When Bad Things Happen to Good Writers

I once taught a workshop with this title.  It focused on all the myriad things that can go wrong between when a writer finishes a manuscript, and when the book actually arrives on shelves.  I gathered the information from both personal experience, and from the experience of my writer friends around the world.  It’s almost mind-boggling, the number of things that can get in the way of a good story becoming a book.

Now, I have a new one to add to my personal list.  My publisher contacted me earlier this week.  I had sent an email to follow up with them because I hadn’t heard whether they had received my manuscript or not, and it had been over a month since I sent it.  The answer was yes, they had it, but they hadn’t read it yet.  This seemed confusing to me because the editor had told me months ago that the deadline was crucial if we were to make a Fall ’09 release.  I made the deadline, so how was it they could sit on the envelope for a month?  Out of curiosity, I emailed my editor and asked about the release date.  It took a few days for the reply.

“We have decided to release your book on the Fall ’10 list.”

SAY WHAT??? 

“Because we are a small publisher, we can only realistically release a certain number of books a year, and we already have an edgy YA on the list for this fall, and we don’t want your book competing with this other book.   We can’t make the spring list for this year, obviously, and we don’t think it’s a good spring title. That puts us on the Fall ’10 track.”

To say that I was disappointed would be a monumental understatement.  I can see why many people who are new to this business opt for the Print On Demand/Vanity Press options.  It is so aggravating, so infuriating, when things like this happen. Unfortunately, it’s a reality of the industry.

I had a contract with a publisher to write a kids’ activity travel guide (many years ago).  I was many hours of research and writing into the project when the editor contacted me and told me to hold off.  At first she told me that they may be taking the series I was writing for “in a new direction.” Eventually, the truth was revealed: the publisher was being bought out, staff were being let go, and the series I would be writing for was being overtaken by an existing series from the other publisher.  I was allowed to keep the advance I had been paid, but the book was never finished.

That one wasn’t the worst, however.  I was under contract with an educational publisher to write a book about Napoleon and the Napoleonic Empire.  I had done hundreds of hours of research, writing, and revising.  This contract had no advance, so everything I would earn would come with the final submission of the manuscript.  After months of work on this book, I was becoming a French history expert.  Then, as I was finishing the editorial revisions on the final draft, I got a certified letter (not even a personal phone call!) telling me that the series had been put on hold due to a down-turn in the educational publishing market.  Current projects were to be halted, no new projects would be started, and writers who were not yet published with this company would not be. 

I still have all the research.  I use the two revised manuscripts to show classes what a revised manuscript from an editor really looks like. I have no book to show them to go with it, however.

I know someone who’s book was nearly cancelled because of Hurricane Katrina.  I know others whose works were delayed because of the massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean.  Editors will leave one publishing house for another, creating orphaned books and orphaned writers. Editors die and create similar situations for those writers with whom they were working. For many years in the ’90s, large publishing houses were gobbling up small ones on a daily basis and creating similar circumstances in the new, merged company. 

All of this makes one wonder why any of us bother to get into this crazy industry in the first place. I guess it’s because we each feel a need, a compelling drive, to put words on paper and have others find truth in them.  We see this as our opportunity to connect with others, and we are willing to endure the slings and arrows of publishing misfortune in order to achieve it. Or maybe we are all just a bit loony.  I know my husband would probably opt for that last explanation.

Whatever it is, we keep going.  Despite my disappointment at this turn, it won’t stop me.  The book will come out – just a bit slower than I had anticipated.  I’ll write others.  They’ll come out much slower than I want, too.  For now, I’ll update my workshop with this tilted title and see about offering it at some writing conferences.

This Is Why I Do This

Writers are a weird lot.  We work on something in solitude (primarily) that we hope will speak to others.  That’s just a bizarre concept when you stop and think about it.  I muck around in my own psyche, digging up things that I think are useful, tweaking them and twisting them until they are not familiar but are still true, and then I try to get someone to say “It’s good.”

Feedback from friends who are not writers tends to be something like “It’s good and I liked it.”  While I appreciate that they read what I wrote, I’m usually hoping for more substantive comments.  My family will tell me “It’s good.  The part where you did such-and-such is pretty funny.”  This is a little better, but still not quite what I’m wanting to hear.  My writer friends will talk about the characterization, the dialog, the plot, the shape of the story, etc.  Again, I am grateful for their comments, but what I really want is to know that I connected.

On Tuesday, this is what I got from my editor, Peggy Tierney:

Oh Kim, 
What a range you have as a writer!!! The last manuscript you gave me was a lovely, light, very funny, first-person story told in the very authentic voice of a young teen girl. And now, I’ve gone from laughing to crying. It’s such a moving story, and I absolutely felt like it was real — like it had played out somewhere and you just captured it. (big sigh). Do you know what my only worry is? That it is almost TOO devastating for a teen boy to read. My gosh. I just felt his pain through and through. I did feel like it ended abruptly and wanted a little more denouement, but really that is a small thing. I do want to give it to a couple of teen boys to read (and maybe a teen girl) and get their feedback — I wonder if it will hit them as hard. I think tragedy has become more difficult for me as I grow older – I am more empathetic. Teens are fascinated by the dark side of life. But I was really pleased that it ended well — but not perfect, and that is good, for life rarely turns out quite so clean and perfect. But he stays with Maggie. Gosh, Kim, it’s amazing how you didn’t just create this character, but just so effectively made him so real, again so authentic — I do believe he exists somewhere! I can’t explain that any further. 
Anyway, I wanted to write you as soon as I finished it, so you are getting my unadulterated thoughts and response. Go toast yourself with a big glass of wine!! 
Peggy xxooo 

 That is connection.  That is what I wanted.  I can fix the ending (in fact, I’ve already begun), but this is why I write.  When a person tells me that he or she believes this character exists as a real person, that he or she thinks I may have witnessed the story rather than having made it up – that is feedback that makes my heart sing and reinforces for me that I’m doing what I should be doing.

There are some adjustments to make in the manuscript, and I will be eager to hear the feedback from the teenagers that she has chosen to share the story with.  But for today I am taking her advice (minus the wine, I have composition essays to grade!), and celebrating a good story and another opportunity to connect.

I truly love being a writer!