Manuscript turnaround

[Amy Z]

I wrote:

>> (3) they expect to start printing September 8 for a September 
> > 22 release date?!
> > 

Alexpie wrote:

> I'm not saying it's true, mind you, but it can be done.  I've 
worked in 
> publishing all my life, and a friend (a production editor; they 
are the uncredited 
> people who Get It Done)  just told me that he is being given a 
heavily 
> foot-noted, long, historical manuscript (which must include an 
index as well) on May 
> 17 with expectation of its being a bound book on July 19.  I'm not 
saying the 
> nex HP book /is/ being done on that sort of schedule (it would 
seem, based on 
> rumors, to have an even longer, and quite adequate one, in fact), 
I have no 
> knowledge whatsoever, I'm just saying that it /can/.

That *is* an impressive turnaround.  With HP, though, there's the 
matter of sheer numbers of books.  The initial print run of OP was 
8.5 million.  I don't know how long it takes to print that many 
volumes and get them to the stores, but two weeks sounds beyond 
tight.

But mostly the rumor falls down not because it couldn't be true, but 
because there's no reason to think it is.  It cites no one at all 
who is actually in the know, such as the publishers, JKR's agent, 
distributors, or printers.

Amy Z