tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post4809762021738532951..comments2023-09-02T03:20:00.374-07:00Comments on Small Crimes: Lessons learned from the trenches: Part 5Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-60851582007831828462008-06-08T16:04:00.000-07:002008-06-08T16:04:00.000-07:00Thanks, Dave. I'll be buying your book on these is...Thanks, Dave. I'll be buying your book on these issues when it comes out.pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-35050197913533627032008-06-08T11:13:00.000-07:002008-06-08T11:13:00.000-07:00Patti, the reality is it does take time. It takes ...Patti, the reality is it does take time. It takes time to find an agent, it takes time for the book to sell, and then it can take up to 6 months to get the contracts, and then another year or longer for the book to get published. Sometimes things happen in a lightening bolt, and the book sells quickly, contracts get done fast, and the book gets fast-tracked and is published in less than a year, but I think that's rare. I also think there's some ageism in the publishing industry, especially with new authors trying to break in--this is just my own observations and I've got nothing concrete to back it up--but it makes sense with larger publishers looking at books/authors as more as a package--it's easier in this country to sell youth. But ageism is not universal--I know there are publishers who don't factor age into their decisions.<BR/><BR/>But as tough as it can be, as long as it might take to sell that first book and see it published, your other books can end up going out quickly after that. I recently met a woman in her 50s who had been writing books for a number of years without much luck in breaking through, then she sold a book to Berkely Crime, and very quickly that became 3 books out in less than a year.<BR/><BR/>In my own case, after I sold Small Crimes to Serpent's Tail, they ended up pushing the book out to over 2 years from when they made the initial offer. I was disappointed by that, as was my editor, but I understood the reason for it--they bought Small Crimes because they thought it was a great noir novel that deserved publication, but they also looked at it as a tough sell that would require word of mouth since it's a crime novel coming from a relatively unknown writer. But with Pariah, they scheduled that as quickly as they could, because they look at that book as being a potentially literary break-out book for them. So even though it took forever (okay, 5 years... ;)) to get Small Crimes sold and published, I'll now have 3 books out by Serpent's Tail in less than a 3-year window, and it's now looking good for a 4th book to be added.<BR/><BR/>Patti, it is hard--and things are made even harder by writing noir--but I've read your short stories, you have talent, and I wouldn't get discouraged if I were you. And your second book will be a lot easiter to write than your first.Dave Zeltsermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-88495393291834987922008-06-08T09:52:00.000-07:002008-06-08T09:52:00.000-07:00I know that if I don't place this novel I will sti...I know that if I don't place this novel I will stick with short stories. At my age, it's too late to fool around with novels. When I think of how long the process takes even if you sell it, it scares me that I'll be dead before it's out.pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-50757894887045768542008-06-04T14:06:00.000-07:002008-06-04T14:06:00.000-07:00Sandra, thanks, but it's been a long road with a l...Sandra, thanks, but it's been a long road with a lot of frustration, and I've come close several times to throwing in the towel for good. I also know some terrific writers who also have so far refused to compromise, and they're struggling now the way I had been. Writing the best book you can doesn't always lead to publication, maybe it's better to write the best commercial book you can--at least until you establish yourself. I don't know. But what I'm doing this these "lessons learned" is just documenting what I went through and let the chips fall where they will.Dave Zeltsermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-22945600728393374312008-06-04T13:29:00.000-07:002008-06-04T13:29:00.000-07:00Somebody on SMFS this morning said that you can't ...Somebody on SMFS this morning said that you can't write the book you want, you have to write the book that will sell if you want to get published. I found that very depressing, so I'm happy that even though you took the long way around you're getting to write what you love. To me seeing that you could achive that makes it possible for the rest of us.<BR/>Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-61519650369349488782008-06-04T12:51:00.000-07:002008-06-04T12:51:00.000-07:00Sandra, it's hard for me to have regrets since I e...Sandra, it's hard for me to have regrets since I ended up with a terrific house with Serpent's Tail and I'm writing the types of books I want to write, but I definitely would've had an easier path if I had written more commercial thrillers books first--although I might've been miserable doing that.Dave Zeltsermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-43136180675642196592008-06-04T12:10:00.000-07:002008-06-04T12:10:00.000-07:00Just wondering. Do you regret publishing "Fast La...Just wondering. Do you regret publishing "Fast Lane"? or just the fact that you wished you'd waited for a bigger publishing house to pick it up? <BR/><BR/>This from a old lady who's never written a novel, mind you, but I'm curious about why the smaller houses get less respect. Is it just about the money or do writers get looked down on by publishing with a small house first?<BR/><BR/>I'm still trying to learn the business and your posts are very helpful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com