The Monday report

[erinbow]

It's been a whole two weeks since I sold my book, and I am firmly entrenched in post-book blues.  This happens to me whenever I finish a book or a major draft of one, and is part post-partum depression, part caffeine withdrawal, and part me being a twit.  It's complicated this time by the two weeks of unbearable excitement while my book was at

Comments

[megancrewe]

Does this happen to you? What do you do?

Mostly I just mope, and poke at story ideas, and read lots and listen to music and basically anything I think might spark a new story idea to overcome the withdrawal. But I haven't found anything that's guaranteed to work. It seems to largely be a matter of 'I just need some time'. :P

When, oh when, will I get my actual contract? And money?

Depends on a lot of factors. I know people who got their contract and first part of their advance within a month of the deal being settled. But it can take a lot longer. I didn't see my contract until seven months after the deal was official. Your agent may have a good idea of how long it should take in your case--depending on whether she's negotiated contracts with that particular publisher in the recent past (if so, it'll go faster) and how quickly they usually move.

And editorial letter -- lots later, right?I got my first editorial letter... *checks* ...only two months after the deal was official. So well before my contract. ;) Really

[eegatland]

heh. You might enjoy this. Although, in your case, if someone asks this particular question, you should lift your chin confidently and answer, "Why YES, I do believe that is the publisher's intention."

heeheehee I love this.

[erinbow]

Hee! I love that post!

[rj_anderson]

I don't really have the blues right now, but I am feeling kind of uprooted. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself next -- am I ready to start work on a completely non-faery-related book again? Should I be trying to do some administrative and website-related stuff? Am I foolishly letting the groceries sit in the front foyer while I answer this question? (The answer to that last is a definite yes, by the way.)

Anyway, as for contract -- I got mine about two months after my sale, I think. And I got my first payment maybe three months in? My editorial letter didn't come until six months after the sale, but I wouldn't be surprised if yours comes more quickly than that.

[carrie_ryan]

I totally know what you mean! You're in like this constant state of excitement and then suddenly everything is settled and life returns to normal and yet... you don't want it to be quite so normal just yet! Luckily, I got my ed letter two days after we sold the book so I got to start working on that right away and it was a great distraction. After I sold I just had this persistent feeling that I should be *doing* something -- publicity, planning, writing -- anything! That goes away after a while :)

In terms of timing...
ed letter was 2 days after the sale
contract about a month after sale
check about 2 months after sale

Oh, and I wrote everything down on a calendar and it's kind of cool to be able to go back and see when everything happened.

[mamculuna]

I just recommended that you look for Carrie Ryan's posts--and then saw from the post above mine that she's the way I met you in the first place!

[erinbow]

Is she? I loose track of who's connected to who on this vast network of tubes.

[mamculuna]

I do too, but I pretty much assume that when I see a friend on a new friend's page, that the friend must be the link. Anyway, I don't need to send you to meet her.