Purgatory's Pit of Doom

Yup, Nerdfu. I is fangurl. (And met SDK at a convention)

I love that this board here is two degrees of separation from everyone in the world, and that you can't tell a random anecdote without someone else filling in all the names...

*face plant*

Thanks, guys. Ugh. I feel like I've been beaten, run over, stabbed, and run over again by the ambulance as it came to pick me up. For the catch up on anyone who didn't know, got an R&R today from a pub with my full. It wasn't a rejection, but alas, it was an R&R. And some other R's, too, but who's counting?

K. Taylor said:

Catwoman, you dated Steve d3 Kn1ght?

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Ha! How ever did you figure that out from what I said?! Er, yes I did.

(slinks back under the anonymous rock from which she came from)

Catwoman, I've been active in BTVS fandom since '99. We keep track of what all the writers and producers and actors have done since because we liked their work.

Dragonfly45 said:

*face plant*

Thanks, guys. Ugh. I feel like I've been beaten, run over, stabbed, and run over again by the ambulance as it came to pick me up. For the catch up on anyone who didn't know, got an R&R today from a pub with my full. It wasn't a rejection, but alas, it was an R&R. And some other R's, too, but who's counting?

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An R&R is great. I think this happens with most first novels. A lot of editors want the revisions done before they offer the contract because with a first novel, they want to make sure the author can do it.

I think most book contracts come at least 6 months past the point where the author has collapsed from nervous exhaustion.

I've been divebombing everyone with reps, I didn't realize how much feedback my little rant caused. Thank you, everyone.

I'd heard of the "Pinkberry" clip, thank you Lisa for finally motivating me to watch that. That's a bunch of actual agents too, having a good laugh at how movies get made.
Me, I could write a great apocalyptic action movie. That stuff is easy - when in doubt, blow something up.

Teri- yes, I do realize that. I should've clarified the hardest part of this...the revisions are something I don't know if I WANT to do, because they'd make it less of thriller and more of a romantic suspense. Basically the pub line is a lot softer, and mine is very gritty, hard-boiled. So I can't decide if I think the revision is something that is a good thing or not, especially with this particular manuscript. It's a really hard call for me.

{{{Amarie}}}

More {{{}}} for Mario.

Happy Birthday, Colby. Yay on the R/R but boo on the passes, especially on your bday.

I've written a couple of screenplays. I came thisclose to getting one made. Everything aligned. (Really, it's a great story.) Anyway, the actor I'd written it for liked it, although he wanted more dialogue...and $$$ up front. The dialogue, no problem. The $$$? Big problem.

Dragon: After I posted, I figured that was what you were struggling with. It sort of depends on how much you want that particular publisher.

An R&R is a tough decision. But it means that they like your writing, Dragonstar, and that it's good enough to publish, even if it's not right for them at the moment. Keep going!

*bows to KT's nerdfu*

(((Dragonfly))) But as was said elsewhere, they like your writing. That's a great thing! And you can keep subbing the story in its current form while you decide if you want to try revising. No reason you can't have two versions of it.

Woke up chipper this morning. This can't be a good omen.

*hides from Ink's chipperness*

*applies more bandaids to Colby's wounds*

Mornin', Pit

{{{Dragon}}} What Kell said.

(((Colby)))) First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! and next, think it over a few days and see how you feel before deciding.

I am now where Ink was not long ago...throw up mode. Sent new MS off to agent last night. Picking flower petals. Will she love it? Will she hate it?

Gutton for punishment that I am, I have a whole new proposal ready to go out. This is on top of a record number of things being read by a record number of editors.

(Haven't heard much lately other then -- "we still reading and considering.") Oh, and one editor asked for a partial and then ignored a very very nice 3 month query. I just crossed her off the list.

What do you do when you hurt somewhere? You pinch yourself hard somewhere else. We've already agreed that tenacity is closely related to stupidity. I'm way, way beyond stupid.

Having lots of stuff does sort of dilute the pain. Kellion mentioned how how it feels when your novel is your baby. I'm sort of like the old woman who lived in a shoe. I just beat my books soundly and put them to bed.

