25 Library Terrace cover

A very exciting email appeared in my inbox last week.
Unbound have been working away behind the scenes to design the cover for 25 Library Terrace.
Isn’t it glorious?
The white text, purple background, and green front door are the colours of the suffragettes, seen on their banners and on their medals. And the house you can see here is just as I describe it in the book.
All of a sudden this feels very real, and I had a lump in my throat as I opened the file.

Unbound have also released a statement from John Mitchinson about the publication date which I am happy to share with you.

Dear Reader,

You will notice over the course of the next few days that the target for 25 Library Terrace will disappear.

This is because we have moved the book's status to pre-order. This means we can absolutely commit to a publication date of May 2025, which is good news for Natalie and all her loyal readers. All the reward levels and signed copies will still be available for a few months more – and we hope you will be tempted to upgrade. And you’ll still get your name printed as a supporter in the back of the book. The only difference is that if you do upgrade, you will now do so with the absolute certainty that this wonderful novel will be in your hands next spring.

With very best wishes,

John Mitchinson, Publisher

Tomorrow is the first of November, and the first of May is just six months away.
So what happens next?
Well, the editing is complete and Unbound have sent the manuscript for typesetting. This means they can produce printed “proof” copies.
Proofs will be sent out to booksellers, to journalists and to bloggers to show them how the book will look and feel, and of course, so they can read it in advance of publication. In fact pledging for a proof copy, which will be sent out long before the general release, is one of the options on the pledge list. You can see this on the Unbound website here., so if you would like to be an early reader, you have that option.

After the typesetting and printing of proofs, there is a final proofreading check.
Sometimes it is easier to see an extra comma or a missing capital letter on the printed page when the manuscript is in book form than it is to find it on a screen or even an ordinary A4 printout. Typesetting is also a human process, not a purely digital one, so occasionally tiny errors occur, and a proof copy is therefore the last “catch” for fact-checking and for minor tweaks and adjustments.

Next week I am meeting with Unbound’s marketing team and we will discuss how best to throw open the green front door of 25 Library Terrace and invite everyone in.
I can’t wait for you to walk into the kitchen, sit down at the big table and meet Ursula, Finlay, Isobel and Keith (among others).

Over the next few weeks I’ll tell you more about the design process for the cover, and the choices which were made in creating it..
And I’ll tell you a little more about a real house in Edinburgh which was discovered a few years ago, almost undisturbed since it was built.

Natalie