Timeline for Successful Writing project

The process that resulted in Successful Writing for the Real World

by DeWitt Scott and Michael Krigline, 2008 -- www.krigline.com.cn

 Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press 外语教学与研究出版社

ISBN: 978-7-5600-7264-7; Chinese title: 高级实用英语写作
 

March 2002. Prof Zheng Shutang (郑树棠 - 上海交通大学) asked me to help with final proofreading and editing for New Horizon College English (新视野大学英语)—book 2—(because the original foreign expert had to leave China due to illness). He was impressed with my work and asked me to stay in Shanghai to work for him. But Vivian and I had already decided to move west, in the hope that our contribution would be more valuable away from the "developed East."

August 2002. Arrived at NPU in Xi'an (西北工业大学), where I was given an advanced writing class to teach; unable to find an adequate textbook, I started creating/adapting materials (including things from DeWitt Scott's handbook Secrets to Successful Writing)

Spring 2003. Dean Wang Jian and Prof Zhang Yi (of NPU) suggested that I "put all my notes together into a book." It sounded easy enough; little did I know!

July 2003. Began trying to find out who owns the copyright for Secrets to Successful Writing. Originally belonging to "Reference Software International," it had changed hands several times and eventually became the property of Novell, Inc. (Novell informed that Mr. Scott had passed away.)

August 2003. I used material from the unfinished book to teach advanced writing to English majors at NPU.

April 21, 2004. Novell Inc. liked the idea of helping students in China learn English, and graciously awarded me written permission (i.e., a contract) to supplement DeWitt's material in order to make it into a textbook for Chinese English learners.

Summer 2004. I paid someone to type DeWitt's book so that I could have it as a computer file. During the summer, the rest of the book also began to take shape.

August 29, 2004. I sent my first letter to a publisher about this project (responding to an inquiry made to this publisher by NPU professor Zhang Yi). In it, I stated that about half of the manuscript was finished.

September 2004. Pauline Dimond used material from the unfinished book to teach advanced writing to English majors at NPU.

November 19, 2004. I received email from FLTRP (Zhu Wenjie - commissioning editor) saying they would be glad to consider my manuscript when it was finished.

Spring 2005. Hospitalization (pneumonia, caused by an allergy to Xi'an's pollution) and the search for a job in a city with cleaner air put the project on hold for a while. However, the ability to "test" the manuscript was a priority in my job hunt.

August 2005. I sent the bulk of the manuscript to Pauline Dimond to "test it" on her students at NPU. I also started "testing" it in a class for English teachers at YNUBS in Kunming. Both groups provided comments over the next year that made the book better.

Spring 2006. I sent chunks of the book to various people (Chinese and foreign) for additional comments and corrections. Two former students (Helen and Ray - by now having graduated) carefully read the whole thing and helped me check the answer key. Everyone made comments and helped me find typos.

March 25, 2006. Prof Zheng came to Kunming to speak at a conference, and invited Vivian and I to join him for dinner. We also met a representative from FLTRP that night.

June 22, 2006. I had a local artist draw a "photo" of DeWitt Scott, based on the tiny photo on the back of his book. He did a great job. Cost: 80 RMB

Summer 2006. I sent several letters and faxes, seeking permission to use things (charts, etc) in the book. Some people/companies never responded. Most of those who did respond graciously gave permission to use their material in the book, but in August I discovered that I could not get permission to use any of the new articles I had chosen as examples. For one thing, I was not allowed to edit them (and the originals were too long), and for another the newspaper companies wanted a lot of money in order to give permission. The dictionary publisher did not give permission either. As a result, I had to do some major revision to the three journalism chapters, creating "sample" articles myself, and had to rewrite many definitions.

October 31, 2006. I sent email to Zheng Shutang, saying that the book was finally "finished" (in the "final" shape that was ready to send to the publisher; actually, both books were "ready"); I asked him about initiating a contract with the publisher.

October 31, 2006. Sent completed manuscript to FLTRP.

November 2006. Sent several letters asking if I could stipulate that a part of the profit for this book could go to help people in areas with poor educational facilities. In the end, I concluded that such an arrangement was not available in China.

November 17, 2006. I received my first letter from FLTRP's Duan Changcheng (commissioning department), who would evaluate the book to see if FLTRP would be willing and able to print it.

May 25, 2007. Contract signed with FLTRP. They would then begin the editorial process (which I expected to be a minor process since the book was functionally "ready to print"; I was wrong).

August 7, 2007. Received my last letter from Ms. Duan.

September 6, 2007. Received first letter from FLTRP's editor Deng Fuhua, who would help prepare my book for publication.

November 2007. The publisher told me about some things that had to be changed in order to comply with China's strict publication rules. In particular, I had to make major changes to the chapter on plagiarism.

December 29, 2007. FLTRP asks if they could send a pdf version of the "almost final" paper instead of the paper copy as specified in the contract. I agreed and received the files soon thereafter (though I didn't have time to look at them until after my exams in January).

January 16, 2008. FLTRP says that due to unforeseen "transportation limitations" the book needed to be published "before the lunar new year"; this meant they had until Feb 7 to fix whatever problems I found while proofreading over 450 pages in pdf format, which (though I didn't know it at the time) now contained hundreds of formatting errors. Over the next month, I put in a lot of hours to address the problems.

January 25, 2008. FLTRP and I agreed on a revised cover design. The cover was among the things that had to be decided "in a rush." My original design was rejected because it used a "world map" design (not allowed under China's publication rules).

January 29, 2008. I finished sending corrections for the "almost final" pdf files. FLTRP then worked for a week to enter the corrections.

February 4, 2008. FLTRP sent the "final" version, supposedly having corrected all the problems I found in the preceding version.

February 11, 2008. I sent FLTRP a 27-page document (plus attachments) to show how to fix the problems I had found on the "final" version. I would not see the book again until it was printed.

February 25, 2008. FLTRP sent a fax with the ISBN (978-7-5600-7264-7) and price (43.9 RMB). The book was now ready for the presses.

March 17, 2008. Got email from FLTRP that the book was printed and ready for distribution.

March 20, 2008. Sent over 3500 RMB to FLTRP to buy 100 copies of the book (I got 20 complimentary copies to give to those who helped with proofreading and other things).

March 31, 2008. The first boxes of books arrived.

April 2, 2008. Party held to open the boxes and celebrate the book's publication.

See our Website Standards and Use Policy regarding the sources of definitions used on this website.

This resource was created for teachers and students using the textbook Successful Writing for the Real World

© 2008 Michael Krigline, all rights reserved. People are allowed to print/copy this resource for personal or classroom use.

 (see Website Standards and Use Policy)