Thursday, May 26, 2011

And When, You Wonder, Will We Hear About The Shade Of The Moon?

If I had to guess, we'll hear whether Houghton Mifflin Harcourt wants The Shade Of The Moon (aka the fourth moon book) before I finish exercycling to Season 1 of The Facts Of Life.

I did make it through another two episodes yesterday morning (Mrs. Garrett's first and I guess only husband shows up and teaches all the girls poker, and Tootie finds out all the girls' IQs and much soul searching ensues) and they remain dreadful. Which begs the question why I'm watching Season 1. Well, I'd thought it'd be kind of interesting, since I only started watching in Season 2, which I hope will live up to my memories of same. Today I exercycled to an Edward G. Robinson movie that TCM showed last night, definitely an improvement.

Meanwhile, back to my publisher, who, as a general rule, I'm very pleased with. But I don't think it should take five weeks to decide Yes or No to a two sentence synopsis. At this point, they should know me, they should know my books, they should be able to figure out without too much trouble whether a fourth moon book will make them money (in which case Yes makes sense) or won't make them money (in which case No makes sense).

Having not heard anything by the end of last week, my agent was told the earliest we'd hear would be the end of this week. Technically speaking, that's tomorrow, but tomorrow, for those of you keeping score at home, is Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, which means in the publishing industry that the end of the week is today, only there's no way I'm going to hear anything today because the publishing industry thinks the end of the week is Friday at 11:59 PM. Or Saturday at 11:59 PM, or three weeks from Saturday at 11:59 PM, or possibly a year or two from now, give or take, but in the PM.

Or when I finish Season 1 of The Facts Of Life.

I figured out this morning that assuming HMH decides Yes, and I decide Yes, and I write The Shade Of The Moon and they publish The Shade Of The Moon, then The Shade Of The Moon will come out when (are you ready for this) I'm 65 years old. Gack, gack, and double gack. 65 is really old, although I do socialize with people who are that age or older, and my mother is 99, so in comparison 65 is as young as the girls on The Facts Of Life Season 1.

By the way, I love Charlotte Rae, but I think Mrs. Garrett wore a wig.

Where was I? Oh yeah, 65 years old, and if I get any kind of advance (and if HMH doesn't offer me any kind of advance, then my Yes will become my No so fast it'll make your head spin), then even if the advance earns out from the sale of the hardcovers (true for Life As We Knew It, The Dead And The Gone, and This World We Live In), I won't see any royalties until I'm 67 years old, otherwise known as The Golden Age Of Getting Social Security.

You know, it's possible most writers don't blog about money and when they'll earn it and The Facts Of Life Season 1. One or the other, but probably not both. Other writers have standards, silly them.

As you can probably tell, I didn't sleep too well last night, and once again it was The Shade Of The Moon that woke me up and kept me up. Not stress about whether and when I'll hear from HMH (which irritates me, but isn't particularly stressing me out). Just working on the plot. Working out a nifty little section involving body parts. The kind of thing that when I start thinking about it at 4 AM, the next thing I know it's 7 AM, and I'm starting the day out tired and cranky.

Oh well. Whether I hear from my agent or not, and whether she hears from HMH or not, it's going to be a lovely Memorial Day Weekend. Saturday I'm going to New Paltz Crafts Fair, and Sunday, just maybe, I'll start clearing out my outside storage closet, which has been on my to do list since last summer, when I guess I didn't done it.

Hey, with a style like that, maybe I can understand why HMH is delaying making a decision!

21 comments:

Lisa-Marie Jordan said...

I hope you do get to write/publish The Shade of the Moon, because I'm really looking forward to it! All your blog posts about it have really intrigued me!

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Thanks Lisa-Marie Jordan.

They inrigue me too, but who knows if the publisher is equally intrigued!

Nora Durbin said...

I am glad you write about getting paid and The Facts of Life. Isn't Molly Ringwald on the first season?

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hi Nora Durbin-

Molly Ringwald is in the first season, but she hasn't been featured in any of the episodes I've endured.

