Thursday, October 4, 2007

Tough Job


The closing of the Everlasting and Next lines at Harlequin reinforced how tough this writing business is. One of my chapter mates has her first book being published with Everlasting, after years and years of rejection. Fortunately for her it will be released a few months later than planned as a SuperRomance. Whew.

I've heard the frustration from authors when the focus of a line changes and they need to rework story ideas that had always worked in the past. Or from unpubs who are writing a Historical Western (or Romantic Comedy, or whatever...) and then are told that editors and agents don't even want to look at them.

One of my CP's had a request for a full from Everlasting and I worried that this news would really impact her creativity or desire to finish the book. But her attitude was totally the opposite. She was cheerful and looked on it as an opportunity to make the book anything she wanted, rather than sticking with the parameters of a category line. She loved the story, loved the characters, and she wanted to finish the book, whether it got published or the three of us were the only ones who ever read it.

Now, that is a reason to write.

4 comments:

Stacy Dawn said...

Awesome, more power to her.

That's the only thing I find with HQ, they are restrictive but I didn't realize how much until the R's came. Still, it's one of my goals but no longer the top one.

I'm glad she's still going with her passion!

Unknown said...

Thanks for stopping by Stacy.

Yes, HQ guidelines are both good and bad, aren't they? They give you a direction but sometimes they can be restrictive.

Unknown said...

I found out long ago I'm not a Harlequin author. They have a very narrow view of what they feel people will buy (which is their right), and I just can't write to that.

Publishing industry scares me sometimes with how fast/slow it changes.

Anonymous said...

Relieved she didn't get frustrated and give up! This business is like a roller coaster, isn't it? Guess you gotta learn to take those highs and lows if you want to make it.