realthog: (Jim's bear pic)
realthog ([personal profile] realthog) wrote2008-04-03 01:24 pm

sold: Leaving Fortusa

 
I've just heard this morning that my "mosaic novel" Leaving Fortusa has sold (with the usual caveats about crossing the "t"s and dotting the "i"s in the contract) to Vera Nazarian of Norilana Books (aka [profile] norilanabooks). My notoriously ballbusting agent forwarded along to me the e-mail containing the guts of the offer, in which Vera remarked:

I've just finished reading LEAVING FORTUSA and it proved to be an amazing experience all the way to the end [. . .] Very complex, philosophical, mind-blowing, terrifying, in short, what the best science fiction should be.

The very last sentence was a profound WOW, and I think this is an extremely powerful book that should one day become a dystopian classic (I just hope not a self-fulfilling prophecy!).


Aside from a sneaky thought that this meant I already had my first cover quote sewn up (well, maybe not), it struck me that more publishers should learn to say things like this to the authors/agents of manuscripts they want to acquire. After reading Vera's comments I was prepared to agree to just about anything offered contractually! Fortunately, though . . .

I'll witter more about Leaving Fortusa in due course. At the moment I must finish off my Foreword to the Wimbledon Society Museum's edition of T.G. Jackson's Six Ghost Stories.


[identity profile] nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 05:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Hooray! That's great news!

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)

Thanks, Nick! I'm kinda thrilled, as you might imagine.

[identity profile] nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 06:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Never having had a novel published, I can only imagine!

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)

This one's a bit special to me.

[identity profile] ogre-san.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Congratulations!

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)

Many thanks! As you can imagine, I'm finding it pretty tricky to concentrate on this stuffy historical Foreword I need to finish . . .

[identity profile] desayunoencama.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Mazel tov!

and nice to have such feedback and enthusiasm from the editor.

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 06:44 pm (UTC)(link)

Many thanks, Lawrence!

"nice to have such feedback and enthusiasm from the editor"

You bet it is!

[identity profile] norilanabooks.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 07:05 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a wonderful and significant work and I am honored and proud to be publishing it! :-)

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)

That's two of the cover quotes sorted out . . .

[identity profile] norilanabooks.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
LOL!

[identity profile] scottakennedy.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 07:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Congratulation! That is a quote to bask in.

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)

Many thanks, Scott!

"That is a quote to bask in."

And I'm basking, I'm basking!

[identity profile] sarcobatus.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 08:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Wonderful news! A hearty congratulations to you, Paul! You must be floating six feet off the ground right about now.

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 08:27 pm (UTC)(link)

Many thanks, J!

"You must be floating six feet off the ground right about now."

Well, the best part of two metres, anyway. In my European fashion . . .

[identity profile] charlesatan.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Congrats!

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 11:35 pm (UTC)(link)

Many thanks, Charles!
ext_13461: Foxes Frolicing (Default)

[identity profile] al-zorra.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
She has broken the first rule of being an editor, which is never to praise an author's work to his / her face.

Congratulations!

Love, C.

P.S. I forwarded your congrats to Vaquero.

We also got translation rights and royalty check in mail today for the Cuba book.

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-03 11:37 pm (UTC)(link)

"We also got translation rights and royalty check in mail today for the Cuba book."

Well, dang! Had we but known we'd have been in to NYC to bum free drinks off you . . .

"She has broken the first rule of being an editor, which is never to praise an author's work to his / her face."

And I cannot laud her enough for so doing.

[identity profile] hutch0.livejournal.com 2008-04-04 07:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Aw, hell, I break that rule all the time...
Many congratulations, sirrah.

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-04 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)

Thank you, young whippersnapper!

[identity profile] hutch0.livejournal.com 2008-04-04 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not worthy, oh Master...

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-04 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)

"I'm not worthy, oh Master..."

True.

[identity profile] hutch0.livejournal.com 2008-04-04 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Should I go into the cave now, Master?

[identity profile] jmward14.livejournal.com 2008-04-04 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
Yay {{{{{{realthog & pds_lit}}}}}}! I'm so happy for you both! Cheers and cyber-champagne, Jean Marie

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-04 01:59 pm (UTC)(link)

Many thanks, kiddo!

[identity profile] plattcave.livejournal.com 2008-04-04 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Great news! Congrats!

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-04 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)

Many thanks, John!
ext_59010: This looks like the mountains where I live. (Default)

[identity profile] quilterbear.livejournal.com 2008-04-05 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
I am so happy for you, and it is thrilling to watch from the sidelines. Can't wait to see it in print!

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2008-04-05 01:03 am (UTC)(link)

Many thanks, K! Your good wishes are very gratefully received.

Norilana are hoping to publish in October.