Taking the plunge ... new manuscript !

tarotbear

Tomorrow I am sending out the completed Men's tarot manuscript to my present publisher; I have been working and rewriting the book proposal and the book questionaire part (Why should someone buy this book? etc.) and I am going to pack it up and mail it off tomorrow and hope that my super-charged cover letter where I remind the manuscript readers that I already have a well-selling book in print with their publisher gets their attention!

It took two years of work (with lots of time off, believe me) to compile and write this manuscript; my first book took nine months. What with printing hard copies and making copies of the cards for the illustrations and the packing and the packaging, this manuscript represents a lot of time and $$$; the postage alone can get expensive.

When I was getting the contract for the first book, my editor asked if there was anything else I was writing, and when I told her about this project, she said 'this is not exactly something the company would be interested in.' It was too focused, she said. That's exactly why I am writing it I think I replied.

I did send a sample of it to my current publisher and heard naught. I submitted it to a gay publisher and received a rather well-written rejection where they nicely said they weren't sure what to do with it; that, too, was an incomplete sample. I have not heard from a third and I sent them the sample in August 2004.

This is not a sample; it is a complete manuscript with sections on shuffling and sections of spreads, and all that basic stuff. I have 180 pages of text. I am sending this off and ask that you all "do do that voodoo that you do so well." I need to get this second book accepted so I can move forward with my other writing projects. Thank you for your intercessions.
 

Scion

Congratulations 'Bear!

That's a huge step with any project, and even more so because you have that "fighting uphill" feeling. Sadly I don't know anyone in that area of publishing. Theatre's my bag. That said, if I'm at any bookish parties and can pitch on your behalf, I will.

HROOOM.... Planning mode engine starting up LOL

I think you're right that you're biggest talking point is the success of the first book. Couple questions: Do you have an agent repping your stuff or is it solo submission? Do you have any snazzy blurbs for the book that might help you wedge it in the door anywhere? I also wonder if you could go back to that editor who thought it too narrow, because she said that before your first book sold out its run. That fact alone makes you a different writer than the one she saw that day.

Also, call me crazy, but I think the occult market is skewed towards the double-X chromosome shopper. The manuscript's male focus may make approaching gay publishers more of a "lock" than occult publishers; they may have more ideas about how to market/package it in a sexy way. And beating the bushes with smaller gay presses might turn up someone looking to break into mainstream occult nonfiction... expanding their sales base without stepping outside of their mission.

Plant ten seeds and the twelfth comes up... and all that.

LOL :) I don't even know if you wanted all this blather... So mainly congrats and I've got your back, bubba. Let me know if I can help.

Scion
 

tarotbear

Badges? We don't need no stinkin' Badges!

I don't have a literary agent - this is all solo.

Once I did garner the attention of a possible agent, and they wanted two weeks' paycheck and twelve copies of the manuscript (at my expense) with no guarantee they could sell my book. I declined.

True - there are many publishing houses out there that will NOT take an unsolicited submission. All possible authors take note: This is the first thing they tell you on their websites, so if they specify an agent, don't waste your time and postage hoping they will read your manuscript - they wont. They will throw it away, unread.

My editor, unfortunately, has passed onto the summerland; I will always appreciate the fact that she created a wonderful book out of my incoherent ramblings. {a moment for everyone to thank Sheila...}

As I say, I am approaching gay publishers who do print such focused stuff, although occult is not exactly their mainstay.
 

Scion

tarotbear said:
Once I did garner the attention of a possible agent, and they wanted two weeks' paycheck and twelve copies of the manuscript (at my expense) with no guarantee they could sell my book. I declined.

Very wise move. I have literally never heard of a fee-charging agent who accomplished anything other than charging fees. There's a fantastic book about a true saga of this kind of representation called Ten Percent of Nothing, the story of the agent from hell for any writers who want a REAL horror story. Agents are essential, but only one that actually does their job. My agent came to me through a combination of moxie, referrals and fortuitous timing. I'm sure that nonfiction is much the same beast. Just keep putting it out there, man. It pays off. It's all about the 12th seed.

tarotbear said:
...if they specify an agent, don't waste your time and postage hoping they will read your manuscript - they wont. They will throw it away, unread.

True dat! No points for breaking the rules. People are so overwhlemed with legitimate submissions; the unsolicited stuff isn't even kept to build fires. And (for anyone else who's reading this thread) if you get "known" for submitting blindly and relentlessly, the mailroom doesn't even bother to take it to the assistant's assistant. I have this theory that the most powerful thing in the world is a reason to contact the person to whom you need access. Then again, their are smaller gay presses or occult presses that might be looking for someone with proven sales potential. That's reason enough to send your superslick query letter their way.

tarotbear said:
My editor, unfortunately, has passed onto the summerland; I will always appreciate the fact that she created a wonderful book out of my incoherent ramblings. {a moment for everyone to thank Sheila...}

:( Very sorry to hear that. What about the person or persons who took her place? Surely they are aware that the book is selling well. That said, I'm a big fan of the face to face meeting. Is there a way to wrangle a lunch with someone to pitch the book in person?

I'm gonna be seeing a novelist friend later this week and I'll pick her brain on this topic.

Scion
 

tarotbear

tracking ...

The tracker on my manuscript package tells me that the manuscript has been received in NYC - and now the process begins!

For the uninitiated:

Unsolicited manuscripts by the dozens get delivered to the publisher and they get put on a table in an office. Once a week or so (you'd think they do this daily?) a 'first reader' comes in and opens the top package on the pile and reads the letter and proposal and reads through maybe 25 pages or so. They know exactly what the publisher likes and doesn't like. Their reaction is only yes or no. 'No' gets the once-over to see if the manuscript is to be returned and look for the SASE to send the rejection letter. 'Yes' gets the manuscript set aside for a second look.

The manuscipts deemed 'possibilites' get a second reading; it could be the assistant to the assistant. It can still get rejected.

Manuscripts making it this far are usually read by the editor. He can reject it, too, even after coming this far. Manuscripts he accepts go to the Acquistions Committee where several people will read the manuscript, discuss it's good and bad points ... and can still reject it!

Once acquisitions makes a positive decision, an editor is selected and the author gets the long-anticipated non-rejection letter. Suddenly things can move very quickly and you can end up with a contract within two weeks, and the first half of your advance two weeks after that. It can still take a year or more to go through production depending on the number of edits it has to go through and how much work has to be done to make it into a book. It was 14 months between signing my contract and getting my book on the shelves - and you don't get the second half of your advance until the book is in print.

So -- think 'ACQUISTIONS! ACQUISITIONS!'