I'm signed with a publisher working on my first genre fiction novel. The editor is driving me crazy not getting her work done and putting the rewrites on me at the last minute up against the deadlines. Is this standard operating procedure in the industry, or should I contact the publisher with my concerns? Is there a normal timeline for how long I have to make the changes she suggests?
3
-
1Feel free to contact the publisher, there is no shame in it. The "normal timeline" is probably defined in your contract. Have you read it?– John SmithersDec 29, 2013 at 0:20
-
Not to be cynical, but: Does the publisher get extra money out of the deal if you fail to meet a deadline?– dmmDec 30, 2013 at 22:55
-
That is an excellent question. No, he wanted us to be done with the editing by the end of the year so he could benefit from the tax write offs for production costs, so if anything he wanted it done more than I do. The problem seems clearly to lie with the editor, in my opinion. She is over-extended, and I don't mind that she can't get the work done faster except that it leaves me with the pressure to get the rewrites done in just a few days. I sent a request this morning for a timeline, at least, and she hasn't responded.– CarolDec 31, 2013 at 4:38
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
This all depends on the editor and publisher you are working with. Each team at any publishing house has their own time frame. The amount of time taken should be stated in your contract. An editor should not be taking so much time that you have only a couple of days to finish rewrites. That does not sound professional to me. Sends up a red flag. Did you read up on this company, or at least this editor before signing the contract? The publisher pushing to get your work done before the end of the year for tax write offs doesn't sound right either. A good place to check if someone is on the "writer beware" list is :http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/
A good resource to use for the least chance of finding an editor or publisher that will scam you is http://www.writersmarket.com You have to pay for a subscription, but it is well worth it.