What happens to your book when it's sent to a publisher?

[belledechocchipcookie]

So, you've written it and sent it off. The publisher replies saying 'you've got some good ideas.' What then? You rewrite it if asked but were to editors/copyeditors etc come into it? Is it the publisher who tweeks it?

Offers

[belledechocchipcookie]

Oh, thank you

[MmeGuillotine]

I dealt with my editor throughout the submission process so I sent in the book and she emailed back to say 'Um, you need to change the ending because it's too depressing'. I changed the ending and she replied to say 'Hurray, I like this, your contract is in the post'.

She now has to plough through the book and mark anything that she wants changed or removed then it comes back to me and I make all the changes and so on, backwards and forwards, until she is happy.

That's as far as I've got... ;)

[Lancelottie]

You make the major changes. Probably a copyeditor will then go through it for grammar, logic and the strange way that one of your characters changes spelling, eye colour or age halfway through...

[Litchick]

Belle - I wouldn't start making any changes unless the publisher looked serious about making an offer.

Otherwise you might do all the work, only for them to still not buy it.

Once they've bought it then you can begin going through the editing process.

[belledechocchipcookie]

Thank you. I've kept all of the versions as I'll never know when they come in handy. She's asked for a new ending to one picture book as the old one wasn't strong enough, which I did. So far her feedback has been helpful but I feel as though I'm bending the plots to take into account her suggestions but she can still turn them down. I don't feel as if I'm in the position where I can say I'd like a contract before I change anything else, I expect she knows that I can also take them to another publisher as I'm not contracted to them so she's in the same rocky boat.

[Litchick]

If you feel that her suggestions are helpful and ring true, then that's fine. You can use it as free advice .

But doing rewrites that don't feel confortable, based on the say-so of one person, is to be avoided (particularly if they are going to take a long time).

I know times are tough in the industry, but I do think a lot of the houses are taking the pee at the mo.

[belledechocchipcookie]

I write really quickly so it's not too bad. Free advice is helpful, I wouldn't want to submit them anywhere else before she says piss off though, I wouldn't want to screw anyone over like this.

She's the boss of the publishers so she knows far more then me. Her experience is useful and I appreciate her time and guidance. I could do with signing something though, I have bills!