Werewolves of London? There wolves of London.: seanan

Werewolves of London? There wolves of London.

I spend a lot of time trying to explain literary rights to my mother, who is trying very gamely to learn all the weirdness of the world of publishing. It probably doesn't help that my understanding in many arenas remains fuzzy, so my explanations involve a lot of waving my hands and going "blah blah blah fishcakes." She takes this with reasonably good grace. I have a good mom.

Right now, I keep trying to explain foreign rights sales. Because you see, right now—during the conveniently timed volcanic ash cloud, oops—the London Book Fair is going on. This is one of the biggest foreign rights sales events in the world. If I want Toby in the United Kingdom and the Masons in Japan, this is very likely where it's going to happen. I am thus, I think understandably, a little twitchy about foreign rights at the moment.

I've had awesome luck with foreign rights, in part because I have an awesome foreign rights agent, who works very hard to get my stuff out there. Toby has been sold in Germany and Russia; the Newsflesh trilogy has been sold in Germany. I'd really like a UK edition of the Toby books, and a French edition of both, but there's no counting on it; I need to sit back and wait to see how things settle out. But oh, how I wants it, my precious. I wants it bad. There's the artistic reason ("I just want more people to be able to enjoy Toby's adventures!"), and then there's the capitalist reason ("I really, really want to go full-time before I catch fire from lack of sleep").

My actual reasons are somewhere in the middle. I genuinely do want my books to be accessible to the entire world...and I really, really want to get up every morning, write for a while, take a walk, write for a while longer, and not have a commute further than bed-to-chair. Foreign sales aren't likely to change the world completely, but as many authors of my acquaintance can tell you, good worldwide positioning can make a huge difference in your end-of-year bottom line. Maybe even a full-time writer (or part-time day job) level of difference.

And this is why I'm crazy this week.

apocalypticbob

April 20 2010, 01:53:49 UTC 7 years ago

New comment

The sheer volume you produce while working a full time job is astounding. What you could do if you were writing full time....we are talking Nora Roberts levels of productivity. Scary.

Also, my ARC of FEED arrived today. It is GORGEOUS! I think I'll go to bed early tonight so I can curl up with it and start reading. I want to devour it.

dungeonwriter

April 20 2010, 02:54:45 UTC 7 years ago

I second this!

seanan_mcguire

7 years ago

amanda_nye

April 20 2010, 02:09:26 UTC 7 years ago

good luck! I'd love to see more cover art for more editions... cause more art for your books is always a win!

April 20 2010, 04:02:25 UTC 7 years ago

I can't wait to see the Russian cover design.

kittikins

April 20 2010, 02:58:23 UTC 7 years ago

If you ever have any non-legally binding "huh-what if" intellectual property right questions shoot em' my way. The PhD in media law should do someone some good sometimes, even if its only to satisfy random curiosity pangs. :)

April 20 2010, 04:02:36 UTC 7 years ago

Awesome. Thank you!

rhoda_rants

April 20 2010, 03:01:37 UTC 7 years ago

I know nothing about foreign rights, so all I can say is GOOD LUCK!! For all of us aspiring writers who'd love to write full-time, make it happen! Show us it's possible!

Just (belatedly) finished ALH, by the way, and I looooooved it! Much more than Rosemary and Rue, actually. I kind of love Tybalt. Somehow he went from slightly amusing and bitchy to awesome in this one.

April 20 2010, 04:03:01 UTC 7 years ago

I like A Local Habitation better, too. But I like An Artificial Night best of all.

geojlc

April 20 2010, 06:58:12 UTC 7 years ago

hee! My handwaving explanation is blah blah blah tacos.

April 21 2010, 18:42:57 UTC 7 years ago

TACOS!

keristor

April 20 2010, 09:22:57 UTC 7 years ago

Being published in Russian is awesome, I want a copy!

Getting an UK edition of a US book is dicey, because we can get the imported US editions so easily (and often cheaper than the UK editions) so they are often seen as not selling as well. Publishing US editions of UK books is more common, often associated with 'translating' it for the US market (Harry Potter and the what?). Publishing with acompany who has parts in both countries is probably an advantage, though.

April 21 2010, 18:43:17 UTC 7 years ago

It does happen, though, especially with ongoing series. So I'm hopeful.

cbpotts

April 20 2010, 09:26:52 UTC 7 years ago

And also, although you didn't mention this, there is something totally, wonderfully, awesomely brain breaking about holding a book in your hands in a language you don't read and saying, "I wrote this." It is a very groovy feeling *grin*

April 21 2010, 18:43:36 UTC 7 years ago

Very true. The German edition blows my mind for just that reason.

naurwen

April 20 2010, 10:26:12 UTC 7 years ago

Good luck and fingers crossed for you! :D

I finally could order A Local Habitation here. YAY!

April 21 2010, 18:43:46 UTC 7 years ago

Hooray!

raelee

April 20 2010, 12:00:52 UTC 7 years ago

Shouldn't that say crazier? ;) I kid, I kid. Cuz I loves.

I just want there to be UK and French covers for us to coo over. Is that so bad?

April 21 2010, 18:44:01 UTC 7 years ago

No. No, that's not bad at all.

tintiger

April 20 2010, 13:06:59 UTC 7 years ago

I didn't realise the copy of "Rosemary and Rue" I bought in a major bookshop in Winchester (Hampshire, England) was a US import, not a UK edition. I was just so surprised to see it, and glad to get my hands on it, that I didn't even baulk at the price!

So your work is still reaching a wider audience, even if perhaps not in the way you would like.

toriahowell

April 21 2010, 08:33:27 UTC 7 years ago

I did exactly the same thing in Wales, didn't realise it was a US import at all!

ladyfox7oaks

April 20 2010, 16:45:29 UTC 7 years ago

"And this is why I'm crazy this week."

As opposed to LAST week's reason or NEXT week's reason... :D

So- How many days left until we can get "An Artificial Night" ???

April 20 2010, 16:49:14 UTC 7 years ago

...please, please don't ask me about that until after I get past the Feed release. My energy isn't actually limitless, and I will cry.

mneme

April 22 2010, 18:58:58 UTC 7 years ago

Good luck!

April 22 2010, 19:43:56 UTC 7 years ago

Thanks!

grey_lady

April 23 2010, 15:31:43 UTC 7 years ago

Yeah - I flew from the UK to California to pick up A Local Habitation and then this volcano erupts....

But at least I have the book now. :)

OK, to be fair, it was a work trip, but getting a copy of the book was a definite bonus!

May 21 2010, 17:05:55 UTC 7 years ago

This makes me happy. :)

Post a new comment
29 comments

Log in

Werewolves of London? There wolves of London.

Error