ETA: So far I am NOT the poster child for the go-it-alone model. Well. All I can say is it took me 20 years to sell 2 books working with agents. So anything in under 5 years would be an improvement.

Teriann said:

Dragon: After I posted, I figured that was what you were struggling with. It sort of depends on how much you want that particular publisher.

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THIS. And how much do you want it pubbed now, instead of later. The epub that accepted my ms originally suggested I turn it into erotica for their erotic line. I said I'd rather it stay contemp. Had the contemp line turned it down, I still wouldn't have changed it to erotica, but that's because it's not the future I see for myself.

I did consider it for a split second tho.

(((colby))) I have a lot less back bone than you. I did an R and R on PRETTY AMY- added the exact thing I had "taken out" of the MS (a romance). Both editors said books without romance don't sell...
it did make the book better, but i also feel like I sold-out a bit.

We are all trying to sell a book, and that's not the same thing as selling out. I would do an R&R if I thought A) it would work B) I had a pretty good chance at a contract at the end. I had an "almost" R&R from an editor a couple months ago, and I did not pursue it because A) it wouldn't have worked (chopping the length from 65,000 words to 25,000) and B) the editor was very junior, and I didn't trust her judgment or believe that she could push my book through acquisitions, even if cutting 2/3 of the lengths produced something fantastic.

kellion92 said:

We are all trying to sell a book, and that's not the same thing as selling out. I would do an R&R if I thought A) it would work B) I had a pretty good chance at a contract at the end. I had an "almost" R&R from an editor a couple months ago, and I did not pursue it because A) it wouldn't have worked (chopping the length from 65,000 words to 25,000) and B) the editor was very junior, and I didn't trust her judgment or believe that she could push my book through acquisitions, even if cutting 2/3 of the lengths produced something fantastic.

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i didn't mean to sound like a jerk. i hope i didn't, but I took a hard-line about having written a "friendship" book... in YA esp. unfortunately everyone wants a boy to like. that's what i learned from my r & r...
oh and also i know nothing about what works obvs.

kellion92 said:

We are all trying to sell a book, and that's not the same thing as selling out. I would do an R&R if I thought A) it would work B) I had a pretty good chance at a contract at the end. I had an "almost" R&R from an editor a couple months ago, and I did not pursue it because A) it wouldn't have worked (chopping the length from 65,000 words to 25,000) and B) the editor was very junior, and I didn't trust her judgment or believe that she could push my book through acquisitions, even if cutting 2/3 of the lengths produced something fantastic.

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I am with Kell. Selling and selling out mean pretty much the same thing.

The time not to do the revision is if you dont think there will be a sale, or if the sale isn't worth it. I don't see myself writing erotica, so if that was the deal I wouldn't take it. But if someone feels the way I do, but needs the money and sees a possible sale but doesn't want to head that direction, there are always pen names.

I get it, Silver -- you wanted a story about female friendship, and to get it out there, you wrote a story about female friends who find love with cute boys. It's what more readers want to read.

kellion92 said:

I get it, Silver -- you wanted a story about female friendship, and to get it out there, you wrote a story about female friends who find love with cute boys. It's what more readers want to read.

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EXACTLY!
the book still says all the things i want it to say, but it also says cute boys rule which well, i'm not that into

silver76 said:

i didn't mean to sound like a jerk. i hope i didn't, but I took a hard-line about having written a "friendship" book... in YA esp. unfortunately everyone wants a boy to like. that's what i learned from my r & r...
oh and also i know nothing about what works obvs.

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You sounded nothing like a jerk.

Re selling out, I've called myself a publishing whore.

True story (wait, all my stories are true!). When I submitted a story to mags, I struggled with whether to include a scene. I decided the story worked better without it, so I left it out. When I got the contract, I learned they paid by the page. Immediately I Wondered if I could sneak the extra scene back in. I wanted the extra money.

Artistic integrity? Out the window.

Yeah, selling a YA book with girl characters but no romance is possible. But so is winning the lottery. It's gonna happen to someone, but odds are it ain't gonna be you.

And yes, agreed that there's a difference between revising to sell and selling out. But then again, there's a time and a place for selling out too.