Prologue
From: Claire Donovan
Received: 9:17 AM
To: Savannah Cade
Subject: Manuscript?
Savannah,
Have you made any more progress on that book idea you brought up to me at conference last year? I was just sitting in an editorial meeting, and your story came to mind. Would love to take a look.
Best wishes,
Claire Donovan
Chief Editor, Romance
Baird Books Publishing
Draft
From: Savannah Cade
Saved: 9:21 AM
To: Claire Donovan
Subject: Re: Manuscript?
Dear Mrs. Donovan
Draft
From: Savannah Cade
Saved: 9:22 AM
To: Claire Donovan
Subject: Re: Manuscript?
Dear Claire Donovan
Draft
From: Savannah Cade
Saved: 9:24 AM
To: Claire Donovan
Subject: Re: Manuscript?
Dear Claire,
Thank you so much for your email! I’m so, so sorry I didn’t get to it right after conference as I said. I promise I’m not one of those aspiring writers who unloads a thousand details of the story in their heads on every stranger they land upon at conferences but then can’t follow through when an editor actually requests to see the manuscript. Truly.
It was just that I realized after talking with you that the final scene was missing the big bang at the end, and Cecilia’s character really wasn’t all that likable after all, and then when I finally managed to amend those issues my manuscript was twelve thousand words over. So then I spent the next month agonizing over where to cut (you know, King’s whole “kill your darlings” thing is really true from the writer’s side—here I’d been casually telling my own authors to slash their manuscripts for two years and never really understood how truly GUT WRENCHING it is. I killed off a whole character and am still weepy for him).
But I am in edits now and just need to go over it a couple more times. So sorry again to have had you waiting on it. I’ll be sure to have it to you in two weeks three weeks one month, tops
Delivered
From: Savannah Cade
Sent: 9:26 AM
To: Claire Donovan
Subject: Re: Manuscript?
Dear Claire,
How thoughtful of you to reach out. I plan to have the manuscript to you by the end of the day.
Warmest regards,
Savannah Cade
Assistant Acquisitions Editor, Pennington Pen