[publishing] Out of contract blues

[jaylake]

Now I'm going to complain about something that will probably irk some of the aspiring writers who read this blog. It's one of those established writer problems that can look ridiculous from the outside, but is perfectly real and serious from the inside

Comments

[anonymous]

I have no contract, and I think that's a perfectly reasonable complaint for you to have in your stage of career, and for a man of your talent.

[twilight2000]

It sounds perfectly reasonable to me (and "aspiring" is the very definition of me at the moment) - being without contract has got to be scary - esp when it's unusual.

You started in shorts - as a way to "stay visible" - would it help to produce shorts for publication? It strikes me (from "out here") as a way to keep yourself in view.

[jaylake]

Well, for one thing, I'm not producing anything short or long til next January or February, thanks to chemo brain fog. And because cancer has stolen so much of my writing time these past two years, and I've been focused on delivering novels in the time I have had, my existing short fiction inventory has dwindled to nearly nothing.

[twilight2000]

I was thinking you might find cracks in the wall to work between the chemo moments for shorts - I know that's dreadfully optimistic, but even if not in the next month or so, shorts come faster for you and in the beginning of the year when you're gearing up again, it might be easier to produce those between the novel moments as a way to stay visible.

[desperance]

So I'm going to stay out of contract for quite some time to come, unless we take the rather unusual step of trying to sell on proposal plus unrevised draft

It doesn't sound that unusual to me, Jay. Writer with established track record, which should mean that you could sell it on proposal alone; with a fully developed proposal and a rough first draft to offer, that sounds entirely reasonable to take to market. And then the lucky publisher could at least develop a 2013 slot for you, do all the background/marketing/cover work that they can do without having an actual finished text at hand...

[mcjulie]

It makes sense to me.

It's not like you cross the magical rainbow bridge into published novelist land and then just kind of... hang out there, basking in published-ness. The struggle never ends. The struggle to get a contract. The struggle to fulfill a contract. The struggle to promote the resulting book. The struggle to write the next book.

Still, it's hard to imagine you disappearing from view.

[fledgist]

It sounds like a piece of unpleasant reality. I don't think you'll disappear. I do think you will -- as the best possibility -- come out of the tunnel.