George Cloony was on towards the end of the series, but I'd stopped watching by that point.

YOUR BIGGEST YOUNGEST FAN! said...

OMG ANOTHER MOON BOOK?!?!? MABAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMGOMGOMGOMG I LOVE THOSE BOOKS I AM GOING TO BARF@!!!AA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!omgomgomgogmgogmgogmgogmgogmogmgogmgomgomgogmog Plaese please write it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hello Your Biggest Youngest Fan-

Please don't barf. At least not anywhere where I can see it!

Rebecca Gomez said...

I do hope it's a yes because I am very much looking forward to reading the fourth book!

And thanks for making me chuckle.

Here's something fun: My daughter said to me the other day, "We should do a Life as We Knew It shopping spree some day!" We always think of that book whenever we shop for groceries (and every time I open my pantry).

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hi Rebecca-

I'm totally in favor of a LAWKI shopping spree. There's no such thing as having too many rolls of toilet paper.

My sleeping pill has taken control, and I don't think I have much coherence left in me.

Goodnight to Rebecca and her daugher!

Susannah said...

I hope it's a resounding 'Yes'!! Would certainly make my month, and my daughter's! :)

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Good morning Susannah-

A resounding Yes would be nice (much nicer than a wishy washy Yes, or a wishy washy No, or a resounding No, which I trust would be watered down into a wishy washy No by the time I heard about it).

Say hi to your daughter for me. And have a resounding good weekend!

Tanya Collins said...

Please Susan, write book four. I started reading your books in a YA lit class in college, and had to get the last one after the class was finished just to see what happened. However, as great as it was, it still left us hanging... I want to know what happened to my peeps in the story. I really think you should promote making this into a tv series with you as the writer... it would be wonderful! And Susan, you're as young as your mind lets you think you are. I'm a 20 year old in a 51 year old body. LOL

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hi Tanya Collins-

It would be fun (I think) to write a fourth book, but I'm still waiting to hear if my publisher thinks it'll be fun to publish one.

If they say no, I may be the only person who knows just what became of all my characters!

Susan said...

C'mon HMH - Yes, yes, yes, yes! I MUST have a fourth book. Seriously, the moon series is one of my very favorite. I'd love to see it continue on.

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hello Susan and thank you-

I'm reasonably sure the entire publishing industry has left for a long weekend, so the end of this week for an answer will much more likely be the end of next week.

Or maybe the end of next year!

Anonymous said...

I LOVE your books SOOO much!!!! the book kinda left me hanging and I was crying because I want to know what happened to Alex & Miranda!!!! Please write the fourth book!!! P.S. This is soooo my favorite series ever!!!

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Thanks Anonymous.

When I know, I'll let you know!

Anonymous said...

If all else fails, the fans could bombard your publisher with e-mails -- or, perhaps, toilet paper.

Anonymous Santa Fe

YOUR BIGGEST YOUNGEST FAN! said...

just saying mabay an idea for the shade of the moon could be that gbrial is know six and gets kicked out of the safe town. because there wasnt enogh food. ( oh and i know this is mean but, i think lisa needs to die... oh that came out sounding really mean!)its writen from his point of veiw. it would sound nice though because it would sound like a older kid wrote it because most of gabril time was spent learning.
p.s you actully responed to my last comment i am screaming inside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Happy Sunday morning Anonymous Santa Fe and Your Biggest Youngest Fan-

Tomorrow is a national holiday and then it always takes the publishing industry a few days to recover from three day weekends, so most likely by the time they're ready to go back to work, it'll be next Saturday.

We'll see when and if I ever hear. Meantime, enjoy the weekend!

Bridget Higdon said...

Hi Susan-

I really hope your publisher gives you the "Yes!". But....

If worst comes to worst and the publisher gives you a "No." write the book for yuorself. Just because. It's more fun knowing you enjoyed doing it.

Bridget

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Good morning Bridget, aka tigerlily*-

At this point, I don't much care what the publisher says. I just wish they'd say something!