Birth of the Bride
(December 15-19, 2014)
Text of an email from Beatrice Bergeron to Mason Pines, December 15, 2014:
Hi, Mason! Your uncle Stanford gave me your email address, and I held off writing to you earlier because I thought I might have some good news.
And I do. Jan Maryk of Brangwen Books has made an offer on your novel BRIDE OF THE ZOMBIE. If you want, I'll seal the deal today and you'll get a contract shortly. Here's what you need to know to make up your mind:
The offer is for hardcover/softcover publication. The advance will be $5,000 (not bad for a first YA novel), half on delivery of a satisfactory manuscript after you do some editing under Jan's direction (she really likes the book, so it will be mostly a matter of tidying up some things and answering some questions), and then the other half when the hardcover is published. Royalties are industry standard (these will be in the paperwork, but they're fair and if the book sells as well as Jan and I expect, you'll be in for some royalty income down the road). My commission will be fifteen per cent, and all the rest will come directly to you.
As you wish, your novel will be published under the pseudonym Stan Mason. I understand you're a student with some academic publications under your real name, and don't worry—many academics write fiction under pseudonyms, so that's not at all unusual. I'm impressed—your uncle, some of whose publications I have read (I'm intrigued by cryptozoology and the like, and I hope you'll help me persuade Stanford to write a popular book on the subject for younger readers!), has told me you've collaborated with him on two scientific articles so far. Are you in grad school? Sometimes I think I should have gone for my Master's in marine biology, which was my first love! Anyway, so much for the financial offer.
But wait, there's more. Jan is willing to write a contract for THREE books—"Bride" and two sequels featuring the same characters. In that case, the total advance will be $15,000.00 on hardcover/softcover deals. The second $5,000 will be paid on completion and publication of book 2, and the last $5,000 will be paid on completion and publication of book 3.
You'll have to decide. Series are a good idea, because they build your audience. I could negotiate for a higher advance on books 2 and 3, but since you have no sales record yet, if I were you, I'd go for this offer (providing you have ideas for two more books in a series). You should do well on the back end, with later royalties, and having a series will increase the sales of all the books. Then we can go into later contracts with a much greater chance of boosting your advances. However, I'll abide by your wishes. Let me know what you would like me to do.
Congratulations! Brangwen publishes very popular kids' books, and Jan is a great editor who will take good care of you and will give your book every boost she possibly can. Let me know what you decide, and please act soon—Jan's eager to get to work editing the book.
I've never signed formal contracts with authors I represent, but I would like to send you a memo of agreement. If it looks in order to you, sign a copy and mail it back to me—and you and I are in business.
Best,
Bea
Text of an email from Dipper Pines to Beatrice Bergeron, December 17, 2014:
Wow! Thank you for that news. It's a great early Christmas present! I've talked with my uncle Stanford, and he says, "Go for it!"
Yes, please give Jan Maryk my email address. I'll be glad to get to know her and I am excited to be working with her. I think I'll be easy to edit—because I don't know anything about publishing and just want to write the best books possible. An editor can only help.
I didn't expect to get the memo of agreement today, but you sent it overnight, and I've already signed it and have dropped it back in the mail to you. Thanks for having confidence in my manuscript.
As for books 2 and 3, I'm thinking of one called THE GOBBLYWHONK, about a search for a lake monster, and another called MYSTERY OF THE MURDERED MANNEQUIN, about wax-museum figures who come to life. These novels will feature the same kids from the first book. But I'll worry about writing them once BRIDE is finished and accepted!
Wow. I have an agent.
Thank you!
Mason Pines
Text of an email from Jan Maryk to Mason Pines, December 19, 2014:
Hi, Mason!
Congratulations! Bride of the Zombie is one of the funniest and scariest kids' books I've read in a long time. You must be a fan of John Bellairs—it reminds me of a modern version of his classic tales of mystery and humor.
By the way, thank you for your confidence in me as an editor. Too many writers see editors as their natural enemies, but really, we're on the same team with the same goal in mind, and I'm glad you have that attitude. I think we'll get along just fine.
Anyway, about Bride, don't worry about revisions until January. I will send you a .pdf of a marked-up manuscript with specific suggestions. Some parts need to be condensed a little—you get carried away with some descriptions—and I'd like other parts to have more dialogue and action, but you can take care of that easily. I doubt it will take you more than a month to make the changes.
Is there a way for you to hook the reader on the next book in the series in the last chapter? A little hint of what's to come, a little foreshadowing? I'd like readers to know there's more good stuff coming and get them excited to read more!
But for right now—Legal is working on the contracts, which I'll get to Bea early in January, and she'll review them and send them to you. So just relax for a while, and then get ready to do some revisions in January.
Meantime—Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Best wishes,
Jan
Text from Dipper Pines to Wendy Corduroy, December 19, 2014
Can't wait to see u next week!
I'm an author!
With you-know-what and promises of peppermint,
Dipper!
The End