This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on September 23, 2022. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.
Remember when I promised to give you all the behind-the-scenes details about producing The Thirteenth Circle, which will be my sixth published book when it comes out in 2024?
Well, this week, I signed the contract!
Wait, you might be saying. Didn't you announce The Thirteenth Circle weeks ago? And sell it back in April? And already do a full revision with your editor?
Yes, yes, and yes.
Here is something you may not know about the publishing industry: everything moves at its own pace. (And that pace is, generally, SLOW.) It is not at all uncommon to sign a contract having already done the bulk of the work.
After the publisher makes an offer and the author accepts it, the contract has to be drafted and submitted to the author's representative for approval. The literary agent generally asks for tweaks to the language to make it more favorable for their client. Those revisions must then be approved by the publisher's legal team...and so the contract goes back and forth and back and forth until everyone is, well, if not completely happy, then at least satisfied. In the meantime, if the book is going to be published within 1.5-2 years (the average time from offer to publication), the author and the editor have to get to work doing their part!
So, if MarcyKate and I are already hard at work with our editor, why is officially signing the contract actually a big deal?
Because now we can get paid.
Hooray!!
Here's a little bit more you might not know about book contracts: one of the things they specify is when payments will be disbursed. In traditional publishing, you are generally offered what is called an "advance." This is money you are paid before the book releases, i.e. in advance of publication. The advance is divided into multiple payments. For The Thirteenth Circle, we are being paid 1/3 of the advance upon contract signing, 1/3 upon delivery and acceptance of the final manuscript (a.k.a. when our edits are done), and 1/3 on or around publication day.
For my first book, which published in 2015, the advance was split in half, with payments on signing and delivery/acceptance; a 50/50 split is now rare. Some publishers are even dividing advances into fourths, with the final payment occurring months after publication! Which makes it no longer an advance...but I digress.
Getting paid is one big, exciting reason to be happy about signing the contract.
But there's also an emotional component, at least for me. Signing the contract means this thing is officially happening. This book that I love will, barring an unforeseen disaster, hit shelves. Everyone is committed. Contract-signing is a moment that feels full of potential. Where will this book take us? How will we reach and connect with readers?
Last week, I talked about celebrating the small things. Signing a contract isn't so small—but given that we've already announced the book and begun revisions with our editor and even started talking with our team about possible cover illustrations, it can feel like just another step in the journey. So, I wanted to take a moment to commemorate the milestone! My fourth book contract; my sixth published book. What an amazing feeling.
~Kathryn
Pictured below:
Top: contracts for The Distance Between Lost and Found (left) and How It Feels to Fly (right)—back when they were mailed on paper! Bottom: Digital contract signing for Class Critters (left) and The Thirteenth Circle (right).
What I'm:
Reading: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. Sepetys is a YA author who primarily writes historical fiction. She often tackles historical events that are lesser-known. This book is about the evacuation of East Prussia at the tail end of World War II, and the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff—one of the worst naval disasters in history. Sepetys tells the story through multiple narrators, including Lithuanian, Polish, and German points of view. Her prose is beautiful and her research is impeccable. What's your favorite work of historical fiction?
Watching: "Andor," the prequel series to Rogue One featuring rebel Cassian Andor's backstory. It dropped this week on Disney+, and it surprised me: first, that it was already releasing, and second, that it was good! Episodes one and two are a slow burn, but episode three was amazing. I initially questioned whether this show was even necessary, and now I am all in.
Craving: Red velvet cake. This is a favorite of mine. It made an appearance on the newest season of "The Great British Baking Show" last week, and now I desperately want some. My birthday is coming up...
Loving: Getting as much sunshine as possible before the days get short and cold and dark. I love fall, and it's nice to be cozy indoors in winter, but oh, how I miss the sun...
