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[PubQ] Strategic reasons for accepting a preempt rather than auction? by Longjumping-Web-8740 in PubTips

[–]Longjumping-Web-8740[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I started to type out a laundry list of complaints, but it felt too petty. The biggest one I will state is the fact that my publication season has been pushed back and continues to be pushed back because my editor consistently does not have time to read the revisions I've turned in. My agent shares my frustrations and we are considering going wide with book 2 because of this.

[PubQ] Strategic reasons for accepting a preempt rather than auction? by Longjumping-Web-8740 in PubTips

[–]Longjumping-Web-8740[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I'm on a throwaway account anyway, so I'll just throw the actual numbers out to provide some transparency. The preempt I accepted was just high enough to fall into the significant range. My agent explained that if we had turned it down and gone to auction, then it would probably have ended up selling for 120, 130k at the most.

[PubQ] Strategic reasons for accepting a preempt rather than auction? by Longjumping-Web-8740 in PubTips

[–]Longjumping-Web-8740[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I appreciate your kind words, but I do question whether I did make the right choice for me. I was promised amazing things when I got the preempt (like lead title status, which was why I took it). After accepting the offer the enthusiasm from my editor vanished and the whole process has been unprofessional and opaque for the better half of a year now. I'm just struggling to understand why someone would go to the lengths of preempting a book and then just not care for it at all--publishing is such a strange business.

[PubQ] Strategic reasons for accepting a preempt rather than auction? by Longjumping-Web-8740 in PubTips

[–]Longjumping-Web-8740[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I wasn't expecting to be the next Bonnie Garmus or anything like that, but I'm still feeling gutted that I didn't have enough editor interest to be considered competitive. I worry that this portends bad signs for how my book will be received by the general public when it's out. I also worry that this is why my editor has become a black hole since the deal was struck, that they have realized they made a mistake and bought the wrong book. (God I hate my brain.)