I’ve asked newly-released author Lucienne Diver to give us some thoughts on moving from literary agent to published author. The author of VAMPED give us some insights . . . Take it away, Lucienne!
The Stages of Disbelief – from Submission to Publication
This probably differs for every author, but I can tell you that for me, the stages from submission to publication were something like the stages of grief, only in a good way, if that makes any sense. The established Kubler-Ross stages of grief are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance (DABDA). I’ll call mine EDFIA (Elation, Disbelief, Frenetic Activity, Insecurity, and Excitement):
Elation:
I got the call from my agent (yes, I have an agent who isn’t me to handle my career so that during business hours I can focus on my clients) while I was in the airport waiting for a plane. I wanted to do a happy dance and hug total strangers, but since I didn’t want to get carted off by security, I had to settle for calling everyone in my cell phone directory. Everyone. Twice.
Disbelief:
I was half convinced that something would mess up the deal or that the publisher would come to their senses and decide that they must have been loopy the day they decided to offer me a contract. This despite the fact that I’ve done numerous deals as an agent and not one has ever fallen through once the offer was accepted. The writerly imagination is your greatest enemy until the ink is dry on the contract and the signing advance is in your hot little hands.
Frenetic Activity:
This is how my sale went:
-my agent submitted the entire manuscript for VAMPED
-the editor really liked the voice but had comments on the plot; my agent put us in touch so that I could hear what he had to say, which I thought was dead on
-I revised the first three chapters and synopsis based on the comments
-we sent that back to the editor and he loved it, convinced others to love it (possibly there was arm twisting involved; I’d have gladly sent chocolate) and bought it
-my agent did her agently duties – finalizing details, haggling out contract language
-I got busy revising the entire rest of the manuscript and, when finished, sent it off to the editor
Insecurity:
After you turn in your manuscript to the editor you wait for awhile, biting your nails while you wait for feedback. Will he like it? Did I get it right? How much did I get wrong? Then the edits come back. There’s a moment of panic, of OMG, if I knew how to accomplish that I’d have gotten it right on the first pass. There might be barbecue potato chips. Maybe a chocolate binge. Maybe even chocolate-covered potato chips. Okay, maybe not. Anyway, this too shall pass.
Actually, I was really lucky. My editor was awesome. He not only indicated things he really liked, but when something needed work, he was Johnny-on-the-spot with suggestions for fixing. He really made the whole process pretty painless.
Then, several months down the line, came notes from the continuity editor and then the copyedits. Two more diet-destroying panic attacks and the conviction that my work sucked (and not just because there were vampires involved) later, I washed my hands of the whole thing. Vamped was finished and put into production. There was nothing else to do but worry. (Truism: by the time your work sees publication, you’ve read it so many times that you’re heartily sick of it and convinced it’s the worst piece of dreck ever to see print.)
[Ed. Note: This is so incredibly true. Revisions undoubtedly make the finished product better, but they are hell on an author…and her ego. ~ Chloe]
Excitement:
It’s all uphill from here. Oh, in the back of your mind is the little voice that worries over how the reviewers will like your novel, but you can beat it back with the sight of your very own too-wonderful-for-words cover! Or the glow of holding your galleys or the publisher’s catalogue in your hands. Then the first review comes in and…wait, they don’t hate you. No one suggests that you should be flipping burgers or taking a long walk off a short pier. One might call your heroine annoying (hello, she’s a fashionista convinced that Crocs and socks are a sign of the dissolution of our society…not that they’re not), but others love it. With exclamation points and emoticons.
Yes, I’ve seen my authors go through this process, and I’ve sympathized and held their hands when necessary. But now I realize that I haven’t known the half of it. If you think writing is hard, try sending your baby out into the world and letting it fend for itself. It’s the most amazingly gratifying, horrifying, dizzying, wonderful feeling in the whole world. And I get to go through it all again in 2010 with REVAMPED.
This is true for nonfiction, too 🙂
And a good editor really does make the whole process a lot less painful. Which is not to say painless…
Now that you have seen the lay of the land from the other side of the fence has it caused you to make any changes in the way you wear your other agent hat?
SciFiGuy,
Not really. I’ve always written (since I was eleven anyway), so I’ve always agented with what I hope has been a lot of empathy about what it feels like on the other side of the fence. I do have more sympathy now, though, for those tight editorial turn-arounds! – Lucienne
Congratulations, Lucienne! How exciting for you! I love your description of disbelief. Well done.
Editors make us better writers, if only we open our ears to listen. Great job and looking forward to Vamped!
~Ashley
Ashley, thanks so much!
Excellent comments, everyone! Thanks for reading, and thanks to Lucienne for blogging!