Offers from publishers

Right now I have written offers from six different publishers (so far).

Yes, six.

Yes, all of them well-known publishing houses.

I know, I’m gobsmacked too.

I’ve spent the last few weeks talking with each of them, on the phone and face-to-face – wonderful and lengthy conversations about writing, editing, history and Elizabeth Macarthur.

I must say that everyone I’ve spoken with has been incredibly friendly and nice.  And all very keen to win me over. I’ve never heard so many people say so many lovely things about my writing!

The offers are more complicated than I naively expected, too. They all differ in terms of advances (and how the advance will be paid – often in installments); royalties (and at how many books sold the royalty percentage rises); marketing plans; rights management; e-books; second books; and a whole heap of other things I really don’t understand. Very glad to have my agent Jacinta di Mase in my corner, fielding the publisher’s emails and encouraging them to up their offers!

While the financial aspects will certainly be a factor in my decision-making, I’m in the very privileged position of being able to choose which publisher will be best for what I hope to achieve.

It’s all so much more than I dared hope for.

Jacinta and I will meet next week to discuss the offers.  Until then I guess I’ll continue to wander about in a daze, all distracted and grinning.