Yesterday was a big day in touting for business. My first appointment was with ABC Kids about the ‘way forward’. I requested a get together and Belinda (the publisher) and Mark (senior editor) fortunately agreed. In the last episode I’d had feedback from Mark on the Lab Rats sequel which wasn’t very positive, well actually it was simply negative. He wanted me to put it aside and do something else. I loathed the idea of casting the Lab Rats off altogether, so I had to decide what to do next. This meeting was me being ‘proactive’ about it all. (It’s hard not to associate that word with food marketing speak - I was like a live yoghurt culture in the intestines of my literary future.)
Coffee at the ABC Ultimo is always an interesting experience. It’s a fascinating world of bizarre rules and regulations, even down to the cafe. If you order a coffee you get a little biscuit with it, but if you order a tea you don’t. Only coffee drinkers deserve free biscuits. I’m sure there’ll be a written policy on it somewhere in the bowels of the Ultimo centre.
I decided that the best thing for Lab Rats was to put the second book aside for now. In terms of releasing a follow up to the first one we’ve missed the boat. It would almost be two years after the first one. Kids books are like clothes, they grow out of them quickly. Sequels need to come out within a year for the same kids to read them. I suggested that I still work on Lab Rats 2, but in a couple of years we look at re-releasing them together with new covers. Belinda and Mark liked that idea (I suspect they hope I’ll simply forget about it - I won’t).
I then whipped out a synopsis of a new book, Little Green Pills and pitched it to them. It’s kind of a Stepford Wives in school with fun, mystery, adventure and life lessons. The idea initially came quickly, before I went overseas. I let it stew on the back burner while overseas and then after I set up this meeting, the synopsis and main characters tumbled out almost without me thinking about it.
Is that good?
Should it be that simple? Does it mean it’s flowed naturally or am I just not trying? I think it's the former as the pitch went well. Not that you can tell from this picture. The idea was to have alternating images, one of them looking bored and critical, the other looking absolutely delighted. Unfortunately the battery ran out after the bored shot.
Down to business
Anyway they now want a sample chapter so Belinda can put together a business case. It’s amazing how horridly business like you can be over something that’s meant to be highly creative:
Belinda: How long do you think it will be?
Bruno: How long do you want it to be?
Belinda: 30 000 max.
Bruno: Done
Belinda: We’ll have to change the title or someone will sue us
Bruno: Fine
I had originally thought of it being for 8-10 year olds, but they both thought the concept and my writing are best suited to 10-12. Ping! A wave of the magic target market wand it’s no longer about boys in the last year of primary school but now in the first year of high school. It does change the nature of the book but I love that, and I’m looking forward to where that takes the characters.
Costings are now underway. I am NOT excited. Nothing is certain until contracts are signed. Excitement is scheduled for that day after that.
Where the real money is
In the afternoon I had a presentation of credentials with an ad agency. It went well, they already had six radio ad scripts they want me to work on for gardening products (Hoorah, not debentures!). However it’s sobering to realise those scripts (which will be finished next week) will probably earn me more money than Little Green Pills (which will be finished by January)... Unless of course LGP is a huge hit and Disney decide to turn it into musical with the Jonas Brothers. At this point I should really dash to the mirror and repeat 6 times aloud that I am open to the universe making this happen.
Grown up bits
On the grown up side of things I’m still waiting to hear back from the editor at Allen and Unwin with her feedback. The plan was to wait to hear what she says before going back to Selma, the agent I spoke to in June. However being impatient, I’m thinking I can’t wait and want to call Selma now. Mark, the editor at the ABC is also an author and Selma is his agent.
Apparently I have to be prepared to like farting chihuahuas if I want to impress.
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