Tales in Publishing: Contract

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Tales in Publishing: 
Contract


Things were not feeling real. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I was beginning to fulfill my last goal I had hoped for since I was young. I already had the husband, house, and child I always wanted. I had a job I loved, but I really wanted to become a published writer. I held off on self-publishing, partly due to the stigma of some of the inferior works out there (you know, the ones not even edited or don't actually have a story arc) but also because I do not foresee myself being successful at marketing it alone.

Regardless, it felt surreal when I submitted a short story and got approval (TIP: Acceptance ). I still couldn't believe it. But then the publishing company sent me the contract. I opened it and read through carefully, wondering if I should consult a lawyer friend. However, it was pretty straightforward, had a competitive royalty percentage, and I had done my research of the market prior so everything was sound. There was no advance except in the form of free books for reviewers, but this I had come to expect from the industry unless you get in with the big time conglomerates. Since it is an anthology and royalties are split, I knew it wasn't going to be a money making endeavor, but to be published in an actual book was paramount. It will fluff my writing resume and help me get my foot in the door for my manuscripts.



All these hopes for the future were flurrying through my mind as I tried to focus and read. And then it all came to a blissful crashing reality when I electronically signed it. It was now real. I officially sold the rights to this story. I was on cloud nine. I told people. I got confident and excited. I have a reason to blog again and now renewed energy to revise the pile of manuscripts I have instead of creating more new novels to let them sit. I'm going back into the trenches and going to try to get a full-length manuscript published.

For the time being, I'm going to report on the stages of getting published, so to be continued.