Book Contract III -- Conclusion
Well, "conclusion" for now. Because I hope to truly conclude this story in the NEAR (I hope) future with a post titled, Got My Contract! :-)
So picking up from where I left off yesterday...Friday morning, January 4, I wrote back to the editor who had turned down my proposal. I asked if she would be willing to look at it again if I changed some of the issues that caused them to reject my book. I'm not naturally a very pushy person. Sometimes I wish I were, because pushy people seem to get things in life that we non-pushy people don't. So it took great courage for me to actually send that email.
I had a dentist appointment that morning. Figured that sitting in a dentist chair with someone else's hands in my mouth would take my mind off the fact that I'd actually been audacious enough to send that email to a big wig editor from a big wig Christian publisher. Well, the dentist appointment was only a cleaning and check up. (And I got a CLEAN bill of dental health, I'm pleased to announce.) Had lunch with my hubby, then I came home. Turned on the computer. Opened Outlook Express. And Voila! There was another email from the editor. To be perfectly honest, I thought she might not have answered so soon. She's been so sweet, was sweet in person, so I wasn't as trembly this time when I opened it. I knew it wouldn't be hate mail or anything like that. lol. I was also very anxious to read her answer, so I clicked on it right away and the first words I read were... "Hi Lianne." Of course those were the first words, you say. So the really important words, that came right after the greeting were... "Sure, I’d be happy to look at it again."
Yippee!!! I did the Snoopy Dance, break dance, hula dance...whatever dance you want to insert there...so not really. Just in my head. But I did get on the phone right away and call my mom.
Those weren't the only words the editor wrote. In fact, when I saw those blessed first words, then saw the length of the email, I got even more excited. It was a long email. Now, you have to understand, these folks are busy people. They have stacks and hoards of proposals and raw manuscripts junking up their desks. Or their inboxes, now with the innovation of email. In any case, they're busy people and they just don't have the time to be spending alot of it on new or wannabe writers like me. I'm sure alot of them would LOVE to have the time to help out new authors. But this kind lady did take the time to tell me some things that might help me with rewrites on this story. I'd post the whole email here, but I don't know if that would be a good idea, so I'll just give some hightlights.
Basically she said that making suggestions is a hard thing, that the story has to work as a whole. Then she said that my exotic setting (Brazil) would be a hard sell, because publishers usually like to try to stick with the tried and true. BUT...she said that with my personal experiences living in Brazil, that I was uniquely fit to write that setting, and encouraged me to keep it set there. Yey! Points for me. :) She went on to say that while they had my proposal, she'd asked another editor to look at it. Now, I'm just a wanna be writer here, I've never been an editor, I'm not sure of the whole process. But my logic tells me that if she showed it to another editor, then maybe it's because she thought it was pretty good. Yey! More points for me. **grin** Then she gave me two writing suggestions. Not plot, but writing. She said I did a pretty good job in the beginning with describing the setting, but to be careful not to make it sound like a travelogue. Funny thing. My good friend Judy had used that same word, and that same admonition. The other thing the editor said was that, having an underlying message is fine, but not to slap the reader in the face with it. Great points, advice taken.
So now I'm back to square one. Or maybe square two, because I do have a sort of "open invitation" to submit this again. I've made a contact that I didn't have before, with someone who is important in this business. And she's open to hearing from me again. :) So that's why I say I'm very encouraged by all of this. I have not heard beans from the other editor. I may have to get "pushy" and write to him to ask if he even got my proposal. Because with email, ya never know.
Have a great day, and come back tomorrow. I hope to have something posted. :)
So picking up from where I left off yesterday...Friday morning, January 4, I wrote back to the editor who had turned down my proposal. I asked if she would be willing to look at it again if I changed some of the issues that caused them to reject my book. I'm not naturally a very pushy person. Sometimes I wish I were, because pushy people seem to get things in life that we non-pushy people don't. So it took great courage for me to actually send that email.
I had a dentist appointment that morning. Figured that sitting in a dentist chair with someone else's hands in my mouth would take my mind off the fact that I'd actually been audacious enough to send that email to a big wig editor from a big wig Christian publisher. Well, the dentist appointment was only a cleaning and check up. (And I got a CLEAN bill of dental health, I'm pleased to announce.) Had lunch with my hubby, then I came home. Turned on the computer. Opened Outlook Express. And Voila! There was another email from the editor. To be perfectly honest, I thought she might not have answered so soon. She's been so sweet, was sweet in person, so I wasn't as trembly this time when I opened it. I knew it wouldn't be hate mail or anything like that. lol. I was also very anxious to read her answer, so I clicked on it right away and the first words I read were... "Hi Lianne." Of course those were the first words, you say. So the really important words, that came right after the greeting were... "Sure, I’d be happy to look at it again."
Yippee!!! I did the Snoopy Dance, break dance, hula dance...whatever dance you want to insert there...so not really. Just in my head. But I did get on the phone right away and call my mom.
Those weren't the only words the editor wrote. In fact, when I saw those blessed first words, then saw the length of the email, I got even more excited. It was a long email. Now, you have to understand, these folks are busy people. They have stacks and hoards of proposals and raw manuscripts junking up their desks. Or their inboxes, now with the innovation of email. In any case, they're busy people and they just don't have the time to be spending alot of it on new or wannabe writers like me. I'm sure alot of them would LOVE to have the time to help out new authors. But this kind lady did take the time to tell me some things that might help me with rewrites on this story. I'd post the whole email here, but I don't know if that would be a good idea, so I'll just give some hightlights.
Basically she said that making suggestions is a hard thing, that the story has to work as a whole. Then she said that my exotic setting (Brazil) would be a hard sell, because publishers usually like to try to stick with the tried and true. BUT...she said that with my personal experiences living in Brazil, that I was uniquely fit to write that setting, and encouraged me to keep it set there. Yey! Points for me. :) She went on to say that while they had my proposal, she'd asked another editor to look at it. Now, I'm just a wanna be writer here, I've never been an editor, I'm not sure of the whole process. But my logic tells me that if she showed it to another editor, then maybe it's because she thought it was pretty good. Yey! More points for me. **grin** Then she gave me two writing suggestions. Not plot, but writing. She said I did a pretty good job in the beginning with describing the setting, but to be careful not to make it sound like a travelogue. Funny thing. My good friend Judy had used that same word, and that same admonition. The other thing the editor said was that, having an underlying message is fine, but not to slap the reader in the face with it. Great points, advice taken.
So now I'm back to square one. Or maybe square two, because I do have a sort of "open invitation" to submit this again. I've made a contact that I didn't have before, with someone who is important in this business. And she's open to hearing from me again. :) So that's why I say I'm very encouraged by all of this. I have not heard beans from the other editor. I may have to get "pushy" and write to him to ask if he even got my proposal. Because with email, ya never know.
Have a great day, and come back tomorrow. I hope to have something posted. :)
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