Hi Kate, Thanks so much for such a clear reply, I really appreciate it. (I'm not surprised you had to lie on the floor a lot during the process of selling your book!)
I'm not able to travel a whole lot, but I did just get to go to the Grand Canyon last month, and it was magnificent! It was so strange because it looked fake. We could have been looking at a television screen and I doubt I'd have known the difference! But I got some great pictures from that trip and would not be surprised if something similar to that made its way into one of my books.
Love this podcast! So informative, helpful (and exciting!!) to hear about your journeys with these books. Thanks for bringing us along for the ride! The book I'm writing inspired by a trip I took to the Isle of Skye, Scotland in 2016 - imagine 'The Little Mermaid' meets 'Outlander'.
ooooh looking forward to listening to this episode in the studio today!! :D
that iceland picture is too amazing to feel real!! and i've been to burano, too-- but like 20 years ago.... i should probably go back, huh? ;)
i DEFINITELY get inspired by travel-- my phone is chock-full of details i want to include but often forget to flip back (b/c distractions).... hopefully they all settle in and apply themselves to my brain mush while writing or doodling. ;)
i DID manage to write a short story inspired by the house on the other side of the garden (er, backyard) where i was staying for an artist residency in denmark earlier this year. so of course it always feels best to write RIGHT there when inspired to soak it all in.
so i'm grateful for photos, but would rawther create right there being all fancy pants. ;)
Such a great episode, thank you! I have a question, if I may: the term 'pre-empt' was mentioned several times. I assume it's short for 'pre-emptive', but please can you explain what this means in the context of selling the rights to a book? Thank you!
Hi Jenny, I sure can! When you go out on sub to a whole bunch of houses, there are a couple of ways it can play out. One: no one wants the book (obviously the least fun option). Two: you get a bunch of passes, and then at last an editor who loves your book and wants to acquire it. Negotiations ensue. Three: several editors love the book and are interested in acquiring, hooray!! From here, two things might happen: you might go to auction, where several publishers basically compete to get the rights to publish the book. This is all very exciting. But sometimes, before a book can get that far, you'll get a pre-empt, short for pre-emptive, offer. This is when an editor REALLY wants your book, and so they slap a nice deal down on the table to try and keep it from going to anyone else. These offers usually have a time limit of 24 hours or so, so it sets a bit of a frenzy in motion. It's kind of like in poker when someone calls, and then everyone else has to scramble to get their hands together before everyone lays down their cards. Your agent will go out to any other interested editors and let them know what's up, and that if they want to make an offer it's now or never. The hope with a pre-empt is that they'll wipe out the competition. It's a huge sign of enthusiasm for the book, too, so it's a thrilling thing to have happen.
Hi Kate, Thanks so much for such a clear reply, I really appreciate it. (I'm not surprised you had to lie on the floor a lot during the process of selling your book!)
I'm not able to travel a whole lot, but I did just get to go to the Grand Canyon last month, and it was magnificent! It was so strange because it looked fake. We could have been looking at a television screen and I doubt I'd have known the difference! But I got some great pictures from that trip and would not be surprised if something similar to that made its way into one of my books.
Isn't it an incredible place? Amie and I talked about our experiences there not all that long ago. The scale of it is utterly mind boggling.
Yes! Absolutely stunning! We had a 3 hour drive to get there, so we couldn't stay long, but even the little time we spent there was fantastic!
Love this podcast! So informative, helpful (and exciting!!) to hear about your journeys with these books. Thanks for bringing us along for the ride! The book I'm writing inspired by a trip I took to the Isle of Skye, Scotland in 2016 - imagine 'The Little Mermaid' meets 'Outlander'.
Looking forward to your next episode!
I am absolutely HERE for that mashup!! Your book sounds amazing. And I am dying to go to Scotland: it's at the very tippy top of my list.
ooooh looking forward to listening to this episode in the studio today!! :D
that iceland picture is too amazing to feel real!! and i've been to burano, too-- but like 20 years ago.... i should probably go back, huh? ;)
i DEFINITELY get inspired by travel-- my phone is chock-full of details i want to include but often forget to flip back (b/c distractions).... hopefully they all settle in and apply themselves to my brain mush while writing or doodling. ;)
i DID manage to write a short story inspired by the house on the other side of the garden (er, backyard) where i was staying for an artist residency in denmark earlier this year. so of course it always feels best to write RIGHT there when inspired to soak it all in.
so i'm grateful for photos, but would rawther create right there being all fancy pants. ;)
I totally agree: it's nice to write while you're actually IN the place you're inspired by. I wish many joint travel/writing adventures for all of us.
Such a great episode, thank you! I have a question, if I may: the term 'pre-empt' was mentioned several times. I assume it's short for 'pre-emptive', but please can you explain what this means in the context of selling the rights to a book? Thank you!
Hi Jenny, I sure can! When you go out on sub to a whole bunch of houses, there are a couple of ways it can play out. One: no one wants the book (obviously the least fun option). Two: you get a bunch of passes, and then at last an editor who loves your book and wants to acquire it. Negotiations ensue. Three: several editors love the book and are interested in acquiring, hooray!! From here, two things might happen: you might go to auction, where several publishers basically compete to get the rights to publish the book. This is all very exciting. But sometimes, before a book can get that far, you'll get a pre-empt, short for pre-emptive, offer. This is when an editor REALLY wants your book, and so they slap a nice deal down on the table to try and keep it from going to anyone else. These offers usually have a time limit of 24 hours or so, so it sets a bit of a frenzy in motion. It's kind of like in poker when someone calls, and then everyone else has to scramble to get their hands together before everyone lays down their cards. Your agent will go out to any other interested editors and let them know what's up, and that if they want to make an offer it's now or never. The hope with a pre-empt is that they'll wipe out the competition. It's a huge sign of enthusiasm for the book, too, so it's a thrilling thing to have happen.
Those gold sneakers are epic! This was such an informative episode-- So many amazing nuggets about the process that I hadn't heard before. Thank you!
My shoes are very silly, as is that selfie of me, but I do love them. And I'm glad you enjoyed the episode! We're very lucky to be on Team Adams.