Idle Tom takes delivery of Project X …
Been a bit tied up this past week … editing Project X. This is the next book in the pipe-line that Idle Tom the Publisher has promised - promised - to have out by May 2009.
He’s even paid a very modest advance. Modest by my books - and most other authors, come to that. But it is, nevertheless, the largest advance in Legend Press history.
I sent Idle Tom the first draft on Friday. Quite pleased with it - through frankly at the moment I can’t see the wood for the trees. Don’t know whether it’s a winner - or whether it’s a turkey.
Tom’s reply, however, was uplifting. "Just got the first draft through!" he wrote. "Can’t wait!"
Can’t wait, eh? Maybe he’d have finished the thing by the weekend??
I tell you now that my entire relationship with Tom is a triumph of optimism over experience.
I called him up yesterday to find out what his initial take was. Thumbs up? Thumbs down? A mild edit needed? Or the total re-write? Or … were we talking about dodos that ain’t ever gonna fly?
"So Tom!" I said.
"So Bill!" replies the Idle One.
"So you got the first draft through! Darin’s got a couple of readers on it, and I’ve got two superb mates having a look, and … WHAT DO YOU THINK??"
(Thumbs up? Thumbs down? TELL ME! TELL ME NOW!)
"Well, Bill," he says, with that little chuckle of his. "You know me."
Know him??? Of course I know him! I know him better than my own brother!
So how on earth could I - even for a moment - have imagined that Idle Tom would have opened the Word-file, let alone read the first sentence? Had I just had a frontal lobotomy?
"Yes," I said, a little weary - weary, perhaps, at my own unutterable stupidity. For I do indeed know Idle Tom. "So, ummm …"
"Well I’ll get round to it soon."
"What? Christmas?"
"Well … Bit busy at the moment, Bill. Got a couple of books coming out over the next month or so - but … I tell you what, Bill, I’ll do my best."
"To read the first draft by Christmas?"
"Christmas? Christmas? That’s comin’ up pretty soon, you know Bill. What about … ahhh … let’s stick with just plain old "Soon". I like that!"