Check received with contract?

Darzian · Sep 24, 2008

CaroGirl said:
If people are that gullible they deserve to be duped. Come on, people. This scenario is so bizarre it's laughable. It's like reading Swift's A Modest Proposal and thinking, "Hey, that's a good idea!"

To tell you the truth, before I started to research about publishing, I was under the impression that authors submit directly to publishers and nearly always get accepted. Insane isn't it?

It just shows how far the general public are mislead. I would not have had any issues with this lady's blog (except for the supposed despicable deception). Now I know otherwise.

Such blogs are just one reason for the unawareness of the general public about the typical life of an author. The only authors who come on TV are the really successful ones. Many of them do talk about the difficulties of publishing but most people don't care much for that. Why? Because these writers did get published, so how hard could it be?

I personally dislike false propaganda. The strange thing is that I am not sure what she could possibly get out of this. She's going to a lot of work to do all this.

CaroGirl · Sep 24, 2008

Darzian said:
To tell you the truth, before I started to research about publishing, I was under the impression that authors submit directly to publishers and nearly always get accepted. Insane isn't it?

It just shows how far the general public are mislead. I would not have had any issues with this lady's blog (except for the supposed despicable deception). Now I know otherwise.

Such blogs are just one reason for the unawareness of the general public about the typical life of an author. The only authors who come on TV are the really successful ones. Many of them do talk about the difficulties of publishing but most people don't care much for that. Why? Because these writers did get published, so how hard could it be?

I personally dislike false propaganda. The strange thing is that I am not sure what she could possibly get out of this. She's going to a lot of work to do all this.

To smell a rat, you don't have to know much about publishing. You probably have to know a bit about business in general (like anyone who's ever had a job) to realize no one mails a cheque to anyone until contracts are signed. My company didn't send my first paycheque to me when they sent the contract. I hadn't SIGNED IT YET plus I hadn't yet done the work.

Also, I can't imagine it would be that easy to trick a bunch of business people into having lunch with you. Even if you could manage it, how would you get them to stay when they discover they have no idea who you are? Time is money and professionals don't waste it.

As to WHY she might do this, I can only guess. Attention is my first thought.

Darzian · Sep 24, 2008

Well yes, valid thoughts. I agree with everything there. The very idea that you get a cheque without a formal agreement is ludicrous. I was just pointing out the part where her story is apparently accepted so easily by a big publisher.

QUOTE
As to WHY she might do this, I can only guess. Attention is my first thought
UNQOTE

Well, she's getting plenty of that here. 100+ replies!

PS: She had her entire manuscript in her purse? :Shrug:

Kats · Sep 24, 2008

Wow, what a crazy story. I love the part about tricking people into having lunch with her and making them pay for it (as if that's a good thing!).

Stacia Kane · Sep 24, 2008

I love the part where she hands an envelope (because all novel-length manuscripts fit in envelopes; they're only, oh, four hundred pages long) to the editor and says "Here's my latest manuscript! Call me if there's any problems!" and the editor doesn't say, "You're not one of my writers, because trust me I do know all their names, so why are you giving this to me?"

Or just toss the thing unopened when s/he gets back to work.

Sheryl Nantus · Sep 24, 2008

DecemberQuinn said:
I love the part where she hands an envelope (because all novel-length manuscripts fit in envelopes; they're only, oh, four hundred pages long) to the editor and says "Here's my latest manuscript! Call me if there's any problems!" and the editor doesn't say, "You're not one of my writers, because trust me I do know all their names, so why are you giving this to me?"

Or just toss the thing unopened when s/he gets back to work.

which is why it just isn't believable.

I've noticed this with chronic liars - they tend to NOT see the silliness in what they post. They don't do their homework and figure out how to make it seem logical.

I'd not only toss the manuscript I'd be calling the cops, getting a retraining order and warning all my collegues to keep away from this nutcase. Stalking is Not A Good Thing, even more so when it seems like it's her hobby.

priceless1 · Sep 24, 2008

Unless someone wrote the same exact manuscript, she submitted this to us. Editors don't get "conned" into lunches, and they certainly are never conned into paying out checks. In fact, it's nearly impossible to do, even for little spuds like us. Reason being, the contract has to be signed first. Otherwise the accountants and attorneys scream bloody murder. Secondly, checks normally require two signatures and/or the approval of the submissions committee. It's difficult to imagine an entire submissions committee be that stupid - and still be in business. This is fiction, pure and simple.

Bubastes · Sep 24, 2008

Whoa, seriously? Wait, your company publishes only non-fiction personal stories, right? So much for that WHOLE WEEK of research she did. Apparently it didn't include reading submission guidelines.

Grrarrgh · Sep 24, 2008

Did anyone else read the post where she suddenly realized that she writes exactly like Paul Sheldon (MC in Stephen King's Misery) and that she had to bang the entire manuscript out on an old Royal typewriter without using the backspace key? She would light a cigarette and it would burn all the way down without her ever taking a drag on it because her hands were just too busy typing to be bothered picking it up. :crazy:

BenPanced · Sep 24, 2008

Isn't that how all writers work?

