A Virgin Post
So here it is. The first official post. The post-contract-signing, pre-book-delivery entry into my newborn website’s blog.
I have to say that signing the contract for Breathers was both daunting and thrilling. The first two times I read through the 13 pages of the contract, I was looking for all of the questions I had and the legal ramifications of what I was about to do. After all, it’s not often you sign away the rights to something you’ve created.
And while I know that 7.5% is the standard royalty rate for trade paperback, especially for a first-time novelist, it’s an odd feeling to sign over the North American print rights of your creation knowing that 92.5% of the gross sales will be going to someone else.
But the third time I read through the contract, it finally sunk in what I was about to do. I was about to sign a contract for Breathers, the first step toward publication and the realization of a dream more than 15 years in the making. So the third time, I smiled and laughed a lot. And then I signed the contract.
People keep asking me if I feel any different now that I have an agent and a book deal.
Yes and no.
When I walk past bookstores, instead of just envisioning my novel on the shelves, I can actually see it. I smile at the thought of seeing it in the New Arrivals section or displayed in the window next to a sign announcing an upcoming book reading and signing with the author. So yeah, there’s that.
And while it’s true that I don’t have to spend the time looking for an agent, there’s still that one thought in the back of my head that helps to keep me grounded:
I hope my agent likes my next book.
