- Joined
- Feb 12, 2014
- Messages
- 239
- Reaction score
- 18
I write this because I'm not sure if this behavior should be expected from a small press, if I'm being unreasonable, or if it is a bad sign and I should get out.
I've put together a roster for an anthology - a dozen authors, some middle-tier in this genre, to agree to write stories for the anthology. The idea is reasonable and I've received enthusiasm. For the next step I need a publisher, and I contacted a small press.
The publishers expressed interest, and after two rescheduled attempts, we sat down on March 18th and hashed out all the details. My deadlines, authors, my credentials, etc. On the issue of if they would print the book and help with author pay, they asked for some time to talk it over, and said, "When would you like us to get back to you?"
"Is two weeks good enough?"
"Oh we'll have an answer by much less than that, maybe 5 days? We've got this meeting...
Five days passed, and all I got was "Oh, we had to reschedule that meeting. Our next is [day]'. That meeting was also rescheduled. I'd sent more emails, and every email I have sent the response is "Oh, we have a meeting scheduled [in two days] and you'll hear back to us after that." From what I could piece together, they say they're having about two meetings a week, and yet they haven't had the time to discuss my project to the point of giving me a yes or no.
Finally I gave them a week to get back to me, or I'd seek elsewhere. The immediate response was "Oh, we have a BIG meeting [the day I sent the email]." It's been five days since then and I've heard nothing.
Bare in mind, this is not a very busy press. They have an anthology currently sitting with an editor, and I don't know how many novels with authors in production, but as it stands they only have two books sitting on the proverbial shelf. So it's not like my business has been lost in the shuffle in a hectic work environment among a slew of other projects.
So, is this typical? Am I being unreasonable expecting a "yes we will/no we will support the anthology" after a conference and a month's time to consider? This isn't like I submitted a manuscript and am waiting for someone to read it - there's no text yet, it's merely a matter of the two guys in charge talking it over between themselves based on the information in front of them.
Because I really want to ask them what is going on here. From where I stand this would take 30 minutes at most to discern between them, and yet they can't manage that? I can't help but think this is what working with them will be like even if they do eventually say yes: regular reschedules and delays instead of keeping to deadlines.
If the world of small press is like this, with a conveyer belt of disruptions to the work calender, please tell me, so that I can expect this type of behavior.
I've put together a roster for an anthology - a dozen authors, some middle-tier in this genre, to agree to write stories for the anthology. The idea is reasonable and I've received enthusiasm. For the next step I need a publisher, and I contacted a small press.
The publishers expressed interest, and after two rescheduled attempts, we sat down on March 18th and hashed out all the details. My deadlines, authors, my credentials, etc. On the issue of if they would print the book and help with author pay, they asked for some time to talk it over, and said, "When would you like us to get back to you?"
"Is two weeks good enough?"
"Oh we'll have an answer by much less than that, maybe 5 days? We've got this meeting...
Five days passed, and all I got was "Oh, we had to reschedule that meeting. Our next is [day]'. That meeting was also rescheduled. I'd sent more emails, and every email I have sent the response is "Oh, we have a meeting scheduled [in two days] and you'll hear back to us after that." From what I could piece together, they say they're having about two meetings a week, and yet they haven't had the time to discuss my project to the point of giving me a yes or no.
Finally I gave them a week to get back to me, or I'd seek elsewhere. The immediate response was "Oh, we have a BIG meeting [the day I sent the email]." It's been five days since then and I've heard nothing.
Bare in mind, this is not a very busy press. They have an anthology currently sitting with an editor, and I don't know how many novels with authors in production, but as it stands they only have two books sitting on the proverbial shelf. So it's not like my business has been lost in the shuffle in a hectic work environment among a slew of other projects.
So, is this typical? Am I being unreasonable expecting a "yes we will/no we will support the anthology" after a conference and a month's time to consider? This isn't like I submitted a manuscript and am waiting for someone to read it - there's no text yet, it's merely a matter of the two guys in charge talking it over between themselves based on the information in front of them.
Because I really want to ask them what is going on here. From where I stand this would take 30 minutes at most to discern between them, and yet they can't manage that? I can't help but think this is what working with them will be like even if they do eventually say yes: regular reschedules and delays instead of keeping to deadlines.
If the world of small press is like this, with a conveyer belt of disruptions to the work calender, please tell me, so that I can expect this type of behavior.