Publishers Editors and Agent Meetings
I'm back home and it's very hot in the office so I'll be short.
Yesterday I had an author focus group for Harlequin -- they at least know that publishers are ALWAYS behind the curve of what will be hot. Really. Authors, Readers, and Authors as Readers are usually ahead of the curve. I mean, look at HeartMate, for example. It was a VERY risky buy -- a futuristic purchased by a company (Jove) that WASN'T buying futuristics. I was very nervous and spent as much time, promotion and $$ as I could. That was 12/01. By July 2002 EVERYONE wanted paranormal. So I was submitting stuff and a tiny risk paid off.
After the focus group I had lunch with my editor for Luna, then I attended the seminar on Luna and paranormal, then I met with my editor and agent for Berkley. This was a little frazzled since I was in one spot (without cell phone) and the others had decided on sitting somewhere else. Grrrrr.
I don't really like these meetings. It's hard for me to strike the right note. Professional and businesslike is really too cold. But it ISN'T a friendship relationship. By that time, too, I'd had enough of people in general. Luckily my agent DOES know how to strike the right note. Both times I discussed (not really pitched) the contemporary paranormal series -- which would not be right for Luna but would be for HQN (I have giddy dreams of an auction). My agent asked my Berkley editor "didn't she just love it." Cringe. My editor said yes, but not in a real enthusiastic way -- however, I've never seen her incredibly enthusiastic, and I DO know that she doesn't lie to me. So, I'm torn about the reaction, and being neurotic as usual.
We'll see.
I'm beat. Want to cool down with a bath in my own tub, then hit the sack again since we got up at 3:45 (and I got to sleep at 1:00 am). Oh, the novella I judged to be the best, won.
Love to all,
Robin
Yesterday I had an author focus group for Harlequin -- they at least know that publishers are ALWAYS behind the curve of what will be hot. Really. Authors, Readers, and Authors as Readers are usually ahead of the curve. I mean, look at HeartMate, for example. It was a VERY risky buy -- a futuristic purchased by a company (Jove) that WASN'T buying futuristics. I was very nervous and spent as much time, promotion and $$ as I could. That was 12/01. By July 2002 EVERYONE wanted paranormal. So I was submitting stuff and a tiny risk paid off.
After the focus group I had lunch with my editor for Luna, then I attended the seminar on Luna and paranormal, then I met with my editor and agent for Berkley. This was a little frazzled since I was in one spot (without cell phone) and the others had decided on sitting somewhere else. Grrrrr.
I don't really like these meetings. It's hard for me to strike the right note. Professional and businesslike is really too cold. But it ISN'T a friendship relationship. By that time, too, I'd had enough of people in general. Luckily my agent DOES know how to strike the right note. Both times I discussed (not really pitched) the contemporary paranormal series -- which would not be right for Luna but would be for HQN (I have giddy dreams of an auction). My agent asked my Berkley editor "didn't she just love it." Cringe. My editor said yes, but not in a real enthusiastic way -- however, I've never seen her incredibly enthusiastic, and I DO know that she doesn't lie to me. So, I'm torn about the reaction, and being neurotic as usual.
We'll see.
I'm beat. Want to cool down with a bath in my own tub, then hit the sack again since we got up at 3:45 (and I got to sleep at 1:00 am). Oh, the novella I judged to be the best, won.
Love to all,
Robin
posted by FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens | 11:37 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home