Last Wednesday I went to check the mail. The only thing in there was a large, brown, 8 ½ x 11 envelope, about the thickness of a partial. I pulled it out, saw the Harlequin return address, and my first thought was, “Well, damn.”
(For you non-writers, I’ll just remind you that rejections come by mail.)
But wait. It’s from Canada. I don’t have anything in Canada, do I? (Brain starts mentally searching the submission lists frantically while I open the envelope and try to make sense of the papers in my hand.) It’s about BEST LAID PLANS? Huh?
It was my contract.
Sigh. Old habits are hard to break.
Okay, so this is real. I have a contract with advances and royalty percentages and clauses and the like. They really are going to publish my book! Squee!
Um, make that yikes! Let me just say that a twenty-page contract is quite daunting in and of itself. I don’t speak legalese, and my eyeballs were crossing after the first paragraph.
But I’ve read it carefully, looked some things up in the dictionary, made a few phone calls, and brushed up on my jargon. Nowhere does it mention the words “Immortal Soul” or “First Born Child,” so I think I’m safe there.
We’ll go back to Squee! I have a book contract!
(But there’s still a Yikes! And that’s the book my contract refers to as “Work #2,” which I am now contractually obligated to produce by October 1. Yikes, indeed.)
So things are starting to become real—a contract, a website (with a link from the RWA site), a title, a release date… My PAN membership even came through last week. I’m still stumbling over telling people “I’m a writer,” but maybe that just takes more practice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news, I survived a weekend at camp. I slept in a cabin, with no air conditioning and five adults and four other children I’d never met before. It was hot, there were bugs, I was expected to go hiking, and they served that strange-tasting red Kool-Aid I remember from my days at camp twenty years ago. We won’t even talk about the canoeing incident… But I had a good time, and while I had hoped to bond with my child over the weekend, she far preferred to spend time with our cabin counselor and her new friends. So much for Spending Quality Time With My Child.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anything new and exciting happening in your world?
PC
(For you non-writers, I’ll just remind you that rejections come by mail.)
But wait. It’s from Canada. I don’t have anything in Canada, do I? (Brain starts mentally searching the submission lists frantically while I open the envelope and try to make sense of the papers in my hand.) It’s about BEST LAID PLANS? Huh?
It was my contract.
Sigh. Old habits are hard to break.
Okay, so this is real. I have a contract with advances and royalty percentages and clauses and the like. They really are going to publish my book! Squee!
Um, make that yikes! Let me just say that a twenty-page contract is quite daunting in and of itself. I don’t speak legalese, and my eyeballs were crossing after the first paragraph.
But I’ve read it carefully, looked some things up in the dictionary, made a few phone calls, and brushed up on my jargon. Nowhere does it mention the words “Immortal Soul” or “First Born Child,” so I think I’m safe there.
We’ll go back to Squee! I have a book contract!
(But there’s still a Yikes! And that’s the book my contract refers to as “Work #2,” which I am now contractually obligated to produce by October 1. Yikes, indeed.)
So things are starting to become real—a contract, a website (with a link from the RWA site), a title, a release date… My PAN membership even came through last week. I’m still stumbling over telling people “I’m a writer,” but maybe that just takes more practice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news, I survived a weekend at camp. I slept in a cabin, with no air conditioning and five adults and four other children I’d never met before. It was hot, there were bugs, I was expected to go hiking, and they served that strange-tasting red Kool-Aid I remember from my days at camp twenty years ago. We won’t even talk about the canoeing incident… But I had a good time, and while I had hoped to bond with my child over the weekend, she far preferred to spend time with our cabin counselor and her new friends. So much for Spending Quality Time With My Child.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anything new and exciting happening in your world?
PC
Don’t forget—Christie Ridgway will be here tomorrow!
14 comments:
Oh, I think you need to share about the canoeing :-D
It's so cool getting that first contract isn't it? I'm so excited for you!! I keep randomly squeeing. People around me just don't understand.
Instigator
Can't wait for that squee in person at RWA (after all, you guys introduced me to the squee).
Kid adventures are just part of parenthood. It could have been worse; you could have had to sleep in a tent in the rain. Congrats for surviving without inflicting bodily harm on any other campers. :grin:
And congrats on the contract. You and Instigator have paved the way for the rest by wading through the legalese. Now get to work on Book #2! We're here to help if necessary.
Anyhting exciting in my life? Unless there's something waiting in my mailbox from the weekend, nope.
PM
squeee!!!!! How exciting.
Congrats on surviving camp! You are a better mother than me....
Angel
Congrats on getting that contract AND surviving camp.
It's major SQUEE time! Congrats on getting the contract, PC! I'm so excited for you!!!! :-)
Ah, bonding with children. Can there be anything better? Well, that is as long as the aforementioned child accepts the bonding ritual. #2 was exceptionally fond of running off with friends and making me fend for myself. But don't fret. You've made memories you and AC will never forget.
Just to be sure Angel knows how much I appreciate Moanday yesterday...
I LOVE YOU, ANGEL!!!
Ah, Gerry.... I can't help but gaze at your photos over and over again. Your 300's chiseled abs give me goosebumps everywhere it counts. :-) Woot!
Contract in hand means it was not a sleep deprived delusion! Congrats.
As for camp, good job making it through. Although, I thought the point of camp was for the children to go away... maybe that's just me. :)
:: snickering at the thought of what sort of calamity PC could face with a canoe involved ::
Yeah, I'm definitely seeing a waterlogged PC. I'm really hoping there are pictures :-D
Instigator
(Blogger ate my comment--sigh)
Everyone stayed in the boat and relatively dry, thankyouverymuch.
Therefore, I considered (and the counselors agreed) that it was a success.
It did bear a striking resemblance to Rhonda On A Horse, only with less swearing because there were children present.
Oh, dear, PC. We all know *that* wasn't pretty. I have the lamentable tendency to curse alot, particularly when I am terrified out of my skull. :-)
Congrats on the contract!
Congratulations on the contract PC!! And I'm sure Work #2 won't be a problem for you.
Glad camp was a success. Even though AC spent more time with her new friends and there was a malfunction with the canoe...you went... and she will remember that.
Congrats on your CONTRACT and for surviving your camping thing.
My exciting thing is that we will become grandparents for the first time in November courtesy of my daughter and son in law.
Pat L.
Congrats on the contract. Wow, that sounds scary and exciting all at once. I'm with the "sleeping in a tent would be worse" group. Did that once and woke up in water up to my nose. Never did it again.
Only excited thing this weekend was getting a hamster. Yes, three weeks before my daughter leaves for the entire summer, I buy her a hamster. I'm a total nitwit.
So it will be myself, the parakeet and the hamster for the summer. Should be a crazy time.
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