New Things! January 17, 2012

I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the whole, “New Year, new resolutions/plans/goals/dreams” thing. I don’t think people should limit themselves to a certain time of year for setting goals – it just doesn’t make sense.

I believe you should set a goal whenever the time is right and you’re prepared to follow through (April 14th, 2011 worked really well for me AND my waistline).

That being said, a lot of people stand by the whole, “New Year, fresh start” thing and I’ve got to admit, my life seems to want to fit this mould in 2012. (I really hope the Mayans were wrong, as this is shaping up to be an awesome year…)

Here’s what’s up with me so far:

New house – we bought a fabulous home that’s absolutely perfect for our family (or, at least it will be once the renos are done)

New book – I finished my second YA novel, tentatively titled INTO DARKNESS PEERING late last year, which means taking it out on submission this year

New website (and updated blog) – I know I posted about it earlier, but I just gave the blog a facelift so it’s like everything is new again, dahling

And…

(Drum roll, please.)

New agent!

Yup, you read that right. I have a new agent. I signed the contract today to make it all official-like, so I can finally announce I am now represented by Becky Vinter at FinePrint Literary Management.

*SQUEE!*

Seriously, this is a super *squee* moment. Every time I think about it, my mouth splits into this ridiculous grin and my stomach does this fluttery thing that makes me wonder if I’m perhaps a little drunk. (I’m not.)

I don’t know about you, but I happen to think FinePrint is an absolutely stupendous agency, and I’ve got to say, Becky is one amazing agent! I know you think I’m biased because she said nice things about my book (which is very true, flattery will get you everywhere with me), but this wasn’t my first foray into the agent-hunting waters and I had some very specific agents/agencies in mind when I queried this time around.

Gee, Cheryl, could that last announcement really have come more out of the blue?

I suspect some of you are wondering how my writing blog went from, “OMG, we’re taking Nikko out on submission soon!” to, “ZOMG, I have a new agent and I’m all totally in lurve with the writing world again!” with a lovely interlude of chirping crickets, social events, and family baking.

Let’s just say stuff happened and leave it at that for now. I tried many times over the past couple of months to write a post explaining what was going on – this is my blog about my writing journey and I plan on staying true to that purpose – but each time I deleted it. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t tell you how I was feeling (and struggling with those feelings) while still in the middle of everything.

My journey isn’t over, not by a long shot.

Once I come down from my giggly, omg-i-have-an-agent high I’ll make another attempt at posting some of what I’ve been keeping in the dark. Please don’t come by expecting dirt or a rant. Nothing I have to say is unusual or unexpected in publishing, and I have no ill will toward anyone I’ve met or worked with so far; in fact, it’s just the opposite. The writing and publishing community is hugely wonderful and I’m so glad I stepped onto this path in 2009.

So, what happened is basically…

Things change.

Sometimes we aren’t expecting those changes.

We keep on keepin’ on and eventually new things happen.

Sometimes those new things are amazing.

C.

W8-BEN Form for Authors May 31, 2011

Now that I have the coveted ITIN (even though I am still waiting for my passport to be returned), I need to provide my publisher with a W8-BEN form. Given the pickiness involved in filling out the W7 to get the ITIN, to say I was paranoid about filling in the W8 would be an understatement.

That is, until I found this amazing blog post. Canadian authors, this is for you!

http://angelasstone.livejournal.com/15902.html

In other news, I got my line edits from my agent last night and she says the manuscript is ready to go out on submission! *happy dance*

C.

Get Rich Writing? HAHAHA May 8, 2011

 

Author/agent Mandy Hubbard posted an amazing article on her blog about the honest truth behind advances and how much writers get paid. She gives concrete numbers from typical $2,000.00 advances through to what people think of as massive $500,000.00 three book deals.

Her openess and honesty is fabulous, and her breakdown of the numbers provided a new insight for me. I had no idea that if you sign a multi-book deal, you get an advance for all of the books on signing. I assumed you got the advance for the first book, then got the second later, etc. While a large sum to start may sound good, take a look at how quickly that income drops off – unless you can write even more books than the three (or however many) books you’re under contract for during those three to four years, you’re not looking at a steady stream of income.

This is definitely an article worth bookmarking.

http://mandyhubbard.livejournal.com/249542.html

As an aside, The Firestorm Conspiracy is at the top of the list for To Be Reads over at Galaxy Express:

http://www.thegalaxyexpress.net/2011/05/sfr-news-and-links-for-may-2011.html

One week to until launch, folks! Can you believe it?

C.

Update Time January 24, 2011

I’ve been silent for a week and I didn’t want you to think I’d run off to Mexico with the pool boy or died or something.

Honestly? I’ve been swamped with the math textbook. I’m still glad I accepted the contract, but the amount of focused thought required to get through as few as 200 words is frequently mind-boggling. It isn’t unusual for it to take me more than two hours to write out the fully worked solution to one of the student questions.

There are times where the pace of my progress is painfully slow (see above), and others where I feel like I’ve accomplished something – and by something, I don’t mean 1000+ words, more like 350+. I’m roughly halfway through the student portion of the contract and hope to send the pages off by the end of the first week of February.

My deadline isn’t until the 28th of February, but I want to get some feedback on the workbook pages before I create the corresponding teacher guide pages. If I’ve messed up with one, I don’t want to have to re-write both.

While it seems like I’m giving myself quite a bit of wiggle room with regards to the deadline, it’s not as much of a buffer as it may first appear – I also have report cards to write at the end of February/beginning of March. And, at some point soon, my agent will be sending me her notes on my ms and I REALLY want to be able to work on those.

