It happened to me....
Okay, I've heard of this thing that can happen to contracted writers. It's like a Publishing Urban Myth. You don't really believe it, but you're afraid of it nonetheless. Unfortunately, it's not a myth, and it CAN happen to you.
I lost my editor.
I didn't physically lose her, like child in a grocery store, she just can't be my editor anymore. She's very ill and has to take time to get healthy. I feel for her, and I wish her good health.
I haven't gotten my first-round edits for CROWN yet. I was supposed to have them in August, but stuff happens. No biggie. But now I'm nervous, and I know my editor is ill, so I drop a line to Angela, the Exec. Editor at Samhain.
"Oh dear, you're the only one I haven't reassigned yet."
Uh. okay.
Now, the reason she didn't reassign me yet, Angie says, was because my editor REALLY wanted to keep my book. That made me feel terrific; and we've discussed how much she loves both CROWN and ANKH. She gave me the revision request before the first book got a contract, she showed me what needed to be done to GET the first contract, and she went to bat for me with the publisher. She's been in my corner from day one.
But her health needs to come first, and I appreciate that she wanted to keep working on my book even though she wasn't getting better.
So now I'm in uncharted author territory. Every author fears losing an editor. It's like going on a blind date after breaking up with someone. New person, doesn't know a thing about you. You have to sort of feel your way through the awkward conversations, the new personality...the 'who picks up the tab' strangeness at the end of the night.
Okay, so it won't be that bad. I trust Angie will find me someone great, and we'll get along like old chums. I've never heard a single bad thing about any Samhain editor. It's just hard to start over with someone new. Then there's the 'what if she doesn't love my books as much as my old editor' fear.
In the meantime, I'll just sit here and await my fate, and chew my nails.