Timewaster's Guide Archive
Local Authors => Brandon Sanderson => Topic started by: EUOL on September 15, 2003, 11:05:28 PM
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Well, for those of you interested in such things, TOR made an initial offer on my book today. They are willing to pay $15,000 for two novels (Elantris and my current project.) My agent thought this was a little low, and is going to try talking them up.
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oo! I assume that's "plus royalties" right? Hope you get much more.
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That's an advance. It's money paid against royalties. Once I eard royalties more than seven grand, I'll start earning money.
Average first novel advance is around $5,000. The only reason we think we can get more is because Elantris is 250,000 words, which means it will sell for more. However, getting more than about ten to twenty grand for your first book is very rare. Goodkind did it, but not many others.
The other thing pulling the advance down is that the book isn't actively being shopped to other publishers. Moshe found it in the slush pile, and it still needs a little revising, so it can't really go to auction.
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Also one think EUOL forgot to mention that I think is a big deal is that they also want to do a hard back run. Wich first time authors don't allwayse get.
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Well done! :D
One thing: is this gonna be reviewed by TWG? :P
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Only if I get a free, signed, review copy....
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Thinking on that, Jeffe might be a better choice. He's the most regular contributer who doesn't know EUOL personally. So it would award dilligence but keep him impartial. But I'm sure this is at least months away, since EUOL indicated that there was still some work to do before it even goes to press. (and they have to come to an agreement about pay)
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At least months? Most writers I know have about 1 1/2 to 2 years between acceptance and publication. The editorial process is long, and then there's the production process with design etc. Printing is the shortest of the process, I think. Just depends. There's a lot of hurry-up and wait.
Congrats, EUOL.
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Stacer has the right of it. Even if we had a price nailed down, my agent said it would probably take weeks to even get a contract to sign. After that, there are revisions to do, and all sorts of other sundery things. Back in May my editor said he was shooting for a fall 2004 release, but that may have to get pushed back.
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Wow. Congratulations!
As far as a timetable, from acceptance to publication for me is going to be a little over a year. I'm sure that it will take longer for your book, since you're publisher is a lot bigger. Going through the editing process now, I'm constantly amazed at how much work goes into it.
By the way, an extra congratulations on the hard cover. That's awesome!
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*Lt. Kije applauds.
Most excellent!
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Wow! EUOL. That is wonderful. I hadn't heard that it had been accepted.
The best part is that I haven't read Elantris so it will be completely new when I buy it at Barnes & Noble!!
/me jumps around excitedly
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Wow, some of your hard work is finally paying off. It would have been really depressing if you had kept writing novels for the next couple of years without any offers. I hope your book does well when it is finally published. Congratulations.
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Thanks, all, for the support. As things go, there was another fierce day of negotiations, and my agent talked them up to $10,000 a book. There are still a couple of sticking points, however. The more important one is that TOR wants to buy World English rights as well as just North American, and Joshua is determined to hold onto World English. Paperback royalties look good, but he's going to try and wiggle the hardback royalties a little higher, though royalties tend to be fairly standard so there's a smaller ammount of negotiations to do here.
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I'll have to get myself a copy when it comes out. Anyway, congratulations. It's pretty hard to even finish writing a book, letalone getting it published. Or at least I think it is, but that's cos I'm lazy, and if I decided to write a short story it takes me three years to get a first draft. Unless, of course, I'm pressured by school deadlines.
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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.
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"A writer writes" A professional writer also markets, though.
The secret is to keep writing and to keep marketing.
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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.
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"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.
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If I remeber correctly "Car and Driver" picked up dune to start a new book publishing company with.
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/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. . . .
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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.
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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?
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I hereby demand that these fantasy books are given to me! Free fantasy is right up my street.
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Yeah, three parts. And buy your own copy, you scottish freak
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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 . . . . :)
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and when I say bound I mean spiral bound.
