Whew! They were intense, but I must admit my editor had some great suggestions and I feel the story is MUCH stronger. I’m not sure what round two will bring but I’m sure they won’t be as intense. LOL
Not only are edits complete for now – it’s Friday. My kids are all in NY for the weekend for a family event so I get the house and DH to myself. Woo Hoo. We don’t get that often. Not sure what we’ll do but it doesn’t matter. It will be quiet in the house.
I want to give a big shout out to Katalina Leon who gave me some brilliant ideas to move Chasing Forever forward. This story was rejected – with a revision letter. I’ve been mulling it around for a few weeks, bouncing ideas off Kat. She made it all come together. It’s nice to have someone who lives on the West coast and knows a thing or two about surfing. :o) Love ya Kat!
I can’t wait to go back to writing this story.
Happy Friday!
Showing posts with label editors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label editors. Show all posts
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Happy St. Patrick's Day
I’m married to an Irishman, but on St. Patrick’s Day you wouldn’t know it. I have no Irish in me, though the DH may say…well, ummm, never mind. So anyway, I love corned beef and cabbage. Love to make it every year for St. Patrick’s Day. Nope the DH doesn’t like it. So now I don’t save it for once a year. When the DH goes away for business – the kids and I enjoy a corned beef and cabbage dinner.
I enjoy beer. Now I don’t drink often, but I do like it. They say Irishmen are lushes. Not mine. It’s a very rare occasion he’ll drink. He didn’t even drink at our wedding.
He may not fit all the Irishmen standards and he can be a bit odd at time – I love him just the way he is.
In other news –
A friend of mine was talking to an editor over at a publishing house I’m interested in writing for. This friend doesn’t write erotic or anything close, but she suggested I submit. Her editor friend gave me her personal email address. So yesterday I sent a query/letter of introduction and heard back in 5 mins! I swear that has to be a record.
While they didn’t offer a contract she did have a lot of nice things to say. The reason she couldn’t take what I was offering was because it was too short. She asked if I lengthened it to resubmit or if I had something longer send it her way. She liked my writing style.
I think the most amazing part of this was she recommended yet another publishing house and gave me a contact over there. She said to use her name when submitting. Two new opportunities have opened up for me all because of someone
I’m excited to submit something to the first editor, but have to finish my current wip and write one more book before I can start something for her. Though I couldn’t wait and I started a rough outline. I’ve been known to write two books at the same time, so maybe this will be one of those times.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
I enjoy beer. Now I don’t drink often, but I do like it. They say Irishmen are lushes. Not mine. It’s a very rare occasion he’ll drink. He didn’t even drink at our wedding.
He may not fit all the Irishmen standards and he can be a bit odd at time – I love him just the way he is.
In other news –
A friend of mine was talking to an editor over at a publishing house I’m interested in writing for. This friend doesn’t write erotic or anything close, but she suggested I submit. Her editor friend gave me her personal email address. So yesterday I sent a query/letter of introduction and heard back in 5 mins! I swear that has to be a record.
While they didn’t offer a contract she did have a lot of nice things to say. The reason she couldn’t take what I was offering was because it was too short. She asked if I lengthened it to resubmit or if I had something longer send it her way. She liked my writing style.
I think the most amazing part of this was she recommended yet another publishing house and gave me a contact over there. She said to use her name when submitting. Two new opportunities have opened up for me all because of someone
I’m excited to submit something to the first editor, but have to finish my current wip and write one more book before I can start something for her. Though I couldn’t wait and I started a rough outline. I’ve been known to write two books at the same time, so maybe this will be one of those times.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
This is a repost from my blog at http://sevensexyscribes.blogspot.com on Tuesday! I've tweaked it a bit, but if you read it Tuesday, go ahead and skip it! :)
There comes a time in every writer’s life when they must say good-bye to an editor. Usually it’s when the editor has decided to move on to something new. This past weekend I was approached by two writer’s at different stages of their careers that wanted to know if they should break up with their editor and/or agent.
The first writer is currently under a four book contract with a large NY publishing house. Her agent seems to be getting ready to retire. While said agent hasn’t confirmed the retirement all signs point in that direction. This writer is in a quandary because she knows there is so much that could be done to increase her sales, but her agent just isn’t doing her job. She doesn’t know if she should start shopping for a new agent or wait it out. The agent has rights to the four books. Only two are published at this point.
The way I see it she’s losing sales. Her blood, sweat, and tears are not getting the perks she should see from her agent. Another friend and I suggested she ask the agent point blank her plans for retirement and if she should start looking for another agent. It’s only fair that the agent give her a timeline. If the agent doesn’t give her any information, maybe it is time to part ways. I’d like to know what you think. If only I had an agent and a four book contract deal with a NY Publisher I could answer this issue for her! LOL
The other is a writing duo. They are working on their second ebook and their second editor. This editor is a writer’s nightmare. She is telling them what words to use or should I say, demanding they use "her" words, "her" dialogue and "her" descriptions. She's basically made them rewrite the entire story to make it her own. Now when they were offered the contract, the publisher stated there would be minimal changes needed on their part.
