll be coasting on the joy of that for some time to come. Right now it seems that every time I read an article about home something new and fabulous has happened. To which I can only say, “YAY!”

This time last year I said my goal was to finish two novels, which was my goal the year before also. So, um, how’d that go?

Not so much. Time to pick a new goal, methinks.

I rewrote the fairy book many times—so many times that it felt like writing more than one book—but I did not finish any other novel. Le sigh.

I did, however, write two short stories both of which come out in 2008. The first, “Pashin’, Or the Worst Kiss Ever” is in First Kiss (Then Tell) edited by Cylin Busby for Bloomsbury and due for publication in January: i.e. tomorrow. It’s very gross and (I think) funny. The other stories in the anthology are awesome but what would you expect with the likes of Cecil Castellucci, Shannon Hale, David Levithan, Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, Robin Wasserman and Scott Westerfeld contributing?

The second story is considerably longer and much more romantic. It’s called “Lammas Day” and will be in Love is Hell edited by Farrin Jacobs for Harper Collins and due out around September. The other stories are by Melissa Marr, Laurie Faria Stolarz, Scott Westerfeld and Gabrielle Zevin.2

I also wrote an article for an Australian pearl magazine3, the beginning of several novels, a proposal, an appreciation of John Scalzi, many many emails, comments and blog posts. If I added them all up I reckon it would be as long as a whole other novel . . .

For 2008 I have a novel due in August. I honestly can’t see myself writing another one after that but maybe if I don’t make it a goal to write two novels next year I’ll do it accidentally?

In addition to the August novel—which may or may not be any of these—I have three sekrit projects on the go. All collaborations with sekrit writers. One of these already has a proposal written so I’m very confident it will happen. The other two consist of enthusiasm and late night conversations. I am full of optimism but I wouldn’t lay odds on their completion just yet.

My 2008 publications:

    January: the short story I mentioned above, “Pashin’, Or the Worst Kiss Ever”.

    February: the paperback version of Magic’s Child hits the shelves! Which means the entire trilogy will be available for cheap! Plus there’s a mini-essay on writing the book at the back. Bonus! I am VERY excited about this!

    September (or thereabouts): the fairy novel for Bloomsbury! My first new novel in 18 months! Woo hoo! Dance and sing and party!

    And also the other short story mentioned above, “Lammas Day”.

You should also get hold of Cassandra Clare’s City of Ashes when it comes out. It’s the sequel to City of Bones and is even better. I loved it! Seriously, I read it in one sitting. When can I read the third one, Cassie? I need closure!

Maureen Johnson’s Suite Scarlett will be out in May. One of her best. In fact, if it had vampires or demons or zombies in it, I would say it was her very best. But for now I love it second only to Devilish.

E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is total genius. Remember how much I raved about Dramarama? This one’s even better. The only way she could surpass herself would be to throw in some zombies or demons or vampires. I’m just saying, E.

You’ll all be stunned to hear that my favourite book of 2007 was Kathleen Duey’s Skin Hunger. If you haven’t read it already, why not? Run to your nearest library or bookshop and get it NOW!

And make sure you all go see the Spiderwick movie. I can’t wait! Yay, Holly Black!

I think 2008 is going to be fabulous. But then even when I have really crap years I’m always full of optimism for the next one.

Happy new year, everyone!

  1. Bringing the number of countries the trilogy’s been published in up to nine. [↩]
  2. I’ve only read Scott’s—on account of I don’t think there are ARCs yet—but it’s brilliant and worth the price of the anthology alone. [↩]
  3. don’t ask [↩]

Posted by Justine at 0:00, 31 December 2007 under First Kiss, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Last Day of the Year, Love is Hell, Magic or Madness trilogy, Writing goals & milestones | 15 Comments »

Comments

  1. sERAFINA zANE Says:

    i am looking forward to all of those things.
    mostly city of ashes :–)
    (83 days!)

    December 31st, 2007 at 8:37 am

  2. jelly-wa Says:

    Fawesome!!!! :-)

    December 31st, 2007 at 9:03 am

  3. Lianne Says:

    Yes, 2008 should be awesome especially since the second X-Files movie finally comes out!

    Plus sequels to my fav books and brand new interesting ones too. I really can’t wait!

    December 31st, 2007 at 9:27 am

  4. anonymous Says:

    What a good year you have had. Congratulations!

    December 31st, 2007 at 9:38 am

  5. Jelly-wa Says:

    i thouhgt your book is called ultimate fairy book????

    December 31st, 2007 at 9:40 am

  6. emily Says:

    go justine! i’m so happy for your awesome year, especially because most of it turns into awesomeness for me (yay magic’s child!).

    my fave book published this year was girl at sea, by maureen johnson and i CANNOT WAIT (“cannot wait” should be in capitals, but i’m too lazy to do it) for suite scarlett. new book by maureen johnson= yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

    also, i cannot wait for kiss (then tell). it looks amazing!

    December 31st, 2007 at 12:20 pm

  7. maureen Says:

    happy new year, unicorns!

    December 31st, 2007 at 1:44 pm

  8. Micole Says:

    I am tired of vampires. They are passé.

    December 31st, 2007 at 1:45 pm

  9. 9. Justine Says:

    Micole: But E. and Maureen would do interesting different vampires. I’m sure of it.

    December 31st, 2007 at 1:47 pm

  10. Rebecca Says:

    i am excited for all those books! i can’t wait for the fairy book, yayyyyy!! it’s so far away, but that short story should help tide me over. :D thanks for recommending skin hunger too, b/c i loved it and i’d probably not have found it otherwise.

    Time to pick a new goal, methinks.

    yeah, me too. i read my resolutions in last year’s comments, and pardon me while i go and give a ginormous HAHAHAHAHA to my past self. i am swearing off new years resolutions. :P

    happy new year everyone!!

    December 31st, 2007 at 2:57 pm

  11. kim Says:

    happy new year justine and everyone!!!!!

    Bis dann!!! :)

    December 31st, 2007 at 9:28 pm

  12. Becky Says:

    Hey, just curious, what does “earned out” mean? I mean, I get the gist but can you explain more?

    January 1st, 2008 at 1:57 am

  13. Kadie-Wa Says:

    yes!!! 2008 is going to be a GREAT year for books!! I can’t wait!!

    January 1st, 2008 at 2:07 am

  14. Danica Says:

    Happy New Year! Just gotta say, I am completely stoked for Scarlett and Frankie. SO. STOKED. (Those last two words were in all caps, just so you know. Darn you Justine, stealing my capital letters. HOW IN THE WORLD CAN I PROPERLY EXPRESS MY ENTHUSIASM?!)

    January 1st, 2008 at 5:21 pm

  15. carrie Says:

    i can’t wait — skin hunger should be delivered tomorrow!

    Sounds like you had a great year and that 2008 will be loads of fun!

    And I completely agree — more zombies!!

    January 1st, 2008 at 9:46 pm

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