One Writer's Timeline

One of the most popular publishing questions: How long does X take?

Well, there is no set answer. AT ALL. But here is my timeline. (Does not include how long it took to write the books. That would take forever to dig up. This is just a business timeline.)

The main reason I thought of this post is, now that I'm waiting for Stuff To Happen with my second book, I keep trying to remember when Stuff Happened with my first book.

June 24th, 2005: Sent out first-ever batch of queries, for my first book SELKIE ROCK.
March 13th, 2006: Sent out first batch of queries for Magic Under Glass.
May 26th, 2008: Sent first batch of queries for Magic Under Glass v. 3, including one w/1st three chapters to Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
June 6th, 2008: Full request from Jennifer Laughran.
July 3rd, 2008: Offer of representation from Jennifer Laughran.
July 21st, 2008: Magic Under Glass goes out to editors.
August 13th, 2008: Accept offer from Bloomsbury.
January 13th, 2009: Receive contract for Magic Under Glass.
February 23rd, 2009: Receive check for Magic Under Glass.
March 31st, 2009: Receive editorial letter and line edits for Magic Under Glass. (The letter also was the first I heard of Magic Under Glass being published by Bloomsbury UK simultaneously, although it had obviously been in the works for awhile since the UK editor contributes to my editorial notes.)
mid-May: Magic Under Glass edits sent to editor.
June 3rd: My first look at the Magic Under Glass cover.
June 8th: Delivery and acceptance check for turning in Magic Under Glass revisions.
June 12th: Copy edits for Magic Under Glass arrive.
July 21st: Final pass pages arrive, along with the first ARC (more came a little later) and catalog with Magic Under Glass in it.
July 29th: Magic Under Glass UK cover.
September 1st: Magic Under Glass selected for Junior Library Guild for Spring 2010.
September 11th: First look at entire final jacket for Magic Under Glass.
September 14th: My second book, Between the Sea and Sky, turned in to my editor.
September 17th: First trade review for Magic Under Glass (Booklist). (Other reviews came in in a staggered way closer to the book's release.)
October 22nd: Receive cover flats for Magic Under Glass.
November 16th: Receive author copies for Magic Under Glass.
December 22nd: Book releases.
February 1st, 2010: Magic Under Glass releases in the UK.
mid-February, 2010: My agent sends my editor a proposal for 3rd book (Magic Under Stone).
March 11th, 2010: First foreign sale for Magic Under Glass (Spain).
March 18th, 2010: Offer for Magic Under Stone, second foreign sale for Magic Under Glass (Thailand).
April 1st, 2010: Magic Under Glass releases in Australia/New Zealand.
May 13th: Asked to contribute to Corsets and Clockwork anthology.
May 17th, 2010: Contract arrives for Magic Under Stone.
May 26th: Receive editorial letter for Between the Sea and Sky.
July 16th: Sent first round of edits for Between the Sea and Sky to editor.

And...that's where I'm at!