My son and I spoke about Kurt Vonnegut on the drive to school this morning. At first, I was afraid that I didn't have a Vonnegut story for him (I'm middle-aged, so I've actually met a lot of the authors I admire), but, to my amazement, I had enough to say to get him to promise to read Slaughterhouse Five after the new Terry Prachet (you cannot believe how awesome it is to have a child who likes the same kind of fiction you do - the day he came home from school and said that 1984 was his favorite book, my heart jumped and melted simultaneously).
I read Slaughterhouse Five in high school while learning about science fiction and great American novels. I read it around the same time I read Catch 22 and thought it a much better book about the Vietnam War through the prism of WWII experiences. And when I look back on things, I realize just how influential and ground-breaking Vonnegut was in the 70's. There would be no Hitchhikers Guide without him.
He gave one of my writers a quote in the early 2000's and I used it to sell her novel, but one of the much younger editors at that house said, "Can't she get anybody else? Does anybody read Vonnegut any more?" and I was devastated.
I've always felt that an author who can transcend genre and make his work both literature and commerc1al fiction is a true genius. There are very few. Vonnegut was one of the best.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Freedom Seder
I've been back from Canada for a few days, but immensely busy. I have closed on four of the 14 books I had offers on (which means we have come to an agreement on the contract terms) and am still negotiating the rest. Since we are now knee-deep in the Passover/Easter holidays, quite a few of the editors are out of the office until next week.
And I am too. I actually close my office and go to Church on Good Friday. Since my mother is a minister and has worked on Easter Sunday for most of my life, I have been cooking and serving the leg of lamb for over 2 decades. A few years ago, I realized that it's just impossible to serve dinner for 12 on Sunday and then work full steam ahead on Monday, so I close the office on Easter Monday too, just to give myself a day to catch my breath.
This year, one of my clients invited me and my son to her home for their Seder. My son and I used to share the holidays with another Jewish family when he was much younger, but it's been years since he's been to this kind of religious meal, so I thought it would be good for all of us. She said she didn't follow the traditional readings, but had adapted the Seder to her family.
When I asked what we could bring, she mentioned that she would appreciate it if we would share a story about freedom, but we were not obligated to do so.
What she had done was re-write the Seder service around the theme of freedom, tying the Jewish expulsion from Egypt with slavery and oppression including letters from children about Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and Anne Frank. She had about 30 people at the Seder and many of them spoke about their personal experiences with oppression and freedom.
It was quite a inspiring evening, and a terrific sharing experience.
And I am too. I actually close my office and go to Church on Good Friday. Since my mother is a minister and has worked on Easter Sunday for most of my life, I have been cooking and serving the leg of lamb for over 2 decades. A few years ago, I realized that it's just impossible to serve dinner for 12 on Sunday and then work full steam ahead on Monday, so I close the office on Easter Monday too, just to give myself a day to catch my breath.
This year, one of my clients invited me and my son to her home for their Seder. My son and I used to share the holidays with another Jewish family when he was much younger, but it's been years since he's been to this kind of religious meal, so I thought it would be good for all of us. She said she didn't follow the traditional readings, but had adapted the Seder to her family.
When I asked what we could bring, she mentioned that she would appreciate it if we would share a story about freedom, but we were not obligated to do so.
What she had done was re-write the Seder service around the theme of freedom, tying the Jewish expulsion from Egypt with slavery and oppression including letters from children about Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and Anne Frank. She had about 30 people at the Seder and many of them spoke about their personal experiences with oppression and freedom.
It was quite a inspiring evening, and a terrific sharing experience.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Quick post to my post
I leave in the morning for a conference, so I'm harried, but one of you wrote in that the terms "severely edited" and "heavily negotiated" scared the bone marrow out of you.
As an update, I have not closed on a single one of those aforementioned titles, although phone calls have been placed back and forth. I don't list sales on Publisher's Marketplace until they are done. It's both bad luck and bad form.
Of the 14 titles I'm juggling offers on, 13 are nonfiction. The author/editor meetings were with celebrity clients (publicity always wants to see what they are really like), an expert who is on the verge of getting her own spot on a talk show, and another expert who is trying to brand herself. These are not the kind of author/editor meetings most of you will be dealing with.
For first novels, an editor only meets with an author when they've purchased the book and they think they'll be working with the author again.
As an update, I have not closed on a single one of those aforementioned titles, although phone calls have been placed back and forth. I don't list sales on Publisher's Marketplace until they are done. It's both bad luck and bad form.
Of the 14 titles I'm juggling offers on, 13 are nonfiction. The author/editor meetings were with celebrity clients (publicity always wants to see what they are really like), an expert who is on the verge of getting her own spot on a talk show, and another expert who is trying to brand herself. These are not the kind of author/editor meetings most of you will be dealing with.
For first novels, an editor only meets with an author when they've purchased the book and they think they'll be working with the author again.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Days in the Life
I've been wanting to write the "Day in the Life" post for a while, but the days have been too busy, which is why I'm writing this on the weekend.
