THE CAREER NOVELIST
and warehousing costs. Those are less than original publication
costs, of course, but reorder rates must justify the expense. For
authors still building audiences, the "rate"—remember that?— may
not be sufficient, especially when new titles are not driving reorders.
If you decide to stay, it is wise to consider the situation a major
crisis. Decisive action is needed. I will illustrate with a story about
Paula Volsky, a fantasy writer I represent. I had moved her from
Berkley to Bantam for more than three times her previous
advance money. Everything was looking good. Her new novel,
Illusion, promised to be dynamite. The advance seemed to guaran-
tee it lots of loving care—until her editor left. Her publisher then
promoted an editorial assistant, Janna Silverstein, and assigned
her the project.
My heart sank. This was a scenario for disaster. My first move was
to phone the editorial director who had been in on the original
acquisition and make sure he was still excited about Illusion. (He
was.) I then arranged lunch with Janna, and pitched the project just
as hard as I had the first time around. It worked, (anna—an editor of
uncommon good taste—got fired up. Just to be sure, when the
novel was finally delivered (all one thousand pages of it) I sent it to
her with a box of Godiva chocolates and a note suggesting that
some novels absolutely required that one have bonbons at one's
side while being read.
Sound silly? Maybe so, but (anna ate the chocolates, read the
manuscript, and discovered that she had a career-making novel on
her hands. She promoted it fiercely in-house, fought to get a cover
painting from the finest artist in the held, Michael Whelan, and
arranged a number of clever, low-cost promotions. The book did
splendidly. So did Janna, whose star rose at Bantam. (She also
became, needless to say, one of my favorite editors.)
I hope I have made my point. When you are orphaned, it is fatal
is sit around and wait to see what will happen. Take action. Sell the
book all over again. A passive response allows your publisher to be
passive, too.
Do the words "splendid cover" sound to you like an oxymoron? If
so you have likely been stung by poor packaging. Recovering from
that blow is difficult, sometimes impossible. If you have the chance