Requiem for a Dream

Sometimes it seems like a dream. You have a great agent. She gets you a good deal and you have a contract. You've been through editing and copyediting and filled out all the forms for artwork. You're almost ready to see your manuscript turned into a real book.
Then you wake up.

I had one of those rude awakenings last week. Strange Chemistry, the YA imprint of Angry Robot books that was supposed to published A Curse of Ash and Iron, my YA steampunk fairy-tale retelling, was cut. Effective immediately. Contract canceled.

No book.

It's taken me awhile to put into words how this made me feel. Sick. Upset. Like the world fell apart. I mean, it happens in publishing. It's business. But it's really hard not to take it just a little personally, not to feel like someone has punched you in the gut. I cried. My agent cried. We can't believe we got so close only to have the rug pulled away. It's like a bad joke. I had booked a very big trip to the midwest to help promote the book at a con with the publisher. No publisher. Nonrefundable tickets. Fortunately I have other books I can push. Not so lucky for other authors who were making their debut.

But it could have been worse. There are many authors who were left with books in limbo after already being published. Or left in the middle of a series.  At least I hadn't booked a venue for the launch party yet. But it was a close thing. I feel for the staff, who might have been let go from their jobs. As least I have my book back right away and can move on.

So, not requiem for THE dream. Just this one. The outpouring of support for the imprint and the authors has been overwhelming. A lot of people wanted to read those books, including mine.People kept pre-ordering it evenI after the news.

We'll find a new home, and let everyone know when and where.

Some good news and a bit about author wish fulfillment

First of all, the GOOD NEWS! If you haven't seen my personal blog or tweets, I have something big happening this year. My Steampunk Fairy Tale retelling has been bought by Strange Chemistry books! It will be released in September 2014, so not too long to wait. We had to change the title, so what was once Smoke & Mirrors, is now A Curse of Ash and Iron. 

Yay!!

The other day, I saw an article where J.K. Rowling says she thinks that Hermione and Harry should have ended up together, not Hermione and Ron, and that she may have thought of killing off poor Ron Weasley.

Okkkkayyyy.... I guess I'm glad she said that. Not. I mean, it's her story and all, but first of all, done is done. Secondly, I think the Hermione/Harry matchup wouldn't have worked as well. It was MUCH too obvious. To compare it to Star Wars, Harry was Luke Skywalker and Hermione was Princess Leia. We all know how that worked out. The relationships are similarly based in mutual respect. Likewise, Ron was definitely Han Solo. Not as dashing, but he drove Hermione BONKERS for five books until she realized she loved him, much the same way Han got under Leia's skin.  She wrote Ron and Hermione so that they NEEDED each other. Hermione needed someone to take care of and be smarter than, and Ron needed someone to...well, he needed someone like Hermione.

Ginny was quiet, not an attention-seeker, and unexpected in a way. She was perfect, because by marrying her Harry got to really become a part of the family he was already part of in his heart.

And I don't know how to feel about the revelation. I mean, as authors there are always things we'd go back and do differently, but we don't tell readers, do we? Especially if we have readers who really LIKED what we wrote? Does it take some of the shine off of the diamond, knowing that the author sees it as imperfect?

I don't think I'd tell, even if I had regrets later on. If readers love it the way it is, let them keep their happiness.