Be On Time
I hear all the time about other authors who fail to deliver books on deadline. Things happen that throw us off track. I get that. Other authors just suck at meeting deadlines, for whatever reason. I spoke with an editor at RWA who insisted this lateness craze has always been an issue but now it seems more prevalent. Me, well, I turn my books in on time. I work on the don’t-give-the-publisher-an-extra-reason-to-drop-me philosophy.
I would appear that Brit author Allison Pearson views these things differently. At the very least, she hit hard times. According to the Telegraph, Pearson got a lot of money and didn’t produce:
Allison Pearson, the newspaper columnist, made headlines seven years ago when she was paid £700,000 by Miramax for the film rights to her novel I Don’t Know How She Does It, which charts the life of a successful investment banker who tries to balance her career with motherhood.
Alas, the film has not yet materialised and now [the Telegraph reporter] hears that she is being sued by the publishing arm of the same company for failing to deliver a book, for whose film rights Miramax paid her a £350,000 advance.
Lesson: if thou taketh the big money, thou must deliver the goods.
Now, because I am the giving type I would be happy to step into Pearson’s place, take the money and deliver the book. Miramax just needs to call me…
August 13th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
My guess is the pressure got to her. I would imagine it would be extensive. In the above case, I would hope the book would be finished before receiving that kind of cash upfront.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Call me naive, but if you’re paid for something, you deliver! If you aren’t able…..give….it….back.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Jordan - You’re probably right, but this wasn’t her first book. She wrote another chick lit and is a newspaper gal who works on deadlines. Her hubby is magazine guy, so he deals with deadlines too. I figure she got overwhelmed or something happened in her private life. Either way, this is a very bad thing and so public. It definitely will impact her ability to get another contract.
And I’m still willing to step in for her…
Brandy - I agree. I do have some friends who have hit mental roadblocks or had other issues. Those things happen. I’m not sure what happened here, but the fact it turned into a lawsuit can’t be a good thing.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
That’s too bad, but she should have figured something would happen. And HelenKay - if I had anything to do with Miramax I’d forward this post to them
August 13th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Wow, I hadn’t heard about that–I remember reading her book a couple years ago… if I knew anyone at Miramax, I’d be happy to put in a good word for you
August 14th, 2008 at 10:06 am
My first YA was published early–fall instead of the following spring–because another author missed her deadline and I’d turned my book in early. Not only did I get her spot I got extra pre-Christmas promotion efforts too.
And if I knew anyone at Miramax I’d pass your name on as well, HelenKay…with mine, of course.
August 14th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Why stop at Miramax? If I lived close enough I’d leave random copies where they’d find them. Perhaps you all should start sending goody baskets. 6 books and muffins.
I don’t see how anyone who can resist a good muffin….or a good book.
August 14th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I think it’s possible that increased prevalence of lateness might have something to do with increased prevalence of multiple-books-a-year expectations and writers (particularly new ones) being too afraid of losing an offer to say, “Hey, I can’t produce on that schedule, I need more time.”
Not in relation to this specific case, obviously. If you can’t fulfill a contractual obligation within seven years, you just might deserve to get sued.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
I can not even imagine getting that kind of money. Then not producing anything for it is just the worst. It really makes people look bad.