next »

[rubylaz]

I have an advance contract for a manuscript, with a due date of August 2012, and my editor sent me a check-in email to see how things are progressing.
I'm wondering how forthright to be about the possibility of pushing back the due date.
For various reasons, I'm almost sure it won't be done by August. Would it be best to let him know ASAP or to tell him things are going well, wait a few months and see what I am able to get done in that time, and then request an extension?
Obviously I want to keep up a good relationship with the Press, but I don't want to get ahead of myself either.
How much notice do authors generally give about needing to extend their deadlines?

[flotsam]

Absolutely.  Notify your editor now, and arrange for a new deadline.  There are two (maybe more) immediate benefits:

(1) It's much better for the press, which may already be lining up marketing and production according to your original schedule.  (For example, I once had the surreal experience of seeing my book on Amazon.com, a month before the manuscript was due, and while I was still writing the conclusion to that book.)  If you notify them now, you can avoid some more complicated problems later, perhaps.

(2) It will help you to set the new and realistic deadline.  If you just say, I'll finish it sometime (after Aug 2012), then you may never finish; if you have a new, firm deadline (say, March 2013), you can arrange your own schedule accordingly.

Experienced editors are used to unexpected delays, as we are not always as realistic or reliable as we'd hope when preparing our proposal.  Still, the earlier you let him know, the better for all involved.  Good luck!

[rubylaz]

Thanks - this makes a lot of sense.
Other thoughts?

[hegemony]

I agree.  Give your editor as much advance notice as possible, to minimize irritation on the part of the editor.  Late changes foul up their production schedule.

[bwwm1]

It's very common for people to miss their manuscript deadlines, which is partly why the editor is asking for the update. But as others point out, the more lead time you can give them about being late, the better.

[august]

I agree with everyone here.  I have had to postpone my deadline twice, for good reasons.  I had a house fire that demolished my whole house (but thankfully not my research!), and there was another reason. 

I had a lot of anxiety letting my editor know so I postponed telling her, but I really should have alerted her sooner.  It strained our relationship a bit.  So, this is the take away: tell the editor sooner, rather than later.

[rubylaz]

I'm glad everyone seems to be in agreement - it definitely sounds like I should let my editor know now.
Thanks!

[bubbagump]

I agree with everyone here.  I have had to postpone my deadline twice, for good reasons.  I had a house fire that demolished my whole house (but thankfully not my research!), and there was another reason. 

I had a lot of anxiety letting my editor know so I postponed telling her, but I really should have alerted her sooner.  It strained our relationship a bit.  So, this is the take away: tell the editor sooner, rather than later.

I'm curious, did you postpone telling her the first time you missed the deadline or the second time? I'm wondering what strained the relationship. I'm worried about meeting a deadline and already postponed it once. I didn't give enough notice but the editor seemed perfectly understanding. I should have given them a later date because I'm not going to have it done, again. I didn't want to push it and since this is my first contract, I wasn't sure what the norm was in asking for extensions. Now, I have to ask again and I'm not sure how long is too long. Or if they'll agree to it. I think they will but I don't want to give them an unreasonable time frame. But I could really use the whole summer, but I feel like that's pushing it too much.

[bwwm1]

I agree with everyone here.  I have had to postpone my deadline twice, for good reasons.  I had a house fire that demolished my whole house (but thankfully not my research!), and there was another reason. 

I had a lot of anxiety letting my editor know so I postponed telling her, but I really should have alerted her sooner.  It strained our relationship a bit.  So, this is the take away: tell the editor sooner, rather than later.

I'm curious, did you postpone telling her the first time you missed the deadline or the second time? I'm wondering what strained the relationship. I'm worried about meeting a deadline and already postponed it once. I didn't give enough notice but the editor seemed perfectly understanding. I should have given them a later date because I'm not going to have it done, again. I didn't want to push it and since this is my first contract, I wasn't sure what the norm was in asking for extensions. Now, I have to ask again and I'm not sure how long is too long. Or if they'll agree to it. I think they will but I don't want to give them an unreasonable time frame. But I could really use the whole summer, but I feel like that's pushing it too much.

If you know you're not going to make the deadline, you need to be upfront about it as soon as possible. You gain nothing by avoiding the issue, and on the contrary, you make it worse. So you need to decide what's reasonable, and propose that as soon as possible.