Well, not me. I also have an open bottle of whiskey next to my ashtray. I don't use a glass; those take too much time to fill so I just drink straight from the bottle.

priceless1 · Sep 24, 2008

MeowGirl said:
Whoa, seriously? Wait, your company publishes only non-fiction personal stories, right? So much for that WHOLE WEEK of research she did. Apparently it didn't include reading submission guidelines.

Sad to say, but many, many writers either don't read the submission guidelines, or they think they're written to keep out the tourists.

Christine N. · Sep 24, 2008

And wouldn't you, as an editor, notice that the name on the manuscript WASN'T the same as the name of the person (with the common sounding name) you just had lunch with? Not that people don't use pen names, but she had to have her real name and contact info on the manuscript to get the contract. So somewhere on there SHOULD have been the fake name - how did she manage that?

Sheryl Nantus · Sep 24, 2008

BenPanced said:
Isn't that how all writers work?

Well, not me. I also have an open bottle of whiskey next to my ashtray. I don't use a glass; those take too much time to fill so I just drink straight from the bottle.

in college I used to have cheap Canadian sherry. Five bucks a bottle back in 1983.

Lord, it was sweet.

did the Camels as well - had to do the angsty-drunken-smoking writer thang.

thank GOD I got it all out of my system.

sounds like you passed on a winner there, P.- after all, she then went and sold it to A Big Publishing House, doncha know.

FennelGiraffe · Sep 24, 2008

The commenter who disturbs me is this guy: here and here. Unless there's a case of identity theft going on, he ought to know better.

Bufty · Sep 24, 2008

Who says it was accepted by a big publisher? She does, but who else?

Darzian said:
I was just pointing out the part where her story is apparently accepted so easily by a big publisher.

DeadlyAccurate · Sep 24, 2008

He's one of my MySpace friends, so I sent him a message asking if he knows about the posts. If he doesn't, he should be aware of how his name is being used.

Darzian · Sep 24, 2008

Bufty said:
Who says it was accepted by a big publisher? She does, but who else?

What I had earlier said:

I was just pointing out the part where her story is apparently accepted so easily by a big publisher.

To a normal person, it likely would not seem all that unusual that MS s are accepted so easily. We, writers, know otherwise. And the efficient management of her blog in her favor is only helping get that across.

Okay never mind that anyway. There is no excuse for anyone buying that story- it has way too many flaws.

Deadly accurate- let us know how it goes. If he was never on that site- then this is very unpleasant.

Mel · Sep 24, 2008

Was wondering if anyone could contact him to find out if he really did post those messages. Be interesting to hear what he says.

priceless1 · Sep 24, 2008

Christine N. said:
And wouldn't you, as an editor, notice that the name on the manuscript WASN'T the same as the name of the person (with the common sounding name) you just had lunch with? Not that people don't use pen names, but she had to have her real name and contact info on the manuscript to get the contract. So somewhere on there SHOULD have been the fake name - how did she manage that?

To be honest, I wouldn't get conned into a lunch in the first place. I usually establish some sort of phone relationship first. I mean, why waste both our time if it's something I'm not interested in? This scenario just doesn't happen.

Secondly, if her sights were on the large publishers, why submit to us? Doesn't make sense. Now agents do this - meaning I'll get manuscripts sent to me from very good agents even though they still have big publishers who are interested because they realize I can get the book out faster than two years, and that I put out a quality product, have distribution, reviews, blah, blah, blah.

Authors, on the other hand, have no insight on this, and they would stick with the large presses and stay there until all their options were depleted - which would be pretty fast since many of those publishers won't accept unagented submissions.

Stacia Kane · Sep 24, 2008

priceless1 said:
Unless someone wrote the same exact manuscript, she submitted this to us. Editors don't get "conned" into lunches, and they certainly are never conned into paying out checks. In fact, it's nearly impossible to do, even for little spuds like us. Reason being, the contract has to be signed first. Otherwise the accountants and attorneys scream bloody murder. Secondly, checks normally require two signatures and/or the approval of the submissions committee. It's difficult to imagine an entire submissions committee be that stupid - and still be in business. This is fiction, pure and simple.

Wait, she submitted this how-I-got-published story? I'm confused (and probably stupid as everyone else gets it. Sorry.)

DeadlyAccurate · Sep 24, 2008

DeadlyAccurate said:
He's one of my MySpace friends, so I sent him a message asking if he knows about the posts. If he doesn't, he should be aware of how his name is being used.

Just a quick update that he did confirm the posts were his. It wouldn't be polite to share his emails, but I will say he was quite kind and gracious in his replies to me.

Stacia Kane · Sep 24, 2008

Isaac Espriu said:
I think priceless means she submitted the 'manuscript-in-a-purse'. There are samples of it all over her blog.

Aaaah. Thanks, duh.

EriRae · Sep 25, 2008

DeadlyAccurate: was he doing research?

Check received with contract?

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