I've learned a lot since I signed my first contract. Mostly it's you have to take the good with the bad. Oh, you get angry and may even swear - I do. But it's part of the process. But here are some of the lessons I've learned.
1. Never take one person's word for how a publisher is. They speak only from their experiences. I've heard horrible things about a publisher - only to find them a true delight to work with. I've heard excellent things about a publisher - only to find them a nightmare.
2. Trust your gut or if female your woman's intuition. It will rarely steer you wrong.
3. If you do sign with a publisher and aren't happy - try another one. Publishing books is like finding the perfect resturaunt. Your friend might love resturaunt A - but you have had bad experiences and prefer resturaunt B. Example - my husband loves McDonald's and we have one that we go to all the time. Not that there is anything wrong with anyother McDonald's in town - but we've developed sight recognition with the staff and feel more comfortable there... well at least until there latest remodel and there are no comfortable booths...
4. If you are happy with your publisher - don't expect everyone else to love it.
Bottom line - it is your writing career. You are the captain of that boat - do not give over control to any single publisher, editor or individual. And another cliche that I've learned to appreciate - don't put all your eggs in one basket. Cause if the basket breaks - you have one heck of a mess to clean up.
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I loved this blog. So very true. I feel so lucky to have found homes for my books with a publishing company where I feel I am a friend rather than a number. MuseItUp is just a new family for me. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteDelilah, at the time when you posted this. the dark stuff was swirling all over the place and not many of us escaped without smears of it clining long afterwards and a bit bloodied...
ReplyDeleteIt is important for the new trekkers of this treacherous publishing world to know there ARE good gems/riches in with the dross....just as there is fools gold glittering just enough to look real, there are amethyst gems not fully polished so they jump out as the true gems they are in the process of becoming.
It took the planet millions of years to create the precious few diamonds the world avariciously covets, but I wonder how many eyes overlooked them before the jewel beyond the simplicity of nature in its NATURAL state was discovered.
I know your talents were not always appreciated as the true gems pouring forth like a treasure chest of riches like they are now...thank fully your beauty was not hidden from the discerning eyes of true wisdom...
By the same token, a rose may always be a rose, but not all of them smell so sweet...sometimes wiser nostrils must trowel off the fertilizer before the sweetness of Nature's delicious scent can fill the air and hopefully reveal more than exterior beauty.
Your beauty shines here both olofactorily, and to the eye. The pebbles come along behind you will leap into true gems for having you here to help them learn the lesons time had to teach so many before them, but you are kindly spuinning out before them much sooner. Let us hope they are wise enough to recognize true God and not the pyrtie that fools so many.