Now only 6 people will be notified... 94, will NOT... though...
[for the record, as of posting, I have NOT been notified... almost absolutely out this round... but I will hold out hope for a bit yet... more on this]
Okay, see the rules state you have to be able to GET THERE (New York City) and you have to agree to their contract (which I will address in a minute)... so I think... well... that's what I'm here to talk about... what I think...
In Absence of Facts, I Might as Well Make Stuff Up...
But anyway... if someone CAN'T they have to have time to find the next one who CAN... or so I see it...
As to the Contract...
Well since by SIGNING UP, you are agreeing to their terms... *rolls eyes* What gets ME, is the people who... at THIS POINT start grumbling it isn't a good enough deal... Are you serious? A $15,000 advance is nothing to sneeze at, but they fail to see what the word ADVANCE means... let's just go over it...
The ADVANCE is the money you get BEFORE the book is out... they are GAMBLING on you and your success, and this is what they are willing to put up front. But HONESTLY, the sky is the limit—if you promote the heck out of your book, you can make a whole bunch MORE money... you just have to wait to see how the sales go (and work your tail off so they go the way you WANT).
Now the Piece of the Rules that could feasibly (read: hopefully) matter to ME...
We are ALSO entering a period where Penguin claims first rights to ALL semi-finalists... if, before June 30, they contact us, we are obliged to negotiate with them... (hello, talk about a problem I want)... but it IS the reason I am really hoping my agent (or actually her YA partner) is on board... I don't want to negotiate without an agent in the loop. And if they contact us and no agreement can be REACHED, they reserve rights to counter-offer (and promise 10% MORE than the negotiated advance)...
I am somehow STILL not seeing a downside here...
Though that Super Secret Week...
Okay, so let's just pretend... because it is my BLOG and therefore my RIGHT... that they contact me today... Tell me I am a finalist... and I can't TELL anyone for 8 days?! How do I DO that!? I'll tell you how... I'd probably have to go underground... I'm a LOUSY liar (even if I didn't object to lying)... then again, misattributing is my superpower, so I suppose I could throw questions in strange directions and tell you OTHER stuff...
Seriously though, as a contestant, it will be so strange to know that 6 of our number KNOW they have won (well... pretty much...), while the rest of us leer around wondering who the good liars are... I am definitely glad I actually don't have the leeway to obsess.
30 comments:
Hey Hart,
Good luck. If you get selected would be cool to blog about it from the inside (secretly of course).
all the best,
mood
Moody Writing
Can't believe people are turning their noses up at that prize! Sheeesh!
Good luck Hart :)
That is truly a weird rule, not being able to talk about it for a week. It would be awesome if you won, though!
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<3 Gina Blechman
Best of luck to you!
Good luck! I'm glad you're going to be offline anyway, since it would be tough to keep a cool secret like that!
Um...15,000 advance? That's pretty darn good...
Naked Tart!!! I'd like to think that you'd find a most NAKED way to erm.. DROP HINTS.. that you've made the ABNA FINALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh but bestest of all - I hope the PENGUIN sees how good things come to those who are NAKED and will contact your agent asap!!! Now!!!
Yay!!!! I have all sorts of things crossed for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs!! GOOD LUCK!!! So so so so exciting!!!! Take care
x
Good luck! Definitely good thing you're off line a while -- ca't imagine keeping that secret quiet.
Stay safe.
I'm keeping my hopes up for you. Staying quiet for 8 days would be worth it.
OK, I couldn't get much past the bit about the drop bears! And living in Australia, I can assure you there aren't any - well not on the branches hanging off the paths I walk anyway. Keeping my fingers crossed for you and if you need someone from Australia to accompany you to New York, well you know where to reach me!!!
oh dear tartlette, what a dilemma, I had a friend who I knew had won a big prize and had to keep my own mouth shut and it nearly drove me mad. I get why they do it though. I mean it is all about the build up.
How come you are going off line for those days?
Jan Morrison
Oi! What was that you said about Australians? lol ;o) You sound so hyperactive, Hart! lol. But yeah, I would be too!
Thanks so much, guys! Still no word... surely not good news... but I won't give up hope...
I am sure they do it this way so they can announce them all at once, but they have to VERIFY them one at a time.
Cassandra-I was actually IN on that little secret! see what an honorary Aussie I am!?
Aha! Missed a couple...
Jan-offline because I'm at a conference. I will have email, but not time to fool around on the computer.
Jessica-I know about DROP BEARS, you mean? Or about Aussies being troublemakers?
oh man, do you know how Crazy excited i would be for you if you got the call?! It would be so badass! I mean, don't give up hope yet, you've got at leasta 6 in 100 chance and you never know!
OOOO.... have a great trip. Just returned from mass flying, myself. Good to be home. Really hoping you hear some good news!!! And I think the prizes are extremely reasonable. I'd be so excited.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you!!! :)
YOU WILL GET THE CALL SISTA. I FEEL IT...
have a good trip and let's get that Dolan guy in my Tap Room SOON!
ET/Liz/Wench
Congrats on getting the call - and I don't mind you lying to me about it. Such is life.
Again, good luck (I'm pretty excited for you, having read your excerpt and all)! Safe journey.
Fingers tightly crossed. Even if you don't move on you still have amazing bragging rights! Maybe you could post it in code...like start out each chapter of a blog post with an A followed by a B, N and then an A...I don't know? Do you think that would disqualify you??
Good luck, good luck, good luck! God, I can't believe some people. Who would complain about a $15,000 advance? Or an advance, full stop? Sheesh!
Best of luck to you Miss Tart. And I wanted to weigh in on the complainers...people will find an excuse to complain about anything. And writers in general are a pretty arrogant self-centered lot. I think it has to do with the idea that what you write should be read by other people, you know?
Oh, man, you guys are so fabulous! Thanks for the love my friends!
Liz-we'll get it sorted with Harry!
vb *snort* Who's misattributing now?
Johanna--Ha! Tart code!
seriously, guys--you are making my day!
Yeah, yeah. SURE, you haven't gotten a call. MM-hm. I see whut you did thar -- a little misdirection here, a little Mari-worthy digression there, and before you know it you've got me convinced you actually HAVE gotten the call! Hmph. I'll get the truth out of you TOMORROW when I SEE you in freaking PERSON! *so excited*
Love ya, sweetie, and don't sweat this. Someone out there is recognizing your fabulousness (fabulosity???). I can feel it in my bones. :)
I'd love to but that would require that I would have to write an actual book which I am far too lazy to do.
So at this point, you just hope everyone in front of you lives in Australia. Or has a bear fall on their heads.
Or you're being shifty!
A $15,000 advance on a first book is a very good deal. But many people are not in the know. :D
I'd have to bury my head if it happened to me. I'd not be able to stop jumping about the house screaming.
Fingers crossed, Hart!!
I'll be rooting for you over in my corner of the world.
OMG!!! I can't stand it.
did they call you?
did they?
(did they?)
...
Did they call you then?
You can tell me. I won't tell anyone, I swear.
LOL!!! This is too exciting! I can't stand it! Good luck! xoxo 555 and 11:11 to you. And the planets have aligned. Zip it! Don't ruin the luck~ :D
OMG you've put alot of thought into the timing of the ABNA process...and yes, I'm almost certain I heard on the hush hush that Aussies actually won the first six ABNA finalist positions but were unable to go to New York due to being on Interpol watch lists or having kangaroos storm the runway right before the plane was due to take off or something like that... *grins*
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