Last year, during Brenda Novak’s annual auction for Diabetes Research, Diana Gabaldon offered a lunch meeting to the highest bidder. I was thrilled to be the auction winner, but it would be many months before our schedules would align so that East and West coast could come together. Diana was extremely busy traveling the world launching ECHO IN THE BONE, and me, well life just kept getting in the way. After trading e-mails for nine months, I can honestly say it was well worth the wait. If the chance ever arises to meet Diana, I would highly recommend grabbing hold of the opportunity with both hands.
We finally met on a beautiful sunny day at a trendy Scottsdale, Arizona restaurant. As soon as we were seated, we instantly began chatting about wine, food, family, education, and various other things. It was stimulating conversing with someone so intellectually diverse. I wonder how many people know she holds not only one Ph.D., but two, and has two additional science degrees. As time sped by, the generous, passionate, and beautiful person she is, both inside and out, flowed through her words. Our conversation took many different twists and turns before heading back to our shared passion of writing.
I was amazed to learn that THE OUTLANDER, one of my all-time favorite books, was almost never published. The publishing house simply could not figure out how to market the manuscript. In the end it was decided to slot it as a romance, even though technically it isn’t. That decision would haunt Diana for several years. It would be a long time before Diana would be able to influence book sellers to appropriately place the series in the fiction section to increase market penetration.
Changes in editorial staff and book modifications were another discussion topic. Diana remembered when she was ready to release her second book in Europe; the London press recommended she remove or edit over 300 pages. This suggestion came even though her first book sold well and the US launch of her second book had already been deemed a success. It was her supportive husband who asked her the most pertinent question, “Is the money worth living with the modifications for the rest of your life?” After some soul searching, her answer was NO. The result was a publisher compromise, with a reader return guarantee. Diana smiled as she thought of the unique book cover with the special “satisfaction guarantee” label sitting on her book shelf. To her knowledge, not one book was ever returned to the publisher.
For Gabaldon fans, I’m sure most have one question--will there be an eighth book? The answer is YES. What intrigued me most was that Diana has a two-book contract for something in the contemporary crime genre and is currently working through some ideas. As far as I’m concerned, as long as she writes and I get to continue reading her work, I don’t care what genre she chooses.
Looking back, the day couldn’t have been more perfect. Thanks to Brenda and Diana’s wonderful generosity, I crossed another must do off my wish list. If you would like to meet one of your favorite authors, Brenda’s auction is coming up again soon, so you might take a look to see if your favorite author is offering something for auction. Who knows, you too may have a chance to win a memory or treasure of a lifetime. Hint: I know Diana has placed a signed copy of ECHO IN THE BONE up for auction. Good luck! Auction site address: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Home.taf
We finally met on a beautiful sunny day at a trendy Scottsdale, Arizona restaurant. As soon as we were seated, we instantly began chatting about wine, food, family, education, and various other things. It was stimulating conversing with someone so intellectually diverse. I wonder how many people know she holds not only one Ph.D., but two, and has two additional science degrees. As time sped by, the generous, passionate, and beautiful person she is, both inside and out, flowed through her words. Our conversation took many different twists and turns before heading back to our shared passion of writing.
I was amazed to learn that THE OUTLANDER, one of my all-time favorite books, was almost never published. The publishing house simply could not figure out how to market the manuscript. In the end it was decided to slot it as a romance, even though technically it isn’t. That decision would haunt Diana for several years. It would be a long time before Diana would be able to influence book sellers to appropriately place the series in the fiction section to increase market penetration.
Changes in editorial staff and book modifications were another discussion topic. Diana remembered when she was ready to release her second book in Europe; the London press recommended she remove or edit over 300 pages. This suggestion came even though her first book sold well and the US launch of her second book had already been deemed a success. It was her supportive husband who asked her the most pertinent question, “Is the money worth living with the modifications for the rest of your life?” After some soul searching, her answer was NO. The result was a publisher compromise, with a reader return guarantee. Diana smiled as she thought of the unique book cover with the special “satisfaction guarantee” label sitting on her book shelf. To her knowledge, not one book was ever returned to the publisher.
For Gabaldon fans, I’m sure most have one question--will there be an eighth book? The answer is YES. What intrigued me most was that Diana has a two-book contract for something in the contemporary crime genre and is currently working through some ideas. As far as I’m concerned, as long as she writes and I get to continue reading her work, I don’t care what genre she chooses.
Looking back, the day couldn’t have been more perfect. Thanks to Brenda and Diana’s wonderful generosity, I crossed another must do off my wish list. If you would like to meet one of your favorite authors, Brenda’s auction is coming up again soon, so you might take a look to see if your favorite author is offering something for auction. Who knows, you too may have a chance to win a memory or treasure of a lifetime. Hint: I know Diana has placed a signed copy of ECHO IN THE BONE up for auction. Good luck! Auction site address: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Home.taf
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