The Next Step

[EUOL]

Heh.  You don't know the half of it.  Elantris (the one getting published) was the sixth book I wrote.  It didn't get sold until I was mostly finished with my thirteenth book.  

I once heard that your first five books are generally unpublishable.  When I heard it, it sounded like an exaggeration (and I still think it is) but it's ironic that I had to write six novels before I hit the one that someone bought.  And that one went out to editors for about three years before someone picked it up.  

From what I hear of things, my story is actually on the lucky side.  Many novelists send their manuscripts to far more publishers, and wait far longer, to get them published.  Though, in my defense, I think a lot of those writers have a single book they're working hard to publish--which is why it takes so long.  If you have six books going out at once, you're about six times as likely to get an acceptance.  

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

"A writer writes" A professional writer also markets, though.
The secret is to keep writing and to keep marketing.

[House of Mustard]

I'm sure that you've all heard this before, but, The Hunt for Red October was rejected by 12 times, and finally had to be published through Naval Press.

[Fellfrosch]

"Dune" was rejected by every major publishing house in the America, until it was finally picked up by a company that didn't even have a fiction department--they created one in order to publish it.

[Spriggan]

If I remeber correctly "Car and Driver" picked up dune to start a new book publishing company with.

[Mistress of Darkness]

/me hopes someone will pick up White Sand so EUOL will have to write a sequel

I know, I know. I'm the only person who liked that book. . . .

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I'd actually like to see Dragonsteel in print. I just remember reading it thinking "no way. Uh uh. It doesn't make sense he'd react like that." Until I read the end. Then I thought, "Ok, yeah, he really would." EUOL showed me that he WAS being realistic with the psychology.

[Mistress of Darkness]

I don't know if I ever got to read Dragonsteel. In fact, I'm pretty sure I didn't. It was in three parts, wasn't it?

[Entsuropi]

I hereby demand that these fantasy books are given to me! Free fantasy is right up my street.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Yeah, three parts. And buy your own copy, you scottish freak

[Tage]

Well, maybe we could convince EUOL to do extended writing groups if he ever gets around to pushing Dragonsteel or White Sand for publication. That way our friends (freaks or not) across the Atlantic could experience them.

[EUOL]

Heh. You might be able to persuade me to sent you the books, Entropy, but I'm very hesitant.  Having complete electronic copies of your novels flying around the internet is, well, discomforting.  I'd be more comfortable with what Tage suggested, but that would mean waiting until I'm ready to revise one of the two--which could be another five years or so.

And, as of this morning we're up to $25,000.   TOR is hanging tenaciously onto World English rights, though, so we're still negotiating.  

[Fellfrosch]

Wow, that's a lot higher than I expected it to go, even for two books. What are they giving you in foreign and translation rights?

[Mistress of Darkness]

Well his books are like 1,000 pages each!! Entropy, if you'll pay shipping, I'll print the books and get them bound, so EUOL doesn't have to send the Electronic copy all over the place.

But I get to read them first . . . .

[Mistress of Darkness]

and when I say bound I mean spiral bound.