Purgatory's Pit of Doom

MrsBrommers said:

I'll take a look, thanks.

I've been at this game for a while, over thirteen years at this point. I was the last of my crit group to sign with an agent. Most of my partners have gone on to get offers for publication. It's hard to keep my chin up some days. But I'm trying.

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*waves* I've been in the game a very long time too.

glad to hear your baby is better now.

Welcome, MrsBrommers, to the pits. We have smores! They taste a little funny, though. Maggots.*

I watched some stand-up to shake myself out of my depressed catatonia this weekend, and am now trying to remember the great line by Louis CK (from Hilarious): I'm trying to remain optimistic, and by that I mean stupid. Because that's what it means. He says it so much better than I do, though (amazing concert, see it!).

*it's a Pit theme. Don't be afraid.

Amarie said:

*waves* I've been in the game a very long time too.

glad to hear your baby is better now.

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I'll third that. I've signed every contract but a NY one. I won't consider myself a real author until I do.

{{{MrsBrommers}}} Glad your bebe is okay now.

{{{Mario}}} But Love Louis CK!

{{{Roly}}}

{{{Tri}}}

Ah, hell, {{{Pit}}}

*digs deeper into the Pit*

Got a double rejection today. Yes, I get it, people. My ms sucks.

(((Roly)))

(((Cricket)))

Welcome, MrsBrommers. Glad your babe is doing better. We have enough pain in the Pit without non-publishing events testing us.

Mario, I love that quote. Yes.

(((Cricket))) Why isn't a double rejection like a double negative, meaning it would become an acceptance? And yet is not. It just hurts twice as much.

MrsBrommers, I think you have found your natural home. Welcome.

I don't have an anxiety disorder. But I can relate to the way you say good news makes you feel.

{{{triceratops}}}

{{{roly}}}

{{{Cricket--ouch.}}}

I'm critting for one of my mates today. Then maybe some new words.

Mornin', Pit

Welcome, MrsBrommers, hate to see you here

{{{Tri}}}

{{Roly}}}

{{{Cricket}}}

Oh no, the Power of the Pit brought us another poor soul. Sorry you got sucked in, Mrs.

Welcome Mrs. I see you're from Missouri ending in -ee. I was born in Missouri (St. Louis area). My mother told me you could tell the natives from the non-natives by the pronunciation. She, however, pronounced it Misery and ended up in California.

we don't do much cheerleading in the pit, rah-rah is unpopular, and "chin up" is likely to get you bitten. I should warn you that when people get excited about agent news (I landed an agent! My agent loves my WIP she just wants me to change everything) you are more likely to get a sympathy card from me than congrats.

I've been at the game since 1984 (an appropriate year for my first complete MS) and I've worked with 8 agents (although I tend to lose count). Now I represent myself and I've sworn never to work with another agent Being beaten up a long time does different things to different people. I have become very subversive.

(((Tri))) (((Roly)))

(((Cricket))) Agree with Kell about the double negatives. Aren't they supposed to equal a positive?

(((Roly))), (((Cricket))), (((Tri)))

*Waves to Mrs. Brommers...

I received a very painful rejection yesterday, painful because it wasn't the usual "children's historical fiction just isn't selling," but pointed to something specific in my plotting -- something that could be fixed in revision, but I wasn't asked to revise.

So now I am feeling like the book sucks and will never sell.

I try to remember the motto: My book isn't any worse now than it was before I received the rejection, but that isn't helping.

9 editors still have the book. It's a lot -- but numbers don't help if the book sucks.

(((Teriann))) Probably the real reason was "children's historical fiction just isn't selling." The plot hole was a freebie. I don't like forms, but there is definitely something to be said for forms. They don't make you freak out quite so much.

Nine editors is a lot. I recall the feeling of having a big sub round -- when editors are reading, you have a chance, but it still feels like Ten Little Indians.

And yet I only have one editor reviewing and I'm Mrs. Kellion Editorname, planning what I'll do when an offer comes. *sigh*

(((Teri))) Sounds like the editor was looking for an excuse. I hate that.

My non-publishing Pittish news: My 6-year-old Civic needs the steering rack replaced. No warranty left anymore, of course. I could really use a book deal now to pay for this! I'm not greedy, just one big enough to cover the cost (minus agent fee and taxes) would do.

kellion92 said:

(((Teriann))) Probably the real reason was "children's historical fiction just isn't selling." The plot hole was a freebie. I don't like forms, but there is definitely something to be said for forms. They don't make you freak out quite so much.

Nine editors is a lot. I recall the feeling of having a big sub round -- when editors are reading, you have a chance, but it still feels like Ten Little Indians.

And yet I only have one editor reviewing and I'm Mrs. Kellion Editorname, planning what I'll do when an offer comes. *sigh*

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Ten Little Indians is perfect. The problem is I know I may never hear from the last few.

On Friday I sent out another pack of subs. This time I did it for a partially written novel (I was clear the book is not complete in the letter.) 12 editors, through the regular mail, received cover letter + short description + marketing analysis + 50 sample pages + synopsis.

I hate writing synopsis and all that, but I'd rather do a proposal package instead of write another whole book.

Get 1 rejection / send 12 proposals.

that's one way to prolong the pain.

Did anyone else see that Amanda Kn0x reportedly got $4 mil for her story? That's one big investment by the pub.

(((Ink))) That stinks. But if you get an offer, I hope it does more than pay your repair bill. Money coming in ought to pay for things you haven't bought yet, not expenses you've already paid and debt you've already incurred. Unfortunately, I'm working for my debt now.

Amarie, I don't know what to think of deals like the Kn0x one. If the publisher makes money, I don't have problem with celebrity or true crime deals. I believe that she was innocent so I'm not outraged on that account.

(((Ink))) Said it upstairs, but ouch. My car is eleven years old. I'm basically waiting for it to die.

(((Teri))) Oh yes, the waiting game. My MS is out to about the same number of editors right now. Feels less like hope and more like a slow death.

Kell,
I'm just trying to figure out how many books they'd have to sell to make back that investment and then make money on top of that.

{{{Teri}}}

{{{DVI}}}

Now that I've gotten curious about this Knox deal, I just looked up some numbers from an Authors' Guild article. The article says that if a hardcover is priced at $25, the gross return the publisher gets is $12.50. After author's royalty rate, cost of production and cost of returns, the publisher nets $4.75.

We don't know what the Knox book will sell for in hardcover or in ebook, but it's interesting to try to figure out just how many copies will have to sell.

I would be happy with such a small fraction of that 4 mil.

Ink only wants enough to fix her car.

Sigh. I guess prison memoirs have more appeal than children's historical fiction.

Amarie, I know that the readerships for Kn0x and my books are different. Thus, for my own mental protection, I will tell myself comparing my own book advance to hers is no more accurate than comparing it to an IPO, energy futures, or the auction of a Van Gogh.

Of course, I don't see how the publisher can make money. I don't understand how the numbers could work, and if they don't work, who is signing off on these deals? *shrug*