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You know how in your business some things are so obvious to you, that you forget that not everyone knows how your business works? We all do it, especially if we’ve been in the business five or more years. Somethings seem so normal, that you forget that they aren’t normal to people outside of your profession.
Why do I say all this? Because, Darla has requested I do a blog explaining how book deals work. I thought by announcing the three book deal that it would kill the rumor that BLOOD NOIR was the last Anita Blake novel. It did, but it gave rise to the rumor that after the next three books, then that’s it for the series. Sigh.
Guys, guys, book deals usually run in sets of three. Anita has always been in groups of three for contract purposes. Example: the first contract was for Anita Blake #1, Anita Blake #2, and Anita Blake #3. You go down the list of numbers in sets of three. So, when I finish up the new contract I just got which is #16, #17, and #18 Anita Blake novels, respecitively, we’ll then turn around and negotiate for #19 through #21. Oh, and why do we count BLOOD NOIR as sixteen when contractually it’s #15? Because MICAH was done as a sepearte contract, since it was sort of a suprise for all concerned and not long enough to full-fill one of the slots in the contract I was writing at the time. They put lengths in contracts for books, so the author knows what they’re shooting at, and the publisher knows what they can expect. Now, it’s an estimate, so it’s taken with a grain of salt, but it’s still in there, in writing.
Now, I’ve done book deals one book at a time. NIGHTSEER was that way, then they didn’t want the second book, so that negotiation broke down. The Star Trek book I did, was a one only deal. Same for the Ravenloft novel. You can do book contracts for two books, four, or even six, but three is the most typical for a series.
So, does this explain to everyone that the reason the next Anita contract is only for three books, is that when I’m done writing these three, then we go back to renegotiate for the next three. It’s just how it works. So, don’t panic, there are plenty more books to come, but they are written one contract at a time.