The Speed of Light
January 10, 2007
Okay, today is Wednesday. No wonder I'm feeling so damned breathless. Here's what's happened since Friday:
1. I got an e-mail on Friday from my agent updating this writing stuff. She more or less asked what I was doing. I told her, and one of the things I told her was that I was playing around with a novel for kids. She commented that I should put together a proposal--2 chapters and a brief synopsis--on this concept for a YA series involving a very famous adventure story that she and an editor friend had discussed, only make the characters younger. She also asked to read what I had going on the kids' novel, which was about 25 pages. So I sent it off to her. She got back to me in a couple hours saying she loved it and I really should put together a proposal for her on this concept she had going with an editor friend of hers.
2. I start thinking about this proposal and and conducting a little research and finally, on Sunday, started working on it. It's slow going.
3. On Monday I get a phone call from one of my biggest clients, who wants to pin me down for some long reports in 2007. We discuss it and come up with deadlines and figures and he says he will e-mail me the contract ASAP. It is, by the way, for about half of last year's total income. I work some more on the proposal, frantically now, because I've got a bit too much on my plate with this new nonfiction contract and I can't dither on these projects. One is due at the end of February, but it's the shortest and I can't start it until the surveys are completed, one's due on June 1 and it's big and another is due in September and it's big, but I can't start it either until the surveys are complete, so I can already tell I'll be juggling projects.
4. I receive the contract, sign it, fax it off. I will receive 1/2 upfront, so January's looking pretty damned good. I decide that since I'm still working on the 4th Derek Stillwater novel (due October 1) that I need to get this other proposal out of the way, so I spend the rest of the day finishing it, then send it off to my agent (thank God for e-mail). About an hour later I get a response saying she loved it and she's sending it to her editor friend.
5. Wednesday morning. I get an e-mail probably sent last night from my agent saying the editor read it, liked it and wants to see a copy of The Devil's Pitchfork so she can have proof that I can actually finish a manuscript. So that's where I am now. And this whole thing started on FRIDAY!
Over the weekend Dory sent me an e-birthday card with a frog fairy on it saying it came around with a stick to grant happiness and she hoped it would come around and beat the shit out of me.
Daayummm. Be careful what you wish for. Despite myself, I'm pretty excited about this proposal although I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic (that is to say, low-key). But man, this is all happening fast.
Best,
Mark Terry
Okay, today is Wednesday. No wonder I'm feeling so damned breathless. Here's what's happened since Friday:
1. I got an e-mail on Friday from my agent updating this writing stuff. She more or less asked what I was doing. I told her, and one of the things I told her was that I was playing around with a novel for kids. She commented that I should put together a proposal--2 chapters and a brief synopsis--on this concept for a YA series involving a very famous adventure story that she and an editor friend had discussed, only make the characters younger. She also asked to read what I had going on the kids' novel, which was about 25 pages. So I sent it off to her. She got back to me in a couple hours saying she loved it and I really should put together a proposal for her on this concept she had going with an editor friend of hers.
2. I start thinking about this proposal and and conducting a little research and finally, on Sunday, started working on it. It's slow going.
3. On Monday I get a phone call from one of my biggest clients, who wants to pin me down for some long reports in 2007. We discuss it and come up with deadlines and figures and he says he will e-mail me the contract ASAP. It is, by the way, for about half of last year's total income. I work some more on the proposal, frantically now, because I've got a bit too much on my plate with this new nonfiction contract and I can't dither on these projects. One is due at the end of February, but it's the shortest and I can't start it until the surveys are completed, one's due on June 1 and it's big and another is due in September and it's big, but I can't start it either until the surveys are complete, so I can already tell I'll be juggling projects.
4. I receive the contract, sign it, fax it off. I will receive 1/2 upfront, so January's looking pretty damned good. I decide that since I'm still working on the 4th Derek Stillwater novel (due October 1) that I need to get this other proposal out of the way, so I spend the rest of the day finishing it, then send it off to my agent (thank God for e-mail). About an hour later I get a response saying she loved it and she's sending it to her editor friend.
5. Wednesday morning. I get an e-mail probably sent last night from my agent saying the editor read it, liked it and wants to see a copy of The Devil's Pitchfork so she can have proof that I can actually finish a manuscript. So that's where I am now. And this whole thing started on FRIDAY!
Over the weekend Dory sent me an e-birthday card with a frog fairy on it saying it came around with a stick to grant happiness and she hoped it would come around and beat the shit out of me.
Daayummm. Be careful what you wish for. Despite myself, I'm pretty excited about this proposal although I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic (that is to say, low-key). But man, this is all happening fast.
Best,
Mark Terry
posted by Mark Terry at 6:26 AM
7 Comments:
Ahem... Did I, or did I not say that helping me with my manuscript would bring you good Karma in 2007?
I didn't quite expect it to all hit the first week of January, but I'm glad I could make good on my promise.
Cheers!
Okay Greg, I'll give you all the credit. We'll see if anything actually comes from this proposal deal--I may have spoke about it too soon--but it's fairly exciting and does make one feel, if only momentarily, optimistic about the publishing industry.
It's the least I could do... since my promise of sending SoCal weather to Michigan didn't work out.
That's for damned sure. The wind chill was 7 degrees today.
Sounds good. These sorts of things don't necessarily happen for people, but they just about never happen for people who are stuck in a regular job. You took a chance that most people would be afraid to take and it seems to be paying off!
Eric,
We'll see. Despite some initial euphoria (okay, lingering but dissipating euphoria) I remain a skeptic until the check clears. :)
Go Mark, Go!
You da man!
Can ya have that fairy hit me, too???
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