Talk Nerdy to me

I know, more than one post in a single DAY? What is going on here? But I saw this on FB and it was too good not to share. One for all the nerdy girls. I love this. SO. SO. Much.

 

Video Blog — Turning into a Curly Girl

I know, right? Two blogs in the same MONTH?? What is going on? It’s summer vacation! Here’s some of what’s goin’ on!

 

So…that happened. Publishing nightmares become real.

I guess enough time has passed that I’m ready to talk about what happened last week. You’ve all most likely heard the news, or read my FB or Twitter to know what that my publisher closed up shop very suddenly.

I got the call on Thursday afternoon, after what had already been a trying day. My agent texted me and said we needed to talk. About the book. She broke it to me gently, but it was still painful. Strange Chemistry and Exhibit A, the YA and mystery imprints of Angry Robot books, were cut. Effective immediately. Last Thursday.

I was sick over it. Really nauseous. Panicked a bit, even. This wasn’t supposed to happen! I had a contract with a very respectable and well-known publisher. This wasn’t supposed to be the way it went.

But it did. Crash and burn. There was the reason for the unexplained cover delay. And here I am with an orphaned book. A Curse of Ash and Iron will not be coming out in September. Now that I’ve had a little distance, well, it still sucks. Big time. BUT…

–it didn’t happen after the book came out. Those poor authors’ books are in limbo for a bit.

–it didn’t happen in the middle of a series. Those are a tough sell.

— I hadn’t yet put money down on a launch party venue or spent anything on promotion.

It could have ended MUCH worse. I have to thank my editor Amanda Rutter and the publicity manager Caroline Lambe for being SO insanely supportive. They’ve been great from day one, and I know they’re feeling just as awful as I am.

I am still going to CONvergence next week, because I said I would. I’m on panels, I have other books to promote to a new audience. And I could use a vacation, why not Minneapolis? I’ve never been. I ordered 100 Library of Athena  series postcards to sign and give away.  If you see me there, ask for one. I’m going to get a shiny silver paint pen to sign them with.

The outpouring of support from fans and other authors has been tremendous. Twitter kind of blew up that day with sympathy and messages of support. People pre-ordered my book AFTER the news broke as a sign of support.

And I love all you guys for that.  Really, I was totally touched. And though it felt like someone had punched me in the gut, it’ll be okay. We still have the manuscript, and it’s been WELL edited. Some lucky publisher is going to snatch it up, because most of the work’s already done. I fully expect to have a new announcement in the near future. The book WILL be read, just not on the previously released schedule. I hope those who wanted to read it before will STILL want to get it when we find it a new home.

I promise, it’ll be all right. Meanwhile, I’m excited to go to NJSCBWI this weekend. I think I need some time among my people, to laugh and get back into the right frame of mind.

Thanks, and hang in there!

 

Ah, the ups and downs of publishing

Hallo my freaky darlings!

It’s been a long month. Or two. I just looked and saw that the last time I posted was  the end of April. Yikes! I know I said I’d give a video blog, but I haven’t had a chance to do it. Crazy!

Last month I spent three weekends in a row on the road, doing promotional stuff. It was all fun, but tiring when you have to return to a five-day-a-week full time job too. Especially when you just started said job. It was a rough start, but now we’re almost to summer and things are quieting down. I love being a school librarian, but yanno, if I had the means to just write and promote all the time, and travel all over to do it, I’d be there. I’d be crashing on Monday mornings instead of dragging myself to work.

So now I’m turning toward the next things on the agenda. I have the NJ
SCBWI conference coming up on the 27th, and then CONvergence over Independence Day. I’m starting to really work on promoting A CURSE OF ASH AND IRON. The manuscript has been edited, and copyedited, and turned over for proofreading. July will bring ARCs and the book being sent out on NetGalley for pre-publication reviews. I am setting up my fall appearance schedule a little bit.

I have a place in mind for the launch, which will be a Victorian tea party of sorts, and I think it will be at a local tea house. Super fun!

But, as with every endeavor, nothing goes perfectly. We make plans, God laughs, or whatever. Whether it’s Mercury in retrograde, or Murphy’s law, or just my luck, I don’t know. But I’m still waiting for the cover. I have the cover reveal scheduled for June 19th, but I will have to push it back unless I get the cover today or at the latest tomorrow. The publisher is upset at the delay as well. I don’t know the reason, but these things happen. I trust the artist, the awesome Steven Meyer-Rassow, will make it everything I want and it will be awesome.

And as much as I want the cover reveal to happen, more pressing is getting promotional swag made up for those above-mentioned upcoming appearances. I NEED to have something for CONvergence. I’m sure I’ll have the cover before then *crosses fingers* and if needs be I can get Staples to print them same day. It’ll be tight, but totally not a major crisis. Do you hear me? NOT. A. CRISIS.

Maybe you can all light a candle that the cover comes in time for the scheduled reveal? Pretty Please?

Just another day in the exciting world of publishing! LOL.