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I'm keeping all foregin rights except 'World English' which means the UK and Australia. As I've mentioned, that's the main sticking point of the negotiations. Apperantly the TOR editors have a deal with a Brittish publisher, and so they've been encouraged to try and get World English whenever possible. My agent really doesn't want to give World English up. We're still talking, though. We'll see what happens.
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Hey, if it gets the book published over here earlier... :)
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$25k, wow. I'm impressed. if it sells well, you can quit your day job.
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That's the plan eventually, though it will be a while yet. The 25 is the only bit I'll see for a while. But, my day job is teaching, so that's not so bad. (Already quit my night job.)
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Well, the deal is done. We hit a wall at $25k, and that included giving them World English. So, we suggested $20k with us keeping World English, then used that leverage to up the paperback royalty percentages. That's where we ended up. Contract should arrive in about a month.
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Well done old boy. Just a pity your a mormon since you can't get happily drunk in celebration ;)
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sweet! Sign me up for a signed copy.
Speaking of writing though, you still coming out for that con? Still need a place to sleep?
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sweet! Sign me up for a signed copy.
Ditto.
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Me too!!
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Thanks, all. It'll be another year yet before we publish, though.
As for the con, SE, it looks like we'll be able to get a good rate at a Best Western, so we probably won't need the couch. Thanks, though!
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K. Give me a ring if you have any free time. You can playtest Duel of Ages with Jeffe and me when in town. Or we can do a one-shot, or something.
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Yeah!!
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Okay, well, for those of you who haven't heard, the contracts arrived on Friday. Since I'm flying to D.C. tomorrow, my agent just decided to drop them off at my hotel when I'm out there.
So, when I return, I will come with signed deal in hand. That means it's finally time for the party I've been promising everyone for the last few years. I'm thinking either Friday or Saturday (not this week, but next, so the 7th or 8th of November) at Buca Di Beppo's in Salt Lake (sorry, don't quite know how to spell that.)
Everyone is invited. However, the number of people I'll be paying for is limited to those who have made significant contributions to my books through writing groups or reads/comments on manuscripts. The list, as I see it now, is:
The Dragons (Fell, Tage, Mustard, and Prometheus)
The scops (Scar, Morag, Morag's Wife, and Kaylynne.)
Other Writing Group Members (Fuzzy, Brenna, and Guxijanxlkakx--or however that's spelled.)
Significant readers (MoD and 42)
Siblings (Sprig gets in for giving great moral support.)
You all get a free meal on me. Did I forget anyone?
Spouses who aren't on the list are welcome, but I'm already paying for about fifteen people, so they'll have to pay their own way. Anyone else who can make it is welcome too.
Post on the thread here to let me know which day, Friday or Saturday, is best for each of you. And someone tell Brenna to check this thread, since I know she usually only hangs out at AORP.
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Congratulations!
I'll be there - either day is great.
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I think you should fly me out for this dinner since I attended a few month's worth of Scops sessions and did a very small critique on Dragon Steel way back when. (note, this is sarcasm)
I'd show up and pay for a bowl of nachos to share, but I'll kinda be on the wrong side of the country. Maybe I'll just have to treat Tage and EOUL to a nice Dominion root beer if they find the time while out here. Hey, maybe Jeffe and I could even go into town on the weekend and treat you at your hotel.
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Whichever day you pick, I'll have my own little party at home for you. So anyone who'll be in Buffalo next weekend is by all means invited to me home. And since I know thats none of you, whatever. More food and drink for me.
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Thanks EUOL!!
Count me in.
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ARGH, I'm so excited for you Brandon and I'm glad you're throwing a party.
But did you have to do it the weekend my sister-in-law is getting married in Georgia???
Will you buy me a copy of Elantris instead?
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/me is proud of FO for posting
;D
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Just wanted to say congrats to a very "old friend." I always knew you would make it someday EVOL. Anyway, since we now have a "famous published writer" any input you could offer to the rest of the aspiring authors would be nice. How did you manage to pull off "the big deal"?
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Congrats mr. Big Shot. Have fun!
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Thanks, Izzy, for telling me about this post!
