I found this old post lurking in my drafts folder. I guess I never got around to finishing it, but since it’s Halloween week (and a Monday so my brain’s not working), I figured I could start us off with some extra horrifying scenarios. Remember the game you played in middle school called “Would you rather?” in which the asker presented two equally unattractive situations (i.e. would you rather be eaten by lions or trampled by billy goats?). Today, I have two publishing related situations complete with your two options. You have to choose one. Enjoy.
Would you rather…
1. Get a book deal but have the contract rescinded/cancelled before publication OR not sell a book at all?
2. Know that your book was going to acquisitions only to find out later you weren’t getting an offer OR get a rejection without knowing how far your book had gotten in the process?
1. I’d rather get a book deal and have the contract rescinded.
2. I’d always rather know than not.
Those ARE scary
I agree with Kim.
1 – not sell a book at all. If it never sells, I still have my “struggling writer” feeling going. But if it sells and then un-sells, I’ve gone from struggling to successful to failed with one title.
2 – I’d rather know how far it got. At least then I’d know that my worst fear hadn’t come true — that my manuscript had been turned into a running joke and my name had become a recurring punch line!