Wednesday, July 19, 2006

When Characters Attack

Iris and Maddox are being naughty characters, throwing me curveballs I didn't expect. Now, the control freak in me feels like slapping them around and ordering them to behave the way I expected, but the adventurer in me kind of wants to see where their latest little rebellion takes me.

I guess that's the luxury of not being under contract--I have time to follow them down a few rabbit holes to see where they go.

Speaking of not being under contract, I have no idea if the customary rules about how long to wait to hear from an editor apply the same when you're published as when you're not. Because to me, two months on a full should be enough time to know whether or not you want to buy it, especially since you've already seen the partial and the synopsis. However, my editor may disagree.

Anybody have a clue how long I should wait before e-mailing my editor with a request for a status update?

4 comments:

Renee Andrews said...

I wish I knew the answer. Two months does seem long enough; however, I know that lots of editors (mine included) take a few weeks off for vacation in the summer, so your manuscript may have just come in at a time when she wasn't in the office full-time, so it'll take a little longer. Just an idea. I think, particularly with the RWA Conference falling in the middle of this, that I'd give her another 4 weeks, then send an email :) And let me know how it goes -- I can't wait to read Iris' story!

Kelley
www.kelleystjohn.com

MJFredrick said...

Hugs on the waiting, Paula. Will you see her in Atlanta?

Jennifer McKenzie said...

Waiting stinks. I've got no answers for you, but I can relate to characters that do their own thing. I found myself in the middle of a wip and my secondary characters wouldn't quit taking over and my villian got uppity. We've reached a truce now. LOL.
Hope you get word soon.

Tracy Montoya said...

Paula, do they specify a length of time in your option clause in the Forbidden Territory contract? Because that's how long your editor has to accept or reject it. If you or your agent, if you have one, didn't limit it, it might be 90 days.

Waiting blows. I hope she gets back to you soon.