The Next Circle of Hell, Vol. 2

Shoeless

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
2,308
Reaction score
295
I'm having another one of those weird, Bad/Good days, where the on the one hand, I'm on sub, for two different books, and still getting that usual stress when the agent says stuff like "It's gone to second reads!" but on the other hand there's also the 100% fine stuff of the book that is already slotted to come out next year suddenly giving me good news that I wasn't expecting.
 

Shoeless

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
2,308
Reaction score
295
Well that sounds like good progress all around. What's the bad? :)

Oh just the usual "Chasing people to find out whether they want to request the MS or not and they're waffling." That's probably not a good sign.
 

Putputt

permanently suctioned to Buz's leg
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
5,448
Reaction score
2,980
Shoeless - Going to second reads is awesome! But also massively anxiety inducing, so yeah... YAY on the good news with the book that's out next year! Can't wait to see the cover, I bet it's going to be stunning.

I've sent out Book 2 to betas and have just spent the past few days twiddling my thumbs. I'm plotting New Shiny, but I suck so bad at plotting. It takes up way too much brain power figuring out what happens, so I've just been procrastinating. Someone please kick me into being more productive.
 

Earthling

I come in peace
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Messages
1,210
Reaction score
192
NinjaFingers, here is a fluffy kitten. Treat her well.

ETA: Does anyone have experience of submitting a proposal for a book not contracted (i.e. not part of a multi-book deal)? At what point in the first book's lifecycle did your agent submit the proposal?
 
Last edited:

Shoeless

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
2,308
Reaction score
295
NinjaFingers, here is a fluffy kitten. Treat her well.

ETA: Does anyone have experience of submitting a proposal for a book not contracted (i.e. not part of a multi-book deal)? At what point in the first book's lifecycle did your agent submit the proposal?

I'm actually going through this now. My first book won't be out until July next year, but my agent has already been talking about this, so we agreed that once I'm done with the current WIP, home stretch now, I'll get to work on a pitch, probably something along the lines of a super-rough two page synopsis, and then she'll use that.
 

januarycomet

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 28, 2016
Messages
224
Reaction score
64
::refills everyone's wine glasses::

Hey friends. Catching up here slowly! Congrats to all who have sold and sympathies to everyone still in the trenches. We just sent my last book off on its viking funeral in the form of an R&R. Trying to dig into a revision of the next book to get it ready to sub before the holidays.

It just feels like Live Die Repeat at this point lol. I hope everyone had a good summer!
 

Fuchsia Groan

Becoming a laptop-human hybrid
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 27, 2008
Messages
2,870
Reaction score
1,398
Location
The windswept northern wastes
ETA: Does anyone have experience of submitting a proposal for a book not contracted (i.e. not part of a multi-book deal)? At what point in the first book's lifecycle did your agent submit the proposal?

We submitted two proposals (successively, not simultaneously!) in the nearly yearlong interval between the editing process of Book 1 and its publication. The first was rejected, the second accepted. My publisher only requires three chapters/50 pages and a long synopsis, I think, but I wrote 130 pages of one and 75 of the other. The synopsis was really long, 7-8 pages single-spaced. NONE of those 75 pages or that synopsis ended up in the final book, so I guess I might be a cautionary tale of how not to sell on proposal.
 

Shoeless

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
2,308
Reaction score
295
NONE of those 75 pages or that synopsis ended up in the final book, so I guess I might be a cautionary tale of how not to sell on proposal.

As a committed Pantser, this is why I have no confidence in writing even a 2-page synopsis. Unless they let me get away with, "This is a story in which a conflict occurs... to characters! And then there is a struggle to resolve it, but it happens! THE END!"

That's about the only way I can guarantee the book will resemble the synopsis. Anything more detailed, including names, and the final result may stray far afield of what was originally promised.
 

Sonya Heaney

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 16, 2019
Messages
565
Reaction score
85
Location
Canberra
Ugh, the rejections are getting me down today. I may need kittens.

:( :(

You should be here with me in Romania. Everywhere I go I find kittens. They surrounded me at lunch the other day and sat there and stared until I fed them. I got all the lettuce from my salad. They got all the chicken.
 

leewhowrites

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 26, 2017
Messages
166
Reaction score
18
Hey everyone! Update from me: I'm on sub! I got the email on Thursday, but life has been hectic since then, so I haven't really had time to dwell on it until... well, until about ten minutes ago, actually :p I think it's because it's Sunday night and now every week night I'll be thinking 'oooh, what if tomorrow is the day??'. Plus, I'm wishfully thinking an editor may have read my book over the weekend and will obviously want to get their offer in at 9AM sharp tomorrow - HA.