Congrats, again, EUOL! And thanks for the invite. :) Saturday's a much better day for Chris and I. We've got class until 8 pm on Friday.
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It's looking like Saturday, then.
SE--we'd love to see you. I'm not very mobile in D.C., but if you could find your way to our hotel, we could certainly do lunch or something.
I'll send you an email with my phone number. I've got the cell with me now.
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I'll give you a call wehn I think you're likely to be awake. Thing is, I work tomorrow till 5, so it's most likely dinner. or something. don't know what the schedule is. But that's what we'll talk about.
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I figured we would have to do it on Saturday for lunch, since I won't see Ben until later today, and we'll both want to meet Jeffe, so you'll have to have time to talk to him.
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Okay, so this Saturday, the 8th, at what time?
And is this Buca di Beppo (http://www.bucadibeppo.com/) the restaurant you were talking about EUOL? If it is, the site will give the address of the SLC restaurant as well as directions. The Mangia (http://www.bucadibeppo.com/m_index.asp) link--for those of us (probably only me--but I did guess right on the first try) without enough latin language experience to guess--will allow you to look at the menu and price ranges.
My car will fit 3 other people if anyone would like to carpool.
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Could you come get me?
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Sorry, but no.
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Well, if spriggan drives, he could fit a couple of people in his van. He will probably take me and prometheus, unless one of us have to go someplace else before or afterwards. Possibly, tage and EOUL as well. Course with that many single guys, we would have to leave room to pick up chicks.
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lol.
The thing is, I'll probably go to my Salt Lake writing group afterward, so I should drive myself. I might take Tage with me, assuming he can get a ride back.
We're planning this thing for 7:00. We'll go to the Midvale location, which is off of the 7200 south exit in Salt Lake.
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By the way, there are still several people I need to hear from about this.
Sprig, Saturday good for you? What about you, Fell?
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When do I ever have something important going on a Saturday?
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lol. I don't know, you could be planning something.
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If I'm not out of town, Saturday is awesome.
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Sprig you should get a date just to throw a wrench into the works.
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My wife wants to come, and we'll gladly pay for that, if that's alright.
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No problem. Like I said, anyone who wants to come is welcome. The people on the list are the one's I'm offering to pay for.
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The resturant, for those of you who weren't paying attention before, is easy to find. Get off on 7200 south. Head east. It's at 935 east.
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Well, since I can't be there, here's some hearty congratulations-celebration-thoughts sent toward the general vicinity of the restaurant.
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We'll eat a meatball in your name, Stacer.
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And given that the meatballs are at least six inches in diameter, that's saying a lot.
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Very good food.
Thanks and congratulations again EUOL. That's really exciting.
/me hopes somemore that someone publishes Whitesand.
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are you bored or something Ookla? Becasue really, these don't need to be moved since they're so old and everyone else has forgotten abou them.
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clearly, I didn't forget about them. The Thai rights thread got me looking for the other rights threads. I didn't find a Spain rights thread, but I didn't do an exhaustive search.
Isn't the whole point of the Brandon Sanderson forum to be a place for all the Brandon-as-published author threads? I can't move them, so this is the next best thing I thought of.
[EDIT: in case it wasn't clear, I never meant these to actually get posts in them. But I guess I should have just messaged a mod and asked for them to be moved instead of replying in them. I'm sorry.
I also assumed they would go to the bottom of the BS forum once the bump post was removed. I guess I overestimated this aged forum software.]
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no not really, I don't see the point of dreadgeing up old threads when you could just ask EUOL about it instead, epsecially becasue it's really annoying to see and the new posts in the forum as nothing but someone bumping threads that haven't been posted in for over 6 months.
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guys, this sort of thing REALLY isn't worth fighting about. And I'm the king of fighting over trivialities.
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Fight! Fight! Sock him one Sprig-"over-zealous ignite at whim"-gan. Give him one in the kisser "Ookla the "concerned for everyone elses business affairs" Mok!
Whop! Whoop!