This week I have had two interesting things happening, well three actually. I received an email from an agent who I had sent a query to nearly 8 weeks ago, asking to read my "chapters" because she said she was "trying to avoid the genre" but "couldn't resist" my offer. How lovely. The chapters went back by return click.
On the same day an Irish publisher sent me a rather confusing email. It said that they were full up currently but I could send it again next year, when I'd continued to edit it. This wasn't a guarantee of publication, only that I could go through the process again. I asked them to clarify what they meant, so they sent me a longer email, suggesting I try the Mercier Press, which don't take unagented books, but I could send them a query letter.
Meanwhile I had been negotiating with an editor about giving the book a critical read and giving me some notes... but she wanted £450 - paid in advance, so I will wait and see what the agent says and then perhaps get it done. I don't know, I don't really want the book edited again, which is what she was suggesting..I just want a bit of advice. Why does it have to be so expesive?
This is a dream I had about a fortnight before this post, after being offered an edit (unwanted), of my novel for £500.
On the same day an Irish publisher sent me a rather confusing email. It said that they were full up currently but I could send it again next year, when I'd continued to edit it. This wasn't a guarantee of publication, only that I could go through the process again. I asked them to clarify what they meant, so they sent me a longer email, suggesting I try the Mercier Press, which don't take unagented books, but I could send them a query letter.
Meanwhile I had been negotiating with an editor about giving the book a critical read and giving me some notes... but she wanted £450 - paid in advance, so I will wait and see what the agent says and then perhaps get it done. I don't know, I don't really want the book edited again, which is what she was suggesting..I just want a bit of advice. Why does it have to be so expesive?
This is a dream I had about a fortnight before this post, after being offered an edit (unwanted), of my novel for £500.
I dreamed that the house (not this house, another one) was
full of young men, all involved in publishing, chiefly editors. They were here because they wanted to edit my
book, and I was trying to placate them with booze. They were drinking the house dry and getting
increasingly drunk, one of them offered to edit the book for £150 for me. I was pleased with that, but then became
preoccupied with the state of the house, which was full of empty bottles and
glasses and mess. I think I invited one
of the editors to go and have dinner out or something, so that we could
continue our discussions. They were all
young and fairly attractive, one of them a bit like that French actor I clocked
for Connor, Sylvain Dieudonne...
Clearly I was not happy about the rampaging greed of editors,
shocked at how much they had drunk and how I had no wine left in the
cellar. Clearly I did not want to spend
my hard earned cash on an otiose re-edit.
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