tragabigzanda wrote:That’s awesome. Any good insights to how she got her first publishing deal? Not asking for details, just curious if you’ve had that conversation with her.
It was a lot of factors. She finished her MFA in writing at the New School a few years ago. That put her in excellent networking position, obviously. Then there were two writer's retreats/conferences she attended where she met her agent and one of her editors. Then she finished the book, submitted to the agent, and the agent shopped it. Viking picked it up and here we are.
She's deep into her first draft of the next book now -- it's a ghost story of sorts, apparently. We're actually having drinks with her and her husband on Monday night. It'll be the first time we've hung out since my wife and I both finished the book. Can't wait to chat more specifics with her.
is she also from KCMO, or did she get ideas from you?
seems all too coincidental now that the "deer" is out of the bag.
96583UP wrote:i recently bought travel-size packets of metamucil
tragabigzanda wrote:That’s awesome. Any good insights to how she got her first publishing deal? Not asking for details, just curious if you’ve had that conversation with her.
It was a lot of factors. She finished her MFA in writing at the New School a few years ago. That put her in excellent networking position, obviously. Then there were two writer's retreats/conferences she attended where she met her agent and one of her editors. Then she finished the book, submitted to the agent, and the agent shopped it. Viking picked it up and here we are.
She's deep into her first draft of the next book now -- it's a ghost story of sorts, apparently. We're actually having drinks with her and her husband on Monday night. It'll be the first time we've hung out since my wife and I both finished the book. Can't wait to chat more specifics with her.
is she also from KCMO, or did she get ideas from you?
seems all too coincidental now that the "deer" is out of the bag.
Ha!
A few years ago she took a trip to KC. I didn't know at the time it was a research trip at all. But we did talk about KC before she went. We recommended places to check out and talked about growing up there. But I don't think she pulled anything specifically from me or my wife, no.
Erin is not from KC. I think she wanted to set part of the book in the middle of the country for (what will be obvious reasons once you're into the book).
Its a motion picture directed by the great Michael Mann, featuring Pacino and De Niro. The movie has cemented itself as one of the great classics of our generation, and influenced lots of artists over the year.
Its a motion picture directed by the great Michael Mann, featuring Pacino and De Niro. The movie has cemented itself as one of the great classics of our generation, and influenced lots of artists over the year.
Steve Albini wrote:Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Sat January 10, 2026 3:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Steve Albini wrote:Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Sat January 10, 2026 3:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I caught the tail end of algorithm-free Instagram and the Kickstarter boom. Gave me enough cash and audience to attract an agent, but I mostly view the publishing stuff as a bonus rather than the main thing. It's hard to make a living at that. Authors aren't getting rich off publishing deals, that's for sure.
Even movie deals aren't that big any more, unless you can get a bidding war going (you can't).
I listened to a lot of self-publishing podcasts for awhile and it sounds like a lot of the ones who got filthy rich when it first blew up are struggling now. But then again, they are mostly really awful writers, so maybe that has something to do with it. Still, they had some useful info.
Steve Albini wrote:Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Sat January 10, 2026 3:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
