That's right! It'll be interesting to see some fans' heads explode. Like the Harry-Hermione 'shippers who retreated to their own personal bubble after HBP and refused to acknowledge what JKR wrote.

Re. Harry Potter, I'm not sure what I'm looking forward to more: finding out how it ends or watching fandom reactions to how things end.

I know! Because no matter what happens in the final book, there will be some portion of fandom that flips right out.

I'ma flip right out cause it's over.

I might end up pulling what I pulled when Return of the King came out. I refused for weeks to go see it cause I didn't want it to be over cause I loved it so much.

I hope JKR eventually does write the Encyclopedia of Harry Potter and His World book that she mentioned in an interview after HBP was released. It would be a good way for her to finally print the extensive backstory she created for so many of the secondary (and tertiary!) characters.

I would love to see that.

Although, I am such a dork that save the backstories, I could write one. Joe won't watch the movies with me anymore cause I kept yelling, "WRONG!" at the screen.

It would be a good way for her to finally print the extensive backstory she created for so many of the secondary (and tertiary!) characters.

Talk about a Fan Fiction source book.

[link]

Ok. Looks like she finished the book on 11 January. It's being releases 21 July. Is this enough time to edit and such? I am not knowing how that works.

Is this enough time to edit and such?

I'm sure they'll have multiple editors on it anyway.

Is this enough time to edit and such?

I'm sure they'll have multiple editors on it anyway.

I would be willing to bet she only has one editor. But there will be a whole production team in place -- copyeditor, proofreader, typesetter, blah blah. And when you're publishing the bulk of your year's profits in one book, rushing it through (and paying for rush fees) is not a big deal.

One reason more time is usually involved is because you need to sell it in to the chains. Not necessary in this case. All the presale work is done. The cover's done, and aside from adjusting the spine width, it's good to go, printwise. The whole process really doesn't take very long -- it's just that most books need advanced reading copies (or galleys) to send out to reviewers, etc., beforehand, and the selling I mentioned. Rowling's book doesn't need any of that.

One of the reasons books ought to take more than 6 months to get into print is that authors (especially authors on deadline) have a habit of leaving in truly boneheaded mistakes, and we like to take as much time and effort as possible to find and excise them before the printers start rolling. As I recall, the 4th HP book had a lot of errors, little continuity mistakes and wrong-name stuff not homophones or something basic that a copyeditor could catch cold. Some of them could be corrected in reprints, but I think some others required retcon gymnastics in the 5th volume, or authorial fanon.

(If you've ever read Deanna Hoak's blog, she can explain what kind of ardor fiction copyediting really takes: not just making sure everything is coherent and in English, but checking to make sure that a frigate doesn't suddenly turn into a sloop 100 pages later. Imagine doing that over several volumes worth of material!)

Also, I mean, usually when an author has more time in production, there is more time for the editor to reach the threshold number of hammer-blows to the head to convince the author that the book is 200 pages too long. Having a sure bestseller on your hands means that, from a financial point of view, the book is never too long; but that's not necessarily true from an aesthetic standpoint.

(COUGHstephenKingCOUGH)