DIVERGENT: An Editorial Love Story

(2011 marks the year that books that I've both acquired & edited begin making their way out into the world, so this is the second post in a new blog series: editorial love stories! Hope you'll enjoy reading some behind-the-scenes tidbits about the books I've been busy making.)

I'm a few days late with this post since I was traveling last week, but I trust that its author will forgive my tardiness.

I'm here today to tell you that a little over a year ago, I fell in love with a manuscript, and I fell in love with it hard. Like, up-all-night-reading-it love. Like, thinking-about-it-nonstop love. Like, holy-crap-I-can't-wait-for-the-whole-world-to-get-to-read-this-too love. (Which, really, is how editorial love always feels, but that doesn't make the heart-pounding giddiness any less wonderful each time that it happens.) Fast-forward one very busy year of editing and book-making later and I'm delighted that it's finally the whole world's turn to fall in love with DIVERGENT.

And so that I'm not just repeating myself all over the internet, I'll point you toward this interview and also to this one--in both of them, I share in-depth details about the thrilling experience of acquiring and editing this book. Here on my own blog, I'll just say this: every editor should have the joy of working on book like DIVERGENT, where an incredible story is matched by equally-incredible writing, and happiest of all, by a truly incredible author. Veronica Roth regularly teaches me wise things about storytelling, and about being a remarkable human being who lives her life with both simplicity and great intention. I'm humbled and honored to work alongside her as she creates her books.

Want to help celebrate the publication of DIVERGENT? Well, then, here's a few things you can do:

1. Follow Veronica's blog, where she regularly posts things both funny and profound. Ditto her Twitter account.
2. Check out the book trailer, as well as this clip of Veronica talking about DIVERGENT.
3. Start making plans now to attend one of Veronica's book signings in Canada in May, or as part of the Dark Days tour in June. (Or ALA Annual if you're a librarian or NCTE/ALAN if you're an English teacher.)
4. Find out which faction you'd be by taking the quiz on the DIVERGENT Facebook page (where you can stay up-to-date on exciting DIVERGENT news!)
5. Buy a copy of DIVERGENT! Or, start by reading a free sample. (Just don't say that I didn't warn you that this book might cause your own up-all-night-reading, can't-stop-thinking-about-it love story!)