It's a long story, but I was meeting with a friend of our family's, for things relating to sports, not writing, and she is my friend on Facebook. Having seen my post the night of my finish (which garnered 4 likes and 12 comments, if that matters to any statisticians out there), she said to me, "I have a friend who is a publisher."
.........okay, WHAT?!?!?!
Did you just say what I thought you said, because I was pretty sure that things of that sort never happened to anyone like me? So surely you didn't say it.
She did say it. She sent me a facebook message with his publishing company's website, a link to his profile, and a note saying that she'd told him I would be in contact with him.
Again............WHAT?!?!?!
(If I used texting language, I would probably be adding an 'TF' in that sentence, but I hate using letters when I won't use the word. So I won't. But I think you get my drift.)
I looked at the webpage, and while it's not the most "techy" site, it answered a lot of the questions I had. It's legit - they pay me royalties, I don't pay them to print my book (something I have sworn I will never do). They publish a lot of fantasy (I'm still not sure if this is good or bad. They may have too much, but on the other hand, they may be comfortable with it.) They're in a city nearby, which is nice. They do what promotion they can (but I couldn't figure out what a normal amount of promotion was and thus can't say if theirs is particularly astounding). I thought I recognized the title of one of their books, but I can't be sure. Nothing to extraordinary, but they are young and, I think, growing.
The thought did cross my mind that maybe I could be the author that makes them famous. Every once in a while I have thoughts like that - not in a dreamy, wishful sort of way, but in a real sudden, wasn't-thinking-on-that-line-at-all sort of way. I dismissed it. (I'm of the line of thought that some ideas, especially the random ones like that, don't come from you. Perhaps I shouldn't have dismissed it.)
Now I don't know what to say. First, my book has yet to make the critiquing rounds. Then I'll need to revise? (Ugh, again? A third draft. Uggggggggh. I don't know if I can...). Then I'm investigating the agent/publishing business seriously. I'm not quite ready.
But at the same time, I don't want him to forget my name. I don't believe in that thing called 'coincidence,' and I don't think it is completely random that this friend mentioned it to me. I think I would be a poor steward if I didn't do something with this.
But I don't know what to say. "Hi, I'm so-and-so's friend, and I've just finished the 2nd draft of my book and still need it critiqued before I send it to publishers, so there's really no need for us to communicate before then, is there?.. I think it's really awesome that this has happened but honestly, this is a capitalist country and I want to shop around a little before I just go with the first publisher that comes across my desk."
Seriously?
But I have to say something!
I had a dream that night, and I won't spout out all the particulars because you would get lost, but I was in a conversation (possible an electronic one via email or facebook, I'm not sure) with someone who was a publisher that I was introduced to. The introducing person was speaking highly of me, and the publishing person was listening politely, honestly interested but not passionately. Then it was said that I was "writing a book." The publisher immediately became disinterested, and rather disdainful, and wrote me a note or said to tell him when I actually had something on paper. That made me mad, not that he didn't think much of me, but that he thought I was one of those people who are perpetually "writing a book" and accept the praise of their friends as such. I wrote him a note and said, "I just finished my second draft." He was very, very surprised and impressed.
What that means, I have no idea. I could have simply been absolutely nervous about publication in general (if I'm starting to dream about it now, I can't imagine what it will be like when it's closer to reality). That was the night I only got 4 hours of sleep, too.
So, I don't know what to say to this guy via Facebook. Facebook is so odd, so informal, yet this is a formal conversation. Do I act like a "person" being introduced, or am I a prospective "writer." I don't know! HELP!
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