I ordered the last book on Ingram for my story, The Art of Science. My contract was over in January 2018, and while the rights had reverted to me, I have been stuck staring at books available through online sellers and I felt I couldn’t do anything else with it until that last book sold.
So only one was available – buy now! The book arrived today. It’s a bittersweet moment, knowing it’s really out of print and only available secondhand. I still have no idea how many my publisher still has – she said she’d tell me a number and offer them for me to purchase but she never replied back to me about it.
Staring at that envelope, knowing the last book is in there, I’m not sure what to feel. It’s a bit more real. That book was a huge journey for me. I learned a lot in the process of getting it out there and then again once it was out.
I have worked hard with writing since then, but I haven’t worked hard with publishing. I have two small children – though they’re both in school now. I finished a draft last week- and it left me a little bit at odds, now what? I shouldn’t just be waiting for my readers to get a little farther in before jumping back into the edits.
One mistake I made last Monday was digging into the drafts that I have, and printing out a couple that I hadn’t. Some of them were learning experiments and some of them are worth fixing. Which led me to my brand and my platform and what I’m willing to focus my time on for edits. Planning is hard. Taking that time to examine the daily schedule and what it is that’s calling me is a difficult venture. I’ve been feeling the winds change around me and I’m trying to be ready to go in new directions.
I do mean directions. It isn’t just one thing that’s come to a tipping point. It’s about three that I’m recognizing, and there are probably a couple more that I simply haven’t acknowledged yet. Occasionally there’s trouble in just knowing the change is coming, and anxiety is rampant when it’s an unidentified change and you’re not sure when it’s coming or where it’s going. Luckily I’m a yoga teacher and I’m getting a good practice to be mindful and present in this moment and make good choices as they come.
Wish me luck.
Ransom Noble 
Good luck! I can’t wait to read whatever you decide to polish. And as we talked about the other night, I know several publishers that want you as an author, not just your one book, that you can submit to when the time comes. I think something like that would be a great fit for you.
Maybe at one of our 5th Tuesday events, we can do a panel discussion with publishers and/or agents about contracts and what to look for in them, like rights reversions, royalty statement schedules and how to audit them, and what are acceptable royalty rates. All the things that first-time authors tend to overlook because they’re so happy to be published.
Despite what anyone might (publicly and unprofessionally) say, you’re an amazing writer with a strong eye for quality and a desire to produce fantastic work. LESSON- never take another step down this path with someone who doesn’t 100% have your back. As another author who was WOEFULLY let down by the people who claimed they wanted to support me and my books– let it go, Elsa. Move on. You have too much good to do, too many great stories to tell, and too many other options to let something like that hold you back.
You know I am and always will be a huge fan of your work. I hope you’re able to take the lessons from this (for example – not all publishers are professional and will lash out when butthurt even if a post isn’t about them) and can turn it into an amazing career. You deserve it. The world deserves your stories.
Thanks. That’s the first block to my blog. I am occasionally stunned by the anger that may not be directed at me but is part of every day living. I thought everyone understood that change is part of life and that all decisions mark change.
I want to read that