Yeehah! Third time's a charm. InDescent apparently doesn't violate the editorial standards of Liquid Silver's "Molten Silver" GLBT line, so there it shall be published. Jackson Spey and Adin Swift will once again appear on the world's stage. (Well, at least the little ebook-world stage, which is plenty good enough for me!)
This brings up some interesting aspects of the writing biz. I believe I've mentioned them before, but they bear repeating. A relationship or even story arc can't always be carried to completion at a single company. There are a number of possible reasons for this.
Sometimes companies fold. Sometimes they're horribly mismanaged and/or their owners turn out to be turdwads; as a result, writers fall out of love with them and choose to go elsewhere. Sometimes, it's simply a case of "wrong fit."
Although Jackson and Adin had their first significant encounter at Ellora's Cave, they couldn't have subsequent encounters there. The HEA or HFN ending to any EC book cannot be compromised. So, I couldn't bring these two men together without dragging Adin's girlfriend into the mix -- something I staunchly refused to do. (Loony as it sounds, the characters resisted it, too.) It was at Changeling Press, in the novella Obsessed, that Jackson and Adin got together. Securely ... if you know what I mean. ;-)
BUT Changeling couldn't take InDescent. At nearly 70k words, the novel far exceeds their length limit. And because of its unconventional plot construction, it wasn't appropriate for Loose Id, either. (Understand that I have great respect for both companies and fully appreciate their rationale. EC's, too, for that matter. Their editors make decisions, as they should, in accordance with their companies' guidelines.)
So, I toddled along with my oddball book in tow. A speed bump here, a roadblock there. It's part of the business. Not every book is appropriate for every publisher, and no writer should blame a company for adhering to its business model. Writers can, however, throw blame at snotty, self-important editors who autonomously make decisions based on personal whim rather than professional standards. Those are the true villains in any given submission drama. Thank goodness they're few and far between.
4 comments:
Congrats on finding a home for your "misfit toy" book. Kudos to you for sticking to your guns and writing the story that needed to be written!
One of the positives of e-pub is "first rejection rights". A pub turning down an installment of a series does not have to be the end of the series. Readers who want it still have access, and that's what matters.
Thanks, Katrina. I truly love this book so, yeah, I was being stubborn. I suspect people will either like the novel a lot or loathe it.
You're absolutely right about the bottom line: Access to readers is ultimately what matters. I'm always very grateful when a publisher takes on something I've written.
I knew LSB would want you, KZ.
They seem to be very willing to go out on a limb for authors whose work they like.
Looking forward to visiting you on their forum.
Hey, Jeanne! I'm thoroughly impressed by LSB so far. In fact, I was from the start. And getting a cover by April Martinez? Whoa, baby, dream come true!
Post a Comment