selling helps
Samhain editor: I have a strange question--did you submit a book to me?
me: The one with the references to Bewitched? Kind of weird?
SE: I'll buy it.
me: Are you sure? Have you read it?
SE: Sure I read it. I'll buy it.
It's the shape-shifting rat book erotica--by Summer, naturally, since anything by Kate goes via the agent and is mainstream And makes big bucks**, dang it.
Here's the Dear Abby situation though:
I'd submitted it to another epublisher who pointed out all sorts of things that were wrong with it. I fixed a few of the problems (not all, because I wasn't sure what some of the comments meant).
I appreciate epublisher two's time and useful suggestions. Do I tell them that um, never mind, I sold it to someone else?
So dang many ebooks a week come out, chances are epub two won't notice the book and I bet it could slide through without notice. But I don't want to be slimy...well any slimier than I already have been. They really did make great suggestions--and implied that if I made the changes, they'd buy the book.
Oh, and epub two also managed to save my butt with this story. The computer crashed and they sent me back a copy of it.
What do you think? I know, I know--epub two isn't lying awake at night, fretting over this sucker, wondering when I'll get the story back to them with changes. Still, one does want to Do The Right Thing.
But how would I write the letter?
Remember that story of mine that I submitted to you? And you gave me great comments about? Such fabu comments that I thanked you profusely? Remember it? I sold that to someone else. Thanks!
added for clarification: I didn't have a contract with publisher#2, just the hint that if I make the changes mentioned I'd get one. Jeepers, I'm not that slimy.
_______________________
**Irony alert.
You haven't sold it to Samhain yet, right? Then, IMO, the honorable thing is to give epub2 right of first refusal.
ReplyDeleteYou might also ask PBW this question, since she fields questions about the biz on Fridays, and (unlike me) she knows her shit.
Lime zest. Yeah. That's the stuff.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about it: pub2 could have put it under contract if they were determined to have the story.
They did the harl/sillhouette thing of seeing if a writer is capable of following directions before signing her.
What you SHOULD do is go back to them and tell them someone else is interested, do they want to match or beat the offer?
ReplyDeleteThis why people have agents....
Woah!
ReplyDeleteI just noticed that blogger comments are segregated!
What's up with that?
Nothing ominous -- I have two ways to comment in case one goes wonky. Actually I have two because Elsewhere had two and I like her blog.
ReplyDeleteAw, shucks! Thanks! Maybe I'll go post something now.
ReplyDelete