When does an editor go too far? When is it time for the author to step up and say, “Hey I’m not making these changes.” I'm all about learning and personal growth as a writer. Believe me I've a lot to learn still, but if the story is becoming the editors and the writer is losing her voice, I tend to feel it's not a good match.
Personally, I didn’t get good vibes from this situation from the beginning. They were offered a contract in May, received cover art in June and then heard nothing from the publisher for months. Their emails went unanswered. Then one day the publisher reappeared and said they now have an editor for the book. Things only progressed downhill from there.
I advised them to consider opting out of their contract when the publisher went MIA, but because they are new to the business they didn’t want to rock any boats. I understand that, because I’m still new myself. But I’m sorry at what cost is publication worth it?
Edits are one thing, but re-writing an entire story to fit the editor’s needs doesn’t bode well with me. Seriously, at this point is it still my story or the editors?
I’d be interested in your thoughts on this subject.
There comes a time in every writer’s life when they must say good-bye to an editor. Usually it’s when the editor has decided to move on to something new. This past weekend I was approached by two writer’s at different stages of their careers that wanted to know if they should break up with their editor and/or agent.
The first writer is currently under a four book contract with a large NY publishing house. Her agent seems to be getting ready to retire. While said agent hasn’t confirmed the retirement all signs point in that direction. This writer is in a quandary because she knows there is so much that could be done to increase her sales, but her agent just isn’t doing her job. She doesn’t know if she should start shopping for a new agent or wait it out. The agent has rights to the four books. Only two are published at this point.
The way I see it she’s losing sales. Her blood, sweat, and tears are not getting the perks she should see from her agent. Another friend and I suggested she ask the agent point blank her plans for retirement and if she should start looking for another agent. It’s only fair that the agent give her a timeline. If the agent doesn’t give her any information, maybe it is time to part ways. I’d like to know what you think. If only I had an agent and a four book contract deal with a NY Publisher I could answer this issue for her! LOL
The other is a writing duo. They are working on their second ebook and their second editor. This editor is a writer’s nightmare. She is telling them what words to use or should I say, demanding they use "her" words, "her" dialogue and "her" descriptions. She's basically made them rewrite the entire story to make it her own. Now when they were offered the contract, the publisher stated there would be minimal changes needed on their part.
When does an editor go too far? When is it time for the author to step up and say, “Hey I’m not making these changes.” I'm all about learning and personal growth as a writer. Believe me I've a lot to learn still, but if the story is becoming the editors and the writer is losing her voice, I tend to feel it's not a good match.
Personally, I didn’t get good vibes from this situation from the beginning. They were offered a contract in May, received cover art in June and then heard nothing from the publisher for months. Their emails went unanswered. Then one day the publisher reappeared and said they now have an editor for the book. Things only progressed downhill from there.
I advised them to consider opting out of their contract when the publisher went MIA, but because they are new to the business they didn’t want to rock any boats. I understand that, because I’m still new myself. But I’m sorry at what cost is publication worth it?
Edits are one thing, but re-writing an entire story to fit the editor’s needs doesn’t bode well with me. Seriously, at this point is it still my story or the editors?
I’d be interested in your thoughts on this subject.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Progress is Sweet
I've been taking small steps to get back in the swing of things. I made a to-do list for each day this week. Nothing overly crazy to get me depressed if I didn't finish. As of today it's going good. I accomplished everything I've tasked myself and more. I even managed to open a wip and add four pages to it. I miss writing and everything that comes along with it, but there are times when I just couldn't do it.
This morning I realized that I have NOTHING new with any of my editors. It's a scary thought. I'm not waiting for any news of a new contract or a rejection. When did I let this fall by the wayside? I've had a manuscript in editors hands at all times for over a year and suddenly I don't. I need to fix this and fast. So, I have one story just about done that I'm determined to have submitted by the 1st. Let's hope I can accomplish this one!
Off to work on getting that manuscript polished.
This morning I realized that I have NOTHING new with any of my editors. It's a scary thought. I'm not waiting for any news of a new contract or a rejection. When did I let this fall by the wayside? I've had a manuscript in editors hands at all times for over a year and suddenly I don't. I need to fix this and fast. So, I have one story just about done that I'm determined to have submitted by the 1st. Let's hope I can accomplish this one!
Off to work on getting that manuscript polished.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Slowly Recovering
Wednesday I spent the morning in the ER. What I thought were contractions was gastric reflux. It's the most pain I've felt since labor. The baby is still just fine. Me, I'm getting there slowly. They changed my meds once again to the one medicine that has ALWAYS worked. Go figure. It annoys me because I know my body. I know what works and what doesn't. But doctors think they know better than me. Now I'm finally feeling a little better.
Yesterday my coffee pot bit the dust. I don't drink much. I make enough for one cup and normally don't finish it, but having none is NOT an option. The DH had to go into the office yesterday so he couldn't run out for coffee for me. The older kids traveled to NY, so they weren't an option either. Geez, being on bed rest wasn't working for me.