So, it may seem like I’m ignoring you with my extended periods between posts, but I’m not.

Okay, let’s be honest, I am, but it’s for a good cause.

*wanders off to explore another mathematical concept*

C.

Done! Done! DONE! July 30, 2010

The deadline for the first round of edits was today, and after working through the eight-page list from my publisher I sent off the revised ms this evening.

I am done! Done! DONE! Wooooooooooooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooo!

I’d love to write an exciting post detailing my travails as I powered through 153 pages today, but frankly, my brain is mush and I am going to spend my night running around my neighbourhood shouting, “WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP!”

Please tune in tomorrow for a (hopefully) more coherent post.

C.

I Have an Editor! July 8, 2010

Last night I received an email from my editor at Lyrical Press. She sent me a lovely email with many attachments and a timeline. I am super excited, but also a little daunted.

I have some more paperwork to fill out (a 4-page long form) and some “pre-editing” to do; all before the end of the month. The form is very detailed and I can see why she’s giving me nine days to complete it. As for the pre-edits, she sent me eight pages of things (over-used words, passive voice, POV shifts, incorrectly used words, etc) I have to search for in my MS before sending it to her for her first major pass through.

In order to help me out, she also sent a checklist that I can use to make sure I pre-edit for everything. It’s two pages long… but aside from being somewhat daunting, I am honestly looking forward to getting down to work.

The challenge is going to be balancing this work (which is contractual and will result in income) with my personal goal to complete the first draft of Nikko’s Bond by the end of the month (which is the book the agent wants to see and could result in income…). Plus, I have to remember I have a family who want to see me once and a while.

C.

Publisher Package June 15, 2010

My “Getting Started” package arrived from Lyrical Press Inc. today! I was taking a brain break from writing reports for work when the email came through, and my poor friend who was on gchat with me can attest to the *SQUEE* factor when I saw the email in my box.

The package consists of several files related to my book (such as one where I get to describe my vision for the cover of my book – *SQUEE!!!*), and a couple of PDFs related to royalty statements and tax forms. I will be sitting down this weekend to focus on filling out the forms that have to be returned. I am very excited about this next phase in my writing journey!

C.

WEbook Update June 10, 2010

My first page in the Page to Fame competition was elevated to the second round a little while ago, and I realized with all the excitement of the book deal I haven’t mentioned it since.

I took some time to edit and review the first five pages. I even had a few trusted beta readers go through them before posting the submission on Saturday. There is a 3-day delay between when the ratings are submitted and when the contestants get to see them, so I only started seeing how my sample was doing yesterday.

As of this afternoon, I have 14 ratings and I am thrilled to report that they are all 4s and 5s – a 100% elevation rate! I know it’s super early, but it’s really good on the ego to see it even if it won’t last.

C.

PS: I signed and mailed off the book contract this afternoon. Once the publishers receive the copies, they will send me their welcome package!

Waiting Games June 9, 2010

The publisher and I have been communicating back and forth ever since the offer to publish The Firestorm Conspiracy arrived on Saturday. We have, I hope, reached an agreement on the contract language, and I am now waiting for the revised version so I can show it to a lawyer before signing.

What happened to waiting to land an agent, you ask? Well, two things. One, over half have already replied with standard form rejections. One expressed interest, but only if she thought she could use the contract offer to move the book to a larger publishing house (this press is too small for the level of clients she works with). And two, a very nice agent sent me a personal message assuring me that I didn’t actually NEED an agent for this deal. She took the time to discuss the ebook industry with me, and left me feeling confident that I could handle things on my own for this deal.

As I posted earlier, I spent a lot of time reading blogs and articles on contract negotiations. Aside from the web (especially Kristin Nelson’s blog), I found the book, The Craft and Business of Writing (published by Writer’s Digest) to be incredibly helpful. One of the articles examines several key contract elements and provides “good,” “better,” and “best” rewording options for each clause. This proved invaluable when I began to discuss the specifics within the contract with the publisher.

Now I am waiting for the revised contract to arrive. I am trying to be patient, but it’s hard. You may think I’m excited about seeing my book published (and I am), but what’s really getting me going is the prospect of working with a professional editor to make my manuscript ready for publication. Think of all the things I’ll learn!!!

C.

Book Deal Day #2 June 7, 2010

Operation ‘Land an Agent’ is off to a roaring start. Of the 12 I queried over the weekend, five have already responded. Four sent form rejections, and one expressed an interest in seeing my work!

Now before you get all excited, you need to know the interest ultimately led to a rejection. Still, it was exciting for the few hours of waiting.

I am not expecting any of the agents to jump on this opportunity, but I want to cover my bases before signing on the dotted line. I fully intend on negotiating a few items in the contract before I sign, but after having done some hefty research into the publisher today, I feel comfortable working with them to publish my book.

In fact, I decided to ask a few questions of my own about the contract this morning. True to the reputation I discovered in my reasearch, my questions were answered promptly later the same day. I asked about their editorial vision for my manuscript (it’s sci-fi and I didn’t want to sign and discover they wanted to turn it into red hot erotica), how well sci-fi sells as a ebook genre (not as well as romance and erotica), and I asked about a certain clause that seemed to hinder future publishers of sequels should I take the sequels to a different publisher.

The publisher answered all my questions to my satisfaction, and offered to change the wording regarding the clause related to derivative works.

I still fluctuate between disbelief and a dawning realization that the next stage in my writing career has arrived, but no matter what, I am ready to learn everything along the road ahead.

C.