Editing Runes of the Earth

[stuartfanning]

Stephen Donaldson has two main publishers for the Final Chronicles. Gollancz/Orion in the UK and Putnam in the US. Both the British and American editions are going to be published at the same time. So when it came to the editing of the first book "Runes of the Earth", how did it work between the two publishers. Did the manuscript go back and forward between London and New York until a final agreement between Mr Donaldson and his two editors was made? Anyone have any insight on this?

[danlo]

Couldn't tell you-it's, kinda, my understanding that Putnam recieved the draft first--but I have no idea how Orion is handling it--Romeo would know if anyone. I would assume Orion followed Putnam's lead.

[Romeo]

I asked him this a while ago. Here's his reply:

Many authors give up worldwide rights when they find a publisher. In that case, publication in any other country is essentially a surrogate: in effect, Sirius N Siderius in Holland, say, publishes X book in Dutch on behalf of, say, DEL REY/Ballantine. Original publisher and author split the money. But for writers with good agents, every separate country is a separate business deal (so all the money goes to the agent and author). In theory, this means that each publisher could demand editorial changes--and could demand ones which contradict those demanded by another publisher. In practice, however, the publisher in the country of origin (or the first publisher, assuming there is a significant lag between the two) "takes point," and everyone else follows blindly along. But in my case my US and UK publishers are working together closely (which they do not have to do) so that I don't have to face conflicting editorial demands--and so that they can exert twice as much pressure when they want changes.

[Skyweir]

Romeo you are a legend! how cool you are in a position to just .. go ask .. the man .. and get right back with an answer!!

that is in and of itself .. the epitomy of awesomeness!!

[Romeo]

I didn't JUST ask him this. A while ago (months) I emailed the question to him, and he responded. I guess I should have asked that one in the Gradual Interview...