Today the DH went to Dunkin Donuts and got me coffee. God, I love him! lol
My youngest has been home all week with seasonal flu. I'm walking around with Lysol wipes and spray. Can't afford to add the flu to my list of issues.
Some good news, that I needed. My editor sent me edits for Ignited. It's been about six weeks since I've worked with any of my editors, so this was a pleasant surprise. Now if I can just finish a story so I can submit!
Happy Friday Everyone. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Yesterday my coffee pot bit the dust. I don't drink much. I make enough for one cup and normally don't finish it, but having none is NOT an option. The DH had to go into the office yesterday so he couldn't run out for coffee for me. The older kids traveled to NY, so they weren't an option either. Geez, being on bed rest wasn't working for me.
Today the DH went to Dunkin Donuts and got me coffee. God, I love him! lol
My youngest has been home all week with seasonal flu. I'm walking around with Lysol wipes and spray. Can't afford to add the flu to my list of issues.
Some good news, that I needed. My editor sent me edits for Ignited. It's been about six weeks since I've worked with any of my editors, so this was a pleasant surprise. Now if I can just finish a story so I can submit!
Happy Friday Everyone. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Friendships Come and Friendships Go
A few months back I read on someones blog (sorry I can't remember who or I'd give you credit) that friendships seem to fade every seven years. I remember thinking how crazy that is. I've had a couple of friends for 20+ years.
Then it happened to me. Two friendships I thought would last forever have slowly fizzled out over the last couple of months. I'm not sure what they're feeling, but I can tell you that I've outgrown their friendship. Yes, that sounds harsh. I just can't explain it, but I have no desire to deal with their drama. One is narcissistic and the other is well a fair-weathered friend.
I've made many new friends in the writing world. I belong to a wonderful writer's group locally. This people understand me. They understand the solitude that comes along with writing.
It's a shame really that these friendships have faded, but such is life.
Today I'm working hard on Heat Waves. Editor was growing a bit worried about me. I've never held on to edits for longer than a day or two. I'll get them back to her later today and then I'll be free to enjoy this long weekend. Maybe I'll take Tuesday off as a mental health day. I might need it after the testing is over in the morning.
Happy Labor Day everyone. Have a safe weekend!
Then it happened to me. Two friendships I thought would last forever have slowly fizzled out over the last couple of months. I'm not sure what they're feeling, but I can tell you that I've outgrown their friendship. Yes, that sounds harsh. I just can't explain it, but I have no desire to deal with their drama. One is narcissistic and the other is well a fair-weathered friend.
I've made many new friends in the writing world. I belong to a wonderful writer's group locally. This people understand me. They understand the solitude that comes along with writing.
It's a shame really that these friendships have faded, but such is life.
Today I'm working hard on Heat Waves. Editor was growing a bit worried about me. I've never held on to edits for longer than a day or two. I'll get them back to her later today and then I'll be free to enjoy this long weekend. Maybe I'll take Tuesday off as a mental health day. I might need it after the testing is over in the morning.
Happy Labor Day everyone. Have a safe weekend!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Trying to get thru the day
Went to the doctor's today. Was poked, prodded and just tortured. Currently all the tests are inconclusive. I'll have to return in two weeks for more testing. My fate is still undetermined. Frustrating to say the least when a doctor can't give you all the answers you need. So we wait. Did I tell you I'm not a patient person?
On the writing front, one of my editors will not move forward with offering me a contract until I change the title. It seems Cabin Fever has been used in the past. So I've given her one list which she didn't like. I'm in the midst of creating a second list, hoping she likes one of them.
Not much of anything else going on for me. I did post at Six Sexy Scribes today. Stop by and check out my first review of Talk Dirty to Topaz!
http://sixsexyscribes.blogspot.com
Oh and got notice edits for Heat Waves will be coming today or tomorrow! Fun, fun, fun!
On the writing front, one of my editors will not move forward with offering me a contract until I change the title. It seems Cabin Fever has been used in the past. So I've given her one list which she didn't like. I'm in the midst of creating a second list, hoping she likes one of them.
Not much of anything else going on for me. I did post at Six Sexy Scribes today. Stop by and check out my first review of Talk Dirty to Topaz!
http://sixsexyscribes.blogspot.com
Oh and got notice edits for Heat Waves will be coming today or tomorrow! Fun, fun, fun!
Friday, August 7, 2009
TGIF!
You don't know how happy I am it's Friday. This week has been tough to say the least. But I can finally say I found a way to use the part of my book I have to dump for one editor. I'm going to use it for a short story I'm writing for another editor. AND the short story I had rejected for being too cute, well I'm going to harden that up and use it for my series Lady Shea's Manor. While I was writing Secret Rendezvous I felt it would be perfect for the series.
So, there you have it..my plans for next week. Kid free this weekend - YAY. Might go to the movies. DH wants to see GI Joe. I may humor him! :o)
Have a great weekend. Happy Writing.
So, there you have it..my plans for next week. Kid free this weekend - YAY. Might go to the movies. DH wants to see GI Joe. I may humor him! :o)
Have a great weekend. Happy Writing.
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