What Now? (Part Deux)
I've heard that question a lot in the last fourteen days. I've found it flitting through my mind as well.
The most frightening thing is that no matter whether it's someone asking me or my little voice asking me, I still don't know the answer.
Friday, two weeks ago, I returned home from dinner to find an email from Jessica Bimberg, an editor at Samhain. My immediate thought? Another rejection. (It's a conditioned response, I'm afraid!)
It wasn't a rejection.
It was an offer for the contemporary romantic suspense she'd been considering. My contract was attached. So was my author contact form.
Yep, I'd sold a book. Finally.
I was cautiously excited (I tend to be cautiously everything . . . E says I'm too reserved.). I began by telling the DH and my wonderful CP's. Everyone had the same question after we talked about contract clauses and legalese. Know what that question was?
"Now what?"
Well, I didn't know. Even now that I've signed the contract and mailed it in, I still don't know. This is new terrain for me. I've never sold a book before. The experience is very much like stepping into a classroom for the first time -- I have expectations of what's going to happen based on what others have said, but I'm not sure if those things will come to pass or not.
I've started making a list to help me prepare for "what now?". A list of promotional ideas, developing a calendar to help me juggle edits, release dates, etc. However, I still feel like I'm probably missing something. So . . . those of you who know the answer to "what now?" or have a suggestion . . . I'm open for ideas!
***
(And don't forget . . . commenting enters you for a chance to win our Mother's Day gift giveaway!)
The most frightening thing is that no matter whether it's someone asking me or my little voice asking me, I still don't know the answer.
Friday, two weeks ago, I returned home from dinner to find an email from Jessica Bimberg, an editor at Samhain. My immediate thought? Another rejection. (It's a conditioned response, I'm afraid!)
It wasn't a rejection.
It was an offer for the contemporary romantic suspense she'd been considering. My contract was attached. So was my author contact form.
Yep, I'd sold a book. Finally.
I was cautiously excited (I tend to be cautiously everything . . . E says I'm too reserved.). I began by telling the DH and my wonderful CP's. Everyone had the same question after we talked about contract clauses and legalese. Know what that question was?
"Now what?"
Well, I didn't know. Even now that I've signed the contract and mailed it in, I still don't know. This is new terrain for me. I've never sold a book before. The experience is very much like stepping into a classroom for the first time -- I have expectations of what's going to happen based on what others have said, but I'm not sure if those things will come to pass or not.
I've started making a list to help me prepare for "what now?". A list of promotional ideas, developing a calendar to help me juggle edits, release dates, etc. However, I still feel like I'm probably missing something. So . . . those of you who know the answer to "what now?" or have a suggestion . . . I'm open for ideas!
***
(And don't forget . . . commenting enters you for a chance to win our Mother's Day gift giveaway!)
posted by Linda Winfree at 5:28 AM
9Comments:
I'm kind of in the same boat! I sold a book to Wild Rose Press. I am working on the edits right now and contemplating how much promotion I need to do and what the next steps will be. Mine is with a brand new e-publisher. So I figure it is going to take a lot of promotion I don't really want to mess with, but I have to do. I do know it will be up to me to get it to the people who do reviews and that is my next course of action - finding out who all those people are, since I don't read reviews and am not even sure where to look!
As for giving you help- I'm in the dark as much as you are! Sorry!
Congrats!!!! I've been frequenting the Romance Divas forums a lot and that's a great resource, both for promoting and finding out from others what they do for promoting.
Thanks Lisa! I'll go lurk over there a while!
It's the hurry up and wait syndrome. You won't hear anything for awhile and then it's an "emergency! need it yesterday" rush, then wait, then a flurry of activity around the release date, then more waiting for the royalties to start up. Oh, and the occasional promo plug here and there.
Does that help?
Oh, yeah - congrats - again!
:-D
FANTASTIC !!! why the HELL DIDN'T YOU COME TELL ME!
I was just saying I'd buy your book and now I can!
and this is a really gorgeous blog. . .
Hmmmm at least start thinking about promo and a second book =)
Mix well and relax!
Congrats and welcome to the Samhellions *club*! ;) :D
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