Wow! Well done James.

I can't offer any advice on the information you're after, but I just wanted to say good luck with it all.

All the best,

Ben

Well done James. I can feel your excitement from here. I'm so chuffed for you. I've read most of your stuff since I've been member and I'm not surprised.
Great news.
Best
Sion

Thanks guys. Sion that's really nice of you, but I have also read a lot of your stuff and feel exactly the same about your work. There are a lot of good writers on here who are totally worthy of being published, in my humble opinion.

Here is a good place to mention, that if not for joining WW and having your guys support, I know my writing would never have improved the way I feel it has, nor my knowledge of technique and the industry etc.

In some way, this success is as much yours as it is mine.

(God, I feel like I'm accepting an Oscar!) Lol

Love to all.

JB

Yo Wax

Perhaps it may be more of an exciting journey if you hold off on the agent until you've been whisked to LA (or wherever) and met the editor, who sounds like a top, top person to me. Who knows? By the time you have seen her, and the words out, they'll be banging the door down.

But then, my novel has been rejected with impressive aplomb, so my advice is probably best left alone...

Dav

I have a whole sheaf of rejections Davey, ranging from the criminally insulting to the bizarre - the worst ones being full of praise and no candy, so to speak.

Don't give up!

JB

Congrats Wax,
Check out the Society of Authors - apparently they can help with contracts (maybe you have to join, not sure)

Elspeth

Congratulations! Fantastic news! Don't know how much help I can be. My main advice would be to inspect the contract with a fine toothcomb and perhaps even show it to a solicitor. If it's written according to U.S. law (which would make sense) then it might be worth finding out how that changes things (if at all - I'm clueless here).
The percentage sounds good on the face of it. On a standard contract most authors only get 8-10% and that's after they've exceeded whatever advance they were given.
What you want to check are the other clauses - do they want film rights, translation, serial, audio etc, and if so, what are the percentages there?
Sounds like a great beginning - enjoy it!
Katie

James, nice one- congrats! As katie says, 40% is quite a whopping percentage compared to the norm. And getting a lawyer to deal per contract may be the alternative to an agent- check out the Writer's Guild site as they can help with one-off legals I think. And keep us informed!- but in the meantime, enjoy.

Run with it waxy, and don't look back. You'll be filling bookshelves in no time! Congratulations.

Steven

Thanks a lot guys.

Katie, they are sending me a copy along with a quite hefty critique (which will be fun to read), and I'm going to do just that; see a solicitor. Maybe I can grab a free hour or two.

The contract is for audio, trade paperback and ebook. No film rights, which is good at this stage. It's my dream to make it a film one day, if it does well, but I'd want to be directly involved in that. Maybe because it's for all three the percentage is so high, but thanks for the advice anyway.

Anna - I'll check out that website. The editor is friendly and easy to deal with, and so far is answering my questions quite well, but obviously its always good to get a second opinion. It being America makes it a little more confusing.

Thanks for all the help.

JB




<Added>

I hope so Steve!!!

Congratulations, Waxy! Great news for you, and a shot in the arm for all of us too, I reckon!

Ooh, but won't you just shrivel up with excitement by 2007, think I would!!

x
tc

Congratulations JB,

It’s great news. You’ve put so much effort in, you deserve it.

Tonight, I’ll have a Mai Tai on your behalf to celebrate.

Well done,
Dawn,

Cheers guys. I'm also going out tonight to celebrate. I could hardly sleep at all last night with excitement, and we're all very pleased here. Of course, evryone is talking bestsellers and talk shows (mainly my bf) but I'm a bit more grounded than this. I'll be ahppy just to see it in print and people enjoying it, so hold the private jet Madonna.

It is a long wait yes, but after pause for thought, I decided to go for it. Better to have something on the back burner than nothing at all, and my instincts tell me I wasn't getting anywhere. Basically, after sending out submissions on a weekly basis for over a year and a half, I want closure on it and I've begun new projects now, so...

It seems like a good deal. All things come to those who wait, I've heard it said

JB

<Added>

All good things that is :)

James, just found this thread - arrived via Sue's good news. All I can say is many CONGRATUATIONS!!! and don't forget us all when you're famous!

WAX!!! I've only just seen this. I'm absolutely thrilled for you. Congratulations ~ maybe that booker's not so far away.
Sharon