Monday, September 6, 2010
Well, it ain't all subrights deals. I got an accounting statement from
Simon and Schuster today for my picture book Grandy Thaxter's Helper. It's been
out of print for several years, and of course there are no sales to report. But
S&S faithfully reports twice a year that Grandy never made me a dime and never
will.
Actually, it sold pretty well -- and it's the only thing I've ever written
that got a review in the New York Times -- since the royalties for a picture
book are split between the author and the illustrator -- and S.D. Schindler did
an absolutely wonderful job with the pictures -- it's twice as hard to earn out.
So two times a year S&S reminds me that I still owe them $1297.63. (I suppose
Schindler owes them half of it.) But how long will this go on? Will S&S be
sending these more-in-sadness-than-in-censure reminders for the rest of my life?
I'm sorry, Simon. I'm Sorry, Schuster. Please forgive me!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
I had a nice note from McElderry, who publish the Uncle Pirate books. Uncle
Pirate has been acquired by the German firm of Erlinger Verlag. Tony Auth, the
illustrator of both books, wrote to ask me how to say "Aaargh!" in German. I'm
guessing "Aaaarhwohl!"
Check out Lisa Yee's blog thingy.
She's in Italy. Wherever Lisa goes she apparently takes along her stuffed yellow peep doll
Peepy. She's seen the Vatican, and now she's in Venice. Lisa says she wants a gondola.
Maybe I should start hanging out with a stuffed object. One of my friends gave
me a Tickle Me Freud doll last Christmas, and I won a Muzzy once.
BTW and FWIW, I've finished outlines (actually, they're not outlines. I
don't know what they are. But they have basic plots and some notes) for Vampire
High 3 and 4. We'll se what comes.