The Next Circle of Hell

Welcome Kristoff!

Kristoff!

How long were you in the previous circle of hell? What was querying like? What's your genre? Pull up a bucket of hot coals, stretch your feet out over the grill.

Hi Kristoff - welcome to hell!

Welcome Kristoff!

So this really sucks: I've been blogging pretty much every day to keep my mind off the negotiations that are still ongoing re. English language publication, and discovered last night that another blogger has plagiarized an entire post I put up last week.

Certainly does serve to focus the mind.

http://peggyblair.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/authorcourse-and-plagiarism-in-blogging/

lkp said:

...your editors are welcome to fly through my Holiday Airport of Doom as well.

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ROFL! May our editors sit together. Thanks for the laugh.
Mad

Welcome Kristoff!

{{Peggy}}

That's awful, Peggy. I hope you get an apology -- hey, maybe you can get a lot of publicity, become a cause celebre, and get a few extra bucks in your negotiation!!!

{Peggy}

Welcome Kristoff. What's your drink of choice?

Kristoff, welcome. Thanks for bringing along Eeyore (he'd make a good Hellion mascot).

Peggy, ugh on both counts. Hope the negotiations resolve soon. As for plagiarists, should be a special place in hell for them. We certainly wouldn't allow them in OUR circle.

And here's hoping editors stuff themselves so full of turkey or tofurkey that all they can manage is to stagger to the armchair and read.

So sorry to hear that you were plagiarized, Peggy. That's horrid. I'd follow lily's suggestion and see if you can get it pulled by the host.

*slinks in to Hell*

Hello everyone! If an editor doesn't request to read my MG on sub soon I'm going to crawl into a hole and never come back out. No response since end of last month when it was pitched. You'd think that someone would say they want to read it or it sounds stupid by now...wouldn't you? I'm pedaling like mad only to find out I'm on a stationary exercise bike.

Thanks for letting me rant. I know a lot of you guys who are waiting understand.

ETA: sorry to hear about your blog post being ripped off Peggy. I see you contacted the person and the web host. Hope something is done about it.
*slinks back out*

Welcome, to hell, JamieB!

Peggy, maybe if you contacted the person and asked them to provide credit and a link they'd do it. Otherwise, contact their host.

Jamie, the wait before the wait -- ugh. Maybe editors are so backlogged with manuscripts, they are slow to respond to new pitches, which would increase the backlog.

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. There is no way to contact the person who plagiarized my material other than by mailing the owner of the domain name - the email address for the site isn't active and there's no contact information. I tried posting comments asking for attribution and got no response. So I've filed a complaint with the server to try and get the material removed.

Meanwhile, agent says there's one little contract detail to work out and hopefully I'll have happier news tomorrow.

And thanks for suggesting Medievalist, Calla, she was terrific!

Wow, news tomorrow! The U.S. publishing world is in stasis this week and you will be the one with something to be thankful for...

Oh that's right, it is your Thanksgiving coming up, isn't it? We had ours a few weeks ago. Have a great one everybody!

JamieB said:

*slinks in to Hell*

Hello everyone! If an editor doesn't request to read my MG on sub soon I'm going to crawl into a hole and never come back out. No response since end of last month when it was pitched. You'd think that someone would say they want to read it or it sounds stupid by now...wouldn't you? I'm pedaling like mad only to find out I'm on a stationary exercise bike.

Thanks for letting me rant. I know a lot of you guys who are waiting understand.

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((JamieB)) This is yucky news, but it puts my own wait in perspective, and confirms what I have been thinking --- there are just as many agents and just as many writers, but fewer editors, and this autumn there is a huge logjam. What it *doesn't* mean is that there are fewer slots. It just means it is going to take a lot longer for our books to float through the system.

Sigh. But no response is not a rejection, so there is still lots of hope for your book.

Miss Plum said:

How long were you in the previous circle of hell? What was querying like? What's your genre? Pull up a bucket of hot coals, stretch your feet out over the grill.

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Thanks for the welcomes, all.

Miss Plum: I was only querying for about 10 weeks this time around (my first ms got no joy, so I drop-punted it after about 7 months). Querying went pretty damn well. 12 full requests, 4 offers of rep, and I landed one of my top picks. Most folks do it much harder than that. Bit of a dream run, really.

The MS is steampunk, with a shot of dystopian fantasy and a twist of feudal Japan.

Sweet Tea: I drink JD and Absolute Vodka (not together, unless it's been a real bad day)

Kristoff said:

Sweet Tea: I drink JD and Absolute Vodka (not together, unless it's been a real bad day)

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Ahhhh, you are singing sweet music to my ears. After the sh*tfest this day has been, I don't know whether to cuddle up with JD, or sleep with Prince Valium (work drama).

A Happy Thanksgiving note from my agent yesterday, with no indication of where we are in pub-land. Of course, since this is a holiday week, I don't expect much.

(ST shimmies off to fetch her favorite shot glass).

Lkp, I think you're right on the money. My UK agent told me that slots had filled up which was making it harder for him to find a home for my book. I think Frankfurt was good this year and the books and activity there took up a lot of spaces.

Btw, Hostgator has been really terrific. They've asked for 48 hours to try to resolve the situation with the (im)poster. I'll be blogging about what I've learned about plagiarism and how to deal with it tomorrow.

Thanks for all the support today!

Peggy, bad juju will befall the plagurist. Hope it all works out for you. Looking forward to resolution and your announcement.