Either I am having a particularly busy season, or I've managed to expand my workload too much.
Right now, I have 14 books that I am juggling offers on. I think this is a record. I usually sell one or two books a week, so this is almost overwhelming. I actually had one editor email me that she wanted to make me an offer on Wednesday, and I told her I wouldn't be able to talk to her until Friday.
Part of the reason why I'm so busy is that I have had to schedule author/editor meetings, which means I am out of the office for non-lunch hours. I had three such meetings late this week. and although blackberrys and cell phone have made it so that we are supposed to be on call every minute of every day, they don't work on the New York City subway system, which is how I get downtown.
When I say I'm juggling 14 book offers, that means that almost every one of them needs to be severely negotiated, or editorially restructured before we go to contract, so there is a lot of back and forth on every book. I have been waiting since early January for an increase in the advance on two of the books (the company was purchased and I can get more money from the new company if I let the editor make my case, so we wait).
What this means for me is that I feel like I'm doing the same thing every week and hardly getting ahead.
I try to only have 20 books on submission at a time. As soon as one sells, I'll move another forward. Right now, I think I have 30, because I was expecting to close on these 14 books quicker. This means that I have about 5 books in the line and no time to get them out.
And there just seems like there is no time to read, although I did read and line edit two client's proposals while going back and forth. And I've probably sifted through another 100 query letters this week.
What I wanted to do with the Day in the Life post is actually give you a real day of my work. I am hoping to do that next week, but it's a short week because I am heading out to a convention at the end of the week.
Either I am having a particularly busy season, or I've managed to expand my workload too much.
Right now, I have 14 books that I am juggling offers on. I think this is a record. I usually sell one or two books a week, so this is almost overwhelming. I actually had one editor email me that she wanted to make me an offer on Wednesday, and I told her I wouldn't be able to talk to her until Friday.
Part of the reason why I'm so busy is that I have had to schedule author/editor meetings, which means I am out of the office for non-lunch hours. I had three such meetings late this week. and although blackberrys and cell phone have made it so that we are supposed to be on call every minute of every day, they don't work on the New York City subway system, which is how I get downtown.
When I say I'm juggling 14 book offers, that means that almost every one of them needs to be severely negotiated, or editorially restructured before we go to contract, so there is a lot of back and forth on every book. I have been waiting since early January for an increase in the advance on two of the books (the company was purchased and I can get more money from the new company if I let the editor make my case, so we wait).
What this means for me is that I feel like I'm doing the same thing every week and hardly getting ahead.
I try to only have 20 books on submission at a time. As soon as one sells, I'll move another forward. Right now, I think I have 30, because I was expecting to close on these 14 books quicker. This means that I have about 5 books in the line and no time to get them out.
And there just seems like there is no time to read, although I did read and line edit two client's proposals while going back and forth. And I've probably sifted through another 100 query letters this week.
What I wanted to do with the Day in the Life post is actually give you a real day of my work. I am hoping to do that next week, but it's a short week because I am heading out to a convention at the end of the week.
Monday, March 19, 2007
True Confessions of an Agent
I didn't read a thing this weekend.
Not even the New York Times.
And I feel really guilty.
My son is on a national robotics competition and I have been up at 7 to drive him downtown. I am re-doing my home (painting, new rugs, new floors, new furniture) and constantly moving new furniture, putting up paintings, and cleaning out stuff I no longer want. And then we went out for St. Pat's (a family tradition of corned beef and cabbage).
Up again on Sunday morning. My son had asked his grandmother and a neighbor we call "his extra grandmother" to come see him at the competition, so I decided I better feed them if they are out all day at this robot stuff, so I cooked a turkey and brownies before I left at noon and had dinner for five when we got back. Cleaned up. Passed out.
My son's team won top honors and they are going to the nationals in Atlanta, as is the high school's second robot team, a rookie team made up of all girls!!!!
I read a manuscript in the monring before I started work at 10 (instead of working out). I've done almost all the email unsolicteds that came in today (none have I requested). It's time to break for lunch, but I feel that I'm already behind.
Not even the New York Times.
And I feel really guilty.
My son is on a national robotics competition and I have been up at 7 to drive him downtown. I am re-doing my home (painting, new rugs, new floors, new furniture) and constantly moving new furniture, putting up paintings, and cleaning out stuff I no longer want. And then we went out for St. Pat's (a family tradition of corned beef and cabbage).
Up again on Sunday morning. My son had asked his grandmother and a neighbor we call "his extra grandmother" to come see him at the competition, so I decided I better feed them if they are out all day at this robot stuff, so I cooked a turkey and brownies before I left at noon and had dinner for five when we got back. Cleaned up. Passed out.
My son's team won top honors and they are going to the nationals in Atlanta, as is the high school's second robot team, a rookie team made up of all girls!!!!
I read a manuscript in the monring before I started work at 10 (instead of working out). I've done almost all the email unsolicteds that came in today (none have I requested). It's time to break for lunch, but I feel that I'm already behind.
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