Hi,

I am new to this board. So, thank you.

After many, many, many rejections, I have just landed a bigtime, reputed agent in London. My novel has also got the nod from a top Indian publisher but my agent says hold on because the Indians are insisting on world rights.
My agent mailed me yesterday saying that she has sent out the MS to nine UK publishers in hard copy. Do you think that is a good enough number? Or that a big agent would take it for granted that one of the 9 that SHE has chosen would take it up definitely? Does it work that way? The agent taking priority before the book for publishers/editors? Personal clout ( The Agent) versus literary merit (poor, poor me and so many rejections!) ? Tell me if you have a good answer. Need not be very encouraging.
Tks

I know absolutely nothing about the publishing industry, so can't help you there, but just wanted to say hello and welcome.

Hi and thanks, Hive. Keep writing.

quote:

You are a Beekeeper. You like your coffee like you like everything else... covered in bees! Everyone needs honey, but it's lonely work. Just you and a thousand of your closest little friends. And none of them saw what happened on Conan last night! Oh well. At night, you have disturbing dreams about the laws of aerodynamics.

This was all details of a book a new poster wrote and how to buy it.

Since we consider new posters trying to sell us something SPAM, i've deleted the information.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Smaug,

Oh now, WTF?

Don't just come in and SPAM.

grrrrrrrrr

MODS!!!

Hey
I spent a year writing the Book Paradise Life
It's my life Story
Certainly not Spam
I was trying to give the Editor of the India Times some inspiration

My previous Book Addict also took a year to write and after 100 + publishers I gave up and self-published

Be Happy Be Positive

From the Message Board FAQ (which you should probably read).

quote:

B. Spam
No spam is allowed. This includes, but is not limited to:
*Newcomers asking for attention for their website/cause/book/etc. We expect posters to come to contribute not to use us.
*Ebay promotions. We do not allow any ebay promotions either from newcomers or old timers, even if the item is a super-rare Neil item. On the rare occasion, an ebay link will be allowed, usually if the proceeds are all for charity, but the link must be approved by the mods first.
*Self-promotion. For newcomers, it is generally not tolerated. We feel like we're being used. For old-timers, it is more tolerated as it's more about sharing your life. If you don't know if something should be posted, please contact the mods.

And what's more, for me personally as a recovering addict and alcoholic, I resent this overbearing "look at me" shtick.
If you had simply come on and said to the guy whose thread it was "hey, I spent a year writing this book, and another on this and finally self-published" THAT would be inspiration.


Yours is a press release. Advertising.

Get real.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BeeZee,

Abhijit, I don't know a lot about the business, but
Neil seems to recommend people read this.


And welcome to the Board (sorry about the hijack)

quote:

Originally posted by addict:
Hey
I spent a year writing the Book Paradise Life
It's my life Story
Certainly not Spam
I was trying to give the Editor of the India Times some inspiration

My previous Book Addict also took a year to write and after 100 + publishers I gave up and self-published

Be Happy Be Positive

addict

it doesn't matter how long it took you to write the book, your first post being a self promotion of a book you wrote is Spam.

If you'd come on board and say that you self published, it was hard, you'd had so many rejections but you'd manage to do it that way, that may have been considered insparation, however, not the way you did it.

Please read our FAQ's which can be found here and consider this your First Offical Warning for Spam.

i used to work for a big publishing company, and for a literary agency.
this was 5-6 years ago, so things might have changed a little, but...

quote:

Originally posted by Abhijit:
Do you think that is a good enough number? Or that a big agent would take it for granted that one of the 9 that SHE has chosen would take it up definitely? Does it work that way?

yes it's enough, for the first slice, anyway. The best 9 she thinks would suit. If that doesn't come off they'll try others. as an agent you try to get it to the best/most suitable imprint first.
i wouldn't take it for granted that one of those publishers will take it up by any means.
But if that doesn't work they'll try others.
Trust them. The whells do grind slowly, but they do grind.

quote:

The agent taking priority before the book for publishers/editors? Personal clout ( The Agent) versus literary merit (poor, poor me and so many rejections!) ? Tell me if you have a good answer. Need not be very encouraging.
Tks

I've no idea what you mean by this bit. sorry.

Have I posted on the wrong board? If that is so, pl guide me to the relevant board where they discuss publishing, pl. Rgds

Abhijit, this is a board where fans of the author Neil Gaiman discuss his books and chat with one another.

It's not a board that discusses publishing.

Unfortunately, I don't know any publishing boards. But you're welcome to hang around here to chat about other stuff, if you like.

so my advice isn't good enough?

I'm all upset now.

Yeah, we're all quite willing to chat amiably about our experiences with the publishing industry and such, but we aren't none of us professionals at this stuff, so far as I know.