Maiden of Pain goes out of print
Filed under Writing Journal on June 5, 2008
Keywords: Maiden of Pain, manuscripts, proposals, publishing, Wizards of the Coast
I received an email from Wizards of the Coast publishing on Tuesday, notifying me that they are declaring Maiden of Pain out of print. This is pretty common practice for publishers. Unless you’re a bestseller or under contract for future titles, you’re a candidate for pruning. I fall under neither category.
The email stirred up quite a bit of emotion for me, and not all of it positive. I’m grateful to my wife for helping me discard a lot the dross and finding the wake up call.
I need to get published again.
There are a couple different paths I could take toward this goal. Another FR novel is one possibility, but not a good one, for a couple reasons. I would either have to wait for an invite to submit, or send in an unsolicited proposal. It’s been more than two years since the last time I was asked to submit a proposal.
I did send in an unsolicited proposal shortly after GenCon Indy 2006. I should point out that WotC does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, or even proposals, from the general public. I did so based on the advice of some of the veteran WotC authors I met at the convention. Wizards sent a polite response back, but nothing further.
There’s a good reason why WotC doesn’t accept unsolicited manuscripts. Their publishing staff plans out the novel lines a year or two in advance. This includes not just storylines, but the number of books they will publish. There’s not a lot of wiggle room, even for previously contracted authors.
My proposal had little hope of becoming a manuscript based on the just the above. Some additional revelations this year confirmed it. The first was the advancement of the FR timeline by 100 years. My proposed story was set before the Spellplague.
The second was the release of James P. Davis’ second FR novel, Shield of the Weeping Ghost
I still plan to send another unsolicited proposal after the 4E FR campaign setting is released and I’ve had a chance to read through it. However, my best opportunity to get published is to complete my own novel manuscript and shop it around. I’ll still be at the mercy of an agent and a publisher, but I’ll have more control than in a work-for-hire situation.
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June 5th, 2008 at 7:59 am
I can say with experience that it’s best not to wait to be asked to submit. Be proactive. I pestered my first editor to just be remembered, always feeling like I was making a nuisance of myself. But it did pan out eventually, and if I let the many months elapse when I was just waiting….and waiting…and waiting….without following up, I’d never have gotten a first book. Even then, I tried very hard to keep following up afterwards and that, I’m certain, helped me get continual work with Wizards.
But that said, yes, writing your own manuscript and shopping it around is probably the best person goal one can have. It’s one I know I’m going to need to get around to eventually.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Hey, Jeff. I appreciate the comment. I’ve considered the “pestering” route, but always held back because of the nuisance factor. I’m going to have to rethink that, now.
June 5th, 2008 at 9:18 am
@ Jeff - Sounds like good advice from someone who’s been there.
@ Kam - take the advice
There’s an element of sales in writing, like I posted a few weeks back here. I don’t think you become a nuisance unless you’re talking about bugging the same person over and over again in a short period of time. Can’t speak for others, but once a week or once every couple of weeks depending on the answer I get is about right.
Get out there. Your writing is wonderful. You’ve got an amazing fiction voice. Matching the novel to a publisher who needs that type at that time is the tricky part, and it means you’ve got to knock on doors.
Good luck, Kam. You’ll get there, and when you do, I’ll be first in line to buy the new book.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:38 am
I need to get published again.
Emphasis mine.
Keep in mind that you’ve actually gotten a novel published, which puts you way, way ahead of most of us. Such as myself.
You’re an excellent writer. Just be patient, and be persistent. And as Jeff said, don’t wait for an opportunity to happen - make the opportunity. What little success I’ve had came from being aggressively proactive … which isn’t normally my nature.
But it definitely increases your odds of getting your work published, in my opinion.
Mike’s last blog post was … Also, A Small Matter of Lost Civilizations
June 5th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Has it really been so long? I guess I should probably start reading again, Maiden was near the top of my pile when I lapsed in my reading. Although now I’m going to have to start over with what I WAS reading (A Game of Thrones, I think…).
I still haven’t had Maiden signed, either. Need to get that done.
And Bob may have competition in the front of the line once you are published again. No pushing!
Lukahn’s last blog post was Famous Me