Pub Rants

Happy Monday Indeed!

by Kristin Nelson

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STATUS: Holy cow what a morning!

What’s playing on the iPod right now? EVERYTHING SHE WANTS by Wham!

I’m getting no work done because all I’m doing is sitting around and grinning like mad.

Remember back in July when I let y’all in on a little secret about how wonderful my colleague Sara Megibow is?

Well, I’m giddy to report that the baby boy arrived yesterday at 3:25 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2009.

Baby Trey is healthy. Sara is doing great. And the new parents are ecstatic and exhausted.

Everything is as it should be!

And if that weren’t news enough, this morning I read about Publishers Weekly choosing SOULLESS as one of their top 100 books for 2009.

And then if that weren’t enough, PW gives PROOF BY SEDUCTION a starred review saying

“Historical romance fans will celebrate Milan’s powerhouse debut, which comes with a full complement of humor, characterization, plot and sheer gutsiness.”

All this and HOTEL being on the NYT trade bestseller list for several weeks now, I honestly don’t know what to do with myself. Work? What’s that?

Happy Monday because I’m sure loving it.

50 Responses

  5. Amy said:

    Congratulations! I just purchased Soulless last week, solely because I was wandering through the bookstore, the cover caught my attention, and I remembered seeing it on your blog. I loved it!

  7. Dara said:

    Congrats to Sara! November 1st is a good day to be born, from someone who now shares a birthday with the lucky little boy 🙂

  12. DebraLSchubert said:

    Congrats, Sara! May your new little bundle of joy live a long, happy, and healthy life.

    And, congrats on the books as well, thought that news – no matter how wonderful – pales in comparison to a beautiful new baby. 😉

  13. TKA said:

    Congrats to the new parents. May blessing rain down upon Sara and her wonderful husband.

    And – Congrats to Kristin for a well deserved Happy Monday.

  15. Leona said:

    congrats to all of the above!! My son’s firt birthday was yesterday and his beginnings were harsh. I’m very happy to report they weren’t even a blip on his birthday. Glad to hear your colleague had a good birthing. Next year will be lots less work for celebrating than actually birthing him, trust me 😀

    The birth of a baby and top selling books? Good going 🙂

  22. David Kearns said:

    Heheh.

    I’d really like to see a spoof cover of “Proof of Seduction,” only it would be an out-of-work pennyless male novelist on his back, and the title would be “proof of rejection.”

    Ha!

  23. Michelle Marie said:

    I had to buy Soulless after reading so much about it on your blog and I have to say, even though I’m only two chapters in I’m in love! Congratulations!

  25. Gordon Jerome said:

    Great. Now PW has joined the ranks of the Nobel Peace Prize.

    You traditionalists, go ahead and keep tearing down literature with your romance porn and silly female works. Jesus. I long for the days when women felt betrayed by men and burned their bras. Now all that is gone and every woman, it seems, has to “use what she’s got” again.

    Courtney Milan–joke. Society warewolves and vampires–joke.

    But hey, make the bucks while you can. In five years there won’t be a fiction industry as we know it.

    Yeah, I’m bitter. But not because my stuff isn’t out there getting a star review in PW. I’m bitter because the harder I try to write well in this traditional atmosphere, the less likely I am to be published–cus I just don’t get it. Sex sells.

    But a system is always most corrupt just before it breaks apart. History will record that the latter 20th Century and into the first part of the 21st was a time when the world went mad: war, abstract worthless art, and romance porn as bestselling literature.

  26. Botanist said:

    Congratulations all round. And hooray for happy posts! It’s great to hear joyful news, gave me just the lift I needed on a dark and damp Monday evening.

  27. Sherry Thomas said:

    Congratulations, Sara. At least the pregnancy is behind you!

    Congratulations, Gail. I’ve SOULLESS on my shelf and look forward to it.

    Congratulations, Jamie. Stay there!

    Congratulations, Courtney. Having read the powerhouse book that is PROOF BY SEDUCTION, Of course I agree with everything PW says.

    And now…

    You know, Gordon Jerome, I usually don’t get in the way of someone’s outpouring of fear and loathing. But seriously, buddy, get thee a better rant. Yours is all over the place. It lacks focus, originality, and readability. If you can’t hone all that bitterness–and boy that’s a lot of it–into something trenchant and bitingly memorable, how do you expect to interest me in your regular writing?

  28. TerriOsburn said:

    Nice.

    Congrats to everyone. Parents, authors, and agent alike. It’s not easy to find good news these days. Here’s to more good news on the horizon.

  30. Gilbert J. Avila said:

    I would think that the only good thing about the imminent collapse of traditional publishing is that we’ll never have to read any more of Gordon’s impotent whining about how no one appreciates his genius and the vast conspiracy among agents to keep him and his circa 1930’s-style ghost stories in monotonous obscurity.

  32. christinayamazaki said:

    Wow Sherry, it sounds like Gordon must get approved before he leaves comments on blogs too! OMG 🙂

  33. Christina said:

    Oh and I would like to add that I have just started following your blog, (I have a manuscript about a Japanese-American coming out story and am taking a look around) and it is so nice to have a woman’s voice in this male dominated field. Thanks so much for all you’ve done to help promote female writing. 😉

  34. Gordon Jerome said:

    And now…

    You know, Gordon Jerome, I usually don’t get in the way of someone’s outpouring of fear and loathing. But seriously, buddy, get thee a better rant. Yours is all over the place. It lacks focus, originality, and readability.

