Bad Emily!

I realize I've been MIA lately.  Actually, I've been here, but I've been doing the whole lurking thing.  You know the one where I read posts but don't comment.  Yeah... You see, I've been reading and writing so much (my very awesome editor and equally awesome fellow author friend from SHP sent me some books, and I've been reading them...non-stop) that the idea of writing on the blog (even just a comment or small post) has kind of made me go ehhhhh...no.

But that's bad, so I'm actually going to give you a kind of real post today.

I know one of the questions I always wanted answered when I was doing the whole querying thing was what was the after-process actually like.  You know, the process AFTER you get an agent or sign with a publishing company.  What do you talk about with an editor/agent?  Is it an uncomfortable relationship as you two try to come to terms with the fact that you're working together now?  Do you still have the whole oh-my-goodness-this-is-totally-an-industry-professional-who's-coolness-is-still-so-far-above-me mentality?  Do you just click?  And if so, how?

To be honest, I always had my doubts that those budding relationships were anything but uncomfortable.  I just couldn't get my mind wrapped around the idea that you could go from looking up to someone who essentially had your career in the palms of their hands to working with them at that peer/equal level.  And maybe my whole situation isn't the best example to refute that because I'd been acquainted with Kate (my editor) for a while (ever since she started her blog) before she found out about my book and made the offer.  So I may not be the BEST example, but I'm at least an example, so I'll refute my original misgivings as best I can.

Yes, the two separate entities (editor/agent and author) can click immediately, and I finally understand why.  If you've got someone who's read your book (you know, the thing that carries pretty much everything about you in a nice little package) and loves it enough to want to get it published, you've basically already gone through the equivalent of 3-5 dates and found the person you can really get "serious" with.  You two are already on the same page.  But let's be honest, the author is like the lovable bad boy in the situation.  Yeah, the editor/agent loves the book, wants to work with you, but there's still some things that need fixin'.  And if you're like every other YA bad boy, you'll succumb to the fixin' because you know it's really in your best interest. :)

When Kate sent my first round of edits a few weeks ago, I'll be honest, I was terrified.  I've gone through a few bad beta situations where people I liked just didn't have the same scope for my novel in mind that I did.  So here I was knowing I really liked Kate, but did that mean we had the same ideas for my novel?  Would I open up the document and see every sentence crossed out and reworded?  Eek!

Well...no.  I opened the document and saw how silly I was.

I've mentally slapped myself since then because why would an editor take on something that he/she wanted to overhaul?  As I read all the notes and all the suggestions, I realized this person had precisely in mind what I was going for.  She'd read my book, loved it, and now just wanted to give it that extra little sparkle.

And I'd imagine this is similar to every other agent/editor and author relationship.  The two of you already have something in common long before you sign the contract: the love of your book.  Finding other things in common with each other is almost too easy after that.  :)

Speaking of finding things in common!  It turns out that a publishing company that publishes science fiction loves going to sci-fi conventions!  It also turns out authors who write science fiction love going to sci-fi conventions!  I know, it's almost too weird. :P  Spencer Hill Press will be at Pi-Con in August!  And I'm going to be there, too!  I'll be handing out bookmarks!  And smiling at strangers (or averting my eyes because I'm really very shy)!  It will be fun!  If you're going to be in the Connecticut area, you should come and say hi. :)

Oh!  And I've updated my blog!  Up above you can see all my pretty tabs for pages.  You might notice that there are a couple new ones!  Please check them out.  :)