Editing
I did the work that I needed to do at the beginning of the novel. It upped my word count.
It also made me want to print it out and send it out now.
I'm pretty sure that each time I go over the manuscript, I will be able to, and want to, edit something new. I do believe that I may have already edited something once, then upon reading it a third time, edited it back to the way it was the first time.
Instead of driving myself nuts, I think I'd better go ahead and submit it. We have to give the publishing editor a reason to draw a paycheck, no?
I've chosen to send it to Tor Books. And when I say "send" I do mean march right up to the secretary in their offices on 5th Avenue, and tell her to hand it to Patrick Nielsen Hayden. I remember a very long while ago, when again I was a hungry writer, there was a story about the writers of a book called "The Light At The End". It was said (I forget the source) that they had delivered their manuscript as bike messengers to the slushpile editor, who picked it up after he saw it, was gripped by the first few lines, continued reading it down the elevator on his way to lunch, and when he put it down, called the authors on the phone and offered them a deal. This story came from the 80's and I remember it like legend. Back then, I just knew I would be the next.
Well maybe this time.
What I like about Tor is that I only have to give them my first three chapters and I might hear from them in 6 months. I like that idea better than them having to read the whole thing before they know they don't like it, and take a year or more to tell me. If they don't like it, or it doesn't fit their idea, they should know within 3 chapters, no? And then cut me loose and let me go on to the next, since no publisher appears able to let other places read it at the same time. ("No simultaneous submissions!" they cry. Insecure much? Let a writer hedge his bets and cut off years of nail biting, cantcha?)
But I will still record a reading of it and approach Podiobooks. And if I can't bring myself to do it, I know a guy who might do it for me.
And then there's always my friendship with Matt Atherton, which continues to prove itself as being all right then.
It also made me want to print it out and send it out now.
I'm pretty sure that each time I go over the manuscript, I will be able to, and want to, edit something new. I do believe that I may have already edited something once, then upon reading it a third time, edited it back to the way it was the first time.
Instead of driving myself nuts, I think I'd better go ahead and submit it. We have to give the publishing editor a reason to draw a paycheck, no?
I've chosen to send it to Tor Books. And when I say "send" I do mean march right up to the secretary in their offices on 5th Avenue, and tell her to hand it to Patrick Nielsen Hayden. I remember a very long while ago, when again I was a hungry writer, there was a story about the writers of a book called "The Light At The End". It was said (I forget the source) that they had delivered their manuscript as bike messengers to the slushpile editor, who picked it up after he saw it, was gripped by the first few lines, continued reading it down the elevator on his way to lunch, and when he put it down, called the authors on the phone and offered them a deal. This story came from the 80's and I remember it like legend. Back then, I just knew I would be the next.
Well maybe this time.
What I like about Tor is that I only have to give them my first three chapters and I might hear from them in 6 months. I like that idea better than them having to read the whole thing before they know they don't like it, and take a year or more to tell me. If they don't like it, or it doesn't fit their idea, they should know within 3 chapters, no? And then cut me loose and let me go on to the next, since no publisher appears able to let other places read it at the same time. ("No simultaneous submissions!" they cry. Insecure much? Let a writer hedge his bets and cut off years of nail biting, cantcha?)
But I will still record a reading of it and approach Podiobooks. And if I can't bring myself to do it, I know a guy who might do it for me.
And then there's always my friendship with Matt Atherton, which continues to prove itself as being all right then.
posted by Me | 1/20/2007 10:56:00 PM
2 Comments:
Good Luck, and may Tor books be sending you a respectable publishing contract.
-Archive
Thank you. And wouldn't that be fine?
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