6 Weeks, 300 Pages

Oh boy. It's about to get busy here again. For a year now, my agent and I have been waiting to hear from my editor and publishing house about the proposal for the next book. We haven't heard. And we haven't heard. And we haven't heard. No contract. No feedback on the story. No rejection. No...anything.

I've been panicking because what if they don't like the story? They were really really eager to publish another book with me. But what if they don't like the story? I told them it would be done by February 2009. (Please note, we are now past that date. Remember this as it will be important later.)

My agent hasn't been panicking at all. Honestly, I don't think she's quite believed that they were so eager to publish another book. I can understand her reticence. All she has is the reports from a new author that a renowned publishing house and the holy grail of genre editors wants to work with said new author. And no shit. What new author wouldn't want to believe that aforementioned pub house and editor are falling all over themselves to work with her? This doesn't mean it's an accurate assessment of the situation and I do get that. No wonder agent hasn't quite believed it.

So, I've been saying "but it's due in Feb" and agent has been saying "don't write it until we hear from them." And I've been saying "but it's due in Feb" and agent has been saying "it's not though until they've accepted the proposal ~ which they haven't. Don't write it until we hear from them. You'll have 8-12 months once we hear back, if they buy it." And I've been saying "they were really into this trilogy and I said it would be ready in Feb" and agent has been saying "no pub house will publish a second book in a trilogy if they don't own the first one and we haven't heard back from editor. Don't write the second one until we hear back." And I've said...You get the idea.

Last week, I got the first email from my editor that I've received in a year. She needed plot and character description for the art department because they are going into cover design. Cover design. For a book that hasn't even officially been contracted. For a book they have not read a single word of yet. Cover design.

Um....

So, once it sunk in and Lithus and I did the Happy Husband Dance and Pobble Hop respectively, I started to panic a bit. I have asked my agent to get me six weeks. Please oh please, she can get me six weeks. Because I've gotta write about 300 pages. In six weeks. For a book that's gone to cover design.

Surreal doesn't even begin to describe it.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.