Yes, so I'm out with 12 publishers here in the UK. Pretty much all of the major ones. Eek. I have all the editors' names and haven't done much Twitter stalking, which is good. We'll see what happens!

Hope everybody else is well!
 

Earthling

I come in peace
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Messages
1,210
Reaction score
192
Welcome, Lee! What's your book about?

Thanks for the proposal advice! I have my proposal all ready to go but my agent waits to wait. I am all the impatience.
 

leewhowrites

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 26, 2017
Messages
166
Reaction score
18
pinkbowvintage - Thank you! The anxiety has finally found me :D

Earthling - It's an MG fantasy about a young boy who becomes the guardian of a magical creature. In a nutshell.

Waiting sucks, btw, Earthling... why does being a writer involve so much of it?! D: Gah.
 

Putputt

permanently suctioned to Buz's leg
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
5,448
Reaction score
2,980
Good luck in sub hell, Lee!

January - ALL MY FINGERS ARE CROSSED FOR THE R&R!!!

So this morning, someone Tweeted that they read my short story and were blown away by it and it struck me that this was the first ever comment I've received about my writing from a complete stranger. It was such a lovely surprise. Hurrr. It's a tiny thing, but I still feel all *squee* about it, even now. :)
 

pinkbowvintage

♔
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 22, 2015
Messages
964
Reaction score
112
Location
Brooklyn
Aww PutPutt, I love that! Isn't that the best feeling?

I'm up to 42k on my WIP and I need to get to 75-80k by Nov 29. AHHHH. Why is writing so hard?! Today I came up with zero words.
 

Shoeless

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
2,308
Reaction score
295
I'm still on the yoyo of good news, bad news. On the one hand, I got some news about my debut that I can't really talk about yet, but it was enough to make me feel good. Then we got hit with the bad news of our cat of 15 years being diagnosed with stage 4 kidney failure, and urinary tract infection. So now we're doing the damage control cleaning up after her as she urinates everywhere, and also knowing that we've now probably only got two more months with her. A little more if we're lucky.
 

pinkbowvintage

♔
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 22, 2015
Messages
964
Reaction score
112
Location
Brooklyn
Oh no Shoeless. I'm so so sorry about your kitty I can't even tell you! :( That's so incredibly hard, animals are so special and the best <333 That's honestly some of the worst kind of pain.
 

CameronJohnston

Great Old One
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 7, 2017
Messages
1,201
Reaction score
119
Location
Glasgow, Scotland
Website
www.cameronjohnston.net
Good luck, Lee! All the fingers crossed for you.

Shoeless - I'm so, so sorry. I had to let my kitty of 15 years go just last week due to cancer :( I'm sure you will spoil your kitty rotten over whatever time you have left together.
 

Fuchsia Groan

Becoming a laptop-human hybrid
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 27, 2008
Messages
2,870
Reaction score
1,398
Location
The windswept northern wastes
I’m so sorry, Shoeless and Cameron! Cats, especially older cats, are the best writing buddies. My 14-year-old cat is having eating issues. Hoping she pulls through with good vet care, but there are no guarantees.

Has anyone read this? I have many thoughts about it, and few of us will ever be in this author’s situation, but it’s worth a look. Stories like this are why I’m obsessive about seeing royalty statements. Learning you didn’t earn out is a blow, but it’s better than finding out when your next book goes to acquisitions. I want ALL the numbers I can get. :)

https://medium.com/page-count/how-t...on-dollars-without-really-trying-d3c343675aca
 

Shoeless

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
2,308
Reaction score
295
Yeah, I've been following the hoo-hah in the wake of that article. Lots of stuff to process, both from the article and from what people have said afterward.

For good or bad, I don't think I'll have to worry about this.
 

Fuchsia Groan

Becoming a laptop-human hybrid
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 27, 2008
Messages
2,870
Reaction score
1,398
Location
The windswept northern wastes
Thanks, Sparverius! Wendig is wise. I especially like the part about treating any money from publishing like a demonic bargain. Not just funny but true, because money tends to lead to expectations of more money, and those expectations are dangerous.

Luckily for me, I guess, I have not had a six-figure deal, but I can see how having two of them in a very short time span would make it hard to keep those expectations at bay. You want to believe you’re a winner and will keep on winning. You want to believe that acclaim will translate into sales. That’s what’s “supposed” to happen, right? It’s a powerful belief.

Me, I was lucky enough to meet someone, before my debut was published, who warned me about all the things that are actually more likely to happen, speaking from their personal experience. I’m grateful for that.