the author has to decide what he wants to do next, and then it takes as long as it takes.
Eh. I'm of two minds regarding that. First off? This is the writer's JOB. He's provided a deadline. He's gotten an advance. And the company who has the contract with him and gotten that deadline, has put advertising and marketing in place. It's one thing if you haven't sold the second book yet, don't have an advance, and haven't promised anything - no marketing dollars in place, no expectation (such as one gal on my flist who has a two-book option deal but is taking forever to get the second book written. To date the publisher hasn't expended any funds...if she never delivers...no big deal. No one cares. But in the case of say Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher or Martin - where actuall promises have been made, and an exchange in funds??? Then yeah, if I were their publisher? I'd make certain there was something in their contract...regarding that issue. Because publishers have been known to suffer huge losses based on writers who promised a product and didn't deliver. It's a business after all. It is supposed to be hard WORK.
That said? There are some things that you shouldn't rush - because they look well rushed. But, when I took creative writing in school and there was a deadline to turn in a story - I remember working an entire weekend, with a 105 degree fever in the computer room to hash it out. I turned it in Monday. Then checked myself into the health center and slept. The teacher, a professional writer, expected nothing less. You meet your deadlines. No excuses. That story? The best one I ever wrote - won a prize for it and everything. So imposed deadlines make writers perform well. Otherwise they pitter about on the internet.
So while the writer isn't necessarily the fan's bitch...(although fan's have a funky habit of losing interest and finding another writer to fawn over, I know I do.) He/She is at the mercy of whomever is paying to publish and/or market/sell his/her work. If he/she hates that? There's always self-publishing. Or blogging.
Did you notice that he kind of failed to apologize in his forward because he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't do it again?
There's a forward??? Didn't notice it. Of course I have it on The Kindle...so that may explain it? It was only 3-6 months, no big. Like I said, Martin made his publisher and fans wait 7 years.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2011-08-02 04:44 pm (UTC)Eh. I'm of two minds regarding that. First off? This is the writer's JOB. He's provided a deadline.
He's gotten an advance. And the company who has the contract with him and gotten that deadline, has put advertising and marketing in place. It's one thing if you haven't sold the second book yet, don't have an advance, and haven't promised anything - no marketing dollars in place, no expectation (such as one gal on my flist who has a two-book option deal but is taking forever to get the second book written. To date the publisher hasn't expended any funds...if she never delivers...no big deal. No one
cares. But in the case of say Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher or Martin - where actuall promises have been made, and an exchange in funds??? Then yeah, if I were their publisher? I'd make certain there was something in their contract...regarding that issue. Because publishers have been known to suffer huge losses based on writers who promised a product and didn't deliver. It's a business after all. It is supposed to be hard WORK.
That said? There are some things that you shouldn't rush - because they look well rushed. But, when I took creative writing in school and there was a deadline to turn in a story - I remember working an entire weekend, with a 105 degree fever in the computer room to hash it out. I turned it in Monday. Then checked myself into the health center and slept. The teacher, a professional writer, expected nothing less. You meet your deadlines. No excuses. That story? The best one I ever wrote - won a prize for it and everything. So imposed deadlines make writers perform well. Otherwise they pitter about on the internet.
So while the writer isn't necessarily the fan's bitch...(although fan's have a funky habit of losing interest and finding another writer to fawn over, I know I do.) He/She is at the mercy of whomever is paying to publish and/or market/sell his/her work. If he/she hates that? There's always self-publishing. Or blogging.
Did you notice that he kind of failed to apologize in his forward because he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't do it again?
There's a forward??? Didn't notice it. Of course I have it on The Kindle...so that may explain it?
It was only 3-6 months, no big. Like I said, Martin made his publisher and fans wait 7 years.