    If you can’t hone all that bitterness–and boy that’s a lot of it–into something trenchant and bitingly memorable, how do you expect to interest me in your regular writing?

    I checked out your website. I don’t think I write what you read. My characters enter the bedroom, but we don’t see them again until the morning. It’s called decency. As for me and all my fear, bitterness, and loathing…well, yes…I’m pretty much made up of those emotions these days, but it doesn’t change the fact that what you write is porn. And porn always sells. It’s the fact that it always sells that used to make us ashamed of it in popular literature. And, my dear, if I’m not “trenchant” why are you responding with such venom?

    I would think that the only good thing about the imminent collapse of traditional publishing is that we’ll never have to read any more of Gordon’s impotent whining about how no one appreciates his genius and the vast conspiracy among agents to keep him and his circa 1930’s-style ghost stories in monotonous obscurity.

    I never said I was a genius. And little do you seem to realize: agent opinions don’t really matter. Their opinions are shaped by what the publishers they query demand. If a large publisher says it will be a certain way, the agent is powerless to negotiate, all they can do is try to sell that way to their writers and hope they sign so they can get their commission. They don’t champion anything; they don’t sway anything. They sell what is marketable. Sex sells, so porn peddlers like you will always find publication. I don’t even know how you could fail to do so. Agents don’t turn writers down for bad writing. They turn writers down for nonviable ideas.

    Besides, my work is being published next year. It will be available in all e-book formats. I’ve had lots of articles and op eds published (under another name). I’ve had a nonfiction book published on how to be happy (I really should take some of my own advice these days). I once won a writing contest. I used to have an extremely popular blog. I had an independent publishing business (which I am going to revive), and here I am responding to a person who just has to give me their point of view though I’m so impotent at expressing my own. Hmmm.

  35. Leona said:

    You know Gordon, I don’t know you, but you are coming off as a self-righteous pompous ass who lives to tear down other people.

    We burned our bras so we don’t have to pussy-foot around sex any more. We are allowed to enjoy it. If your tastes don’t run along those lines, DON’T BUY THE BOOK! DUH!

    Most of the mainstream literature isn’t porn anymore than Renoir’s nudes are porn. They are artistic endeavors celebrating life and form. Get over yourself and your beyond old fashioned ideals.

    Don’t ruin other people’s good news with your venom.

  36. Carolyn said:

    Congratulations to Sara, the baby and the parents. What happy news!

    And congrats to Kristin and her clients, too (Courtney, Gail, Jamie!!! Woot!)

    Gordon! Oh my God, you are too hilarious for words (but not, I fear, in the way you might prefer.) Please accept my condolences for your very bad day. Writing is a hard business and if you let it get to you the way it plainly has, well, that bitterness tends to creep into one’s writing.

    I was listening to an interview with Lee Child yesterday and one of the things he said was (to paraphrase) that popular fiction makes it possible for less popular fiction to find a home. People crave great stories and those show up most often in popular fiction. This isn’t an all or nothing deal. Many of the same people who read popular fiction reach next for something else.

    So, actually, you need to be thanking Courtney and Gail (and many others!) for keeping the publishing boat afloat. It’s because of writers like them that more niche literature has a place on the shelves.

    Will it be your work on the shelf, one day? Not if you spend your valuable time worrying about what other people write instead of what you write.

  37. AM said:

    Well, it is the wide variety of personalities that make the industry’s blogs so rich, right?

    All communities have dissenters and embittered members, as well as the conformists and the naive. Not that I mean to suggest that conformists are naive or that dissenters are embittered. At some point, we are all a little of each, aren’t we?

    Anyway, back on topic. Sara, you are an inspiration.

    Congratulations to the authors, and to the blessed parents, and to you, Kristin. Thanks for sharing your great day!

  38. Kristen Callihan said:

    Coming in late here, but a huge congratulations to all!

    Gail– I read Soulless last week and thought it was fantastic, and totally original. Thanks for a good read.

    Courtney — I’ve marked my calendar for January. Your book sounds like my cup of tea. Can’t wait. 🙂

  40. CountryMouse said:

    YAY for Soulless! Loved it! Congrats to Gail & all! As they say, if you’re happy and you know it . . .
    Oh, how I miss the snow. Cheers

  42. Gilbert J. Avila said:

    Gordon said:

    “Agents don’t turn down writers for bad writing. They turn down writers for nonviable ideas.” Ironic, much?

    Have you tried peddling your wares to Realms of Fantasy, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Dreams of decadence, Weird Tales, or any of the numerous e-zines on the web? With those you don’t need an agent; you deal directly with first readers and editors. Turnaround time is also much faster.

    Try horrorwriters.net—you need critiquing.

  44. Gordon Jerome said:

    Thanks Gilbert,

    I disagree that I need critiquing, since I’m not inclined to write the way other people would write. Unfortunately, I’m the type who has to reinvent the wheel to understand it.

    But I appreciate the contacts.

  45. Anonymous said:

    That’s so great. Congratulations, Sara. I heard the story and I thought that was so wonderful. You’re a goddess.

  46. Gilbert J. Avila said:

    Actually, Gordon, horrorwriters.net is one of the e-zines I was referring to. Check out the site. I go there all the time. It’s a very informative and helpful site for genre writers.

  48. denwer said:

    I always look forward to reading your posts. Perhaps now I can feel the same eagerness about the Comments section. You do a wonderful job humanizing this industry for us. Thank you. Sorry the new policy will cause more work for you.