Unleash Me, Vol. 1 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (16 page)

“
You
bought the book, and now you want to completely change it?
 
I don
’
t get it.
 
Why
buy the book if it didn
’
t
suit you?
”

“
Because
I saw promise in it.
”

“
I
wonder if what you really saw was its sales potential.
”

“
That
was certainly one reason.
”

“
I
like the direction the book takes.
”

“
That
’
s the thing,
”
he
said.
 
“
It
’
s no longer your
book.
 
Now it belongs to Wenn
Publishing and I have final approval over the final draft.
 
The potential problem for you is that we
have only three weeks to get this finished before it goes to our copy-editors
and proofreaders, and finally to press.
 
I understand that it won
’
t
be easy, but that
’
s
not my problem.
 
It
’
s yours.
 
I think that you
’
ll agree when you see
the edits, that they make for a better book.
”

I took a breath and tried to remain
calm.
 
Three weeks to rewrite my
novel?
 
He mentioned a rewrite
yesterday, but I didn
’
t
think he was completely serious.
 
Apparently he was.
“
That
book is over five-hundred-pages long,
”
I said.
 
“
How am I going to do
that kind of a rewrite in such a brief period of time?
”

He leaned back in his chair.
 
“
Again, not my problem.
 
I
’
d
suggest plenty of coffee.
 
You
signed the contract.
 
Now you need
to carry through with it.
”

“
I
didn
’
t
sign that contract knowing that you
’
d have such sweeping changes.
”

“
True,
but I
’
ve
done my research, Lisa.
 
You
’
ve put out three books
since last May.
 
Am I correct?
”

“
I
have.
 
All bestsellers.
”

“
And
all are about the same length, which tells me that you
’
re prolific.
 
Perhaps too prolific, which gets to one
of the other problems I have with your book.
 
Parts of it feel rushed to me
—
it
’
s as if you were in a
hurry to publish it, likely trying to keep the money coming in.
 
There also are continuity errors.
 
You
’
ll see where I
’
ve marked those sections in red.
 
Do I like your book?
 
Yes, but with major reservations.
 
It
’
s a mess.
 
Until
now, it
’
s
had no editing.
 
Do I think, with
the proper guidance, that it could be a bestseller that raises the bar for
apocalyptic fiction?
 
Maybe.
 
We
’
re at least going to try for that, though I
’
m not entirely
convinced that you have the skills to pull that off because you
’
re still a young
writer.
 
I have to ask
—
what
was the reason that you self-published in the first place?
”

This conversation would be one of
them.
 
“
I wanted control over my own work.
”

“
Oh.
 
So you thought that you could do this
all on your own.
”

“
In
fact, I have done all of this on my own.
 
And successfully.
 
Before it
was removed from Amazon and other sites yesterday afternoon, the book was a
bestseller.
 
Do we ignore that?
 
The book spent ten days as an overall
number-one bestseller on Amazon.
 
It
was at number six on the list when it was removed.
 
Why am I to trust your edits when the
book has achieved that kind of success?
”

“
To
be blunt?
 
Because you have no
choice.
 
The book belongs to me now.
”

“
It
belongs to Wenn.
”

“
Fine.
 
Wenn.
 
Whatever.
 
But I
’
m your editor.
 
I
’
m
the one who offered you that advance, so I need you to do your job and employ
my edits and the other changes I
’
m
proposing.
 
The goal here is to
improve your book and your writing. You have raw talent, but you are far from
where you need to be.
 
That
’
s where I can help.
”
 
He cocked his head at me.
 
“
I hope you
’
re
not too sensitive about criticism, because that could be an issue when you see
my edits and read the new synopsis.
”

“
As
I said, my skin is thick.
 
Is there
anything else?
”

He lifted the manuscript and handed
it to me.
 
“
Just your
manuscript.
 
And a lot of work.
”
 
He smiled at me.
 
“
Good luck.
 
Call
if you need me.
 
We
’
ll meet once a week so
I can review your progress.
”

“
Can
’
t I just email the
revised chapters to you?
”

He stood, and once again, his sheer
size struck me
—
he
was as big as Tank.
 
What burned me
is that he had it all
—
looks,
money, and power.
 
He exuded alpha
male.
 
But unlike Alex, who was
nothing if not humble about his wealth and position, Marco Boss, though he
’
d been cool with me
today, personified arrogance.

“
No,
we
’
ll
meet here.
 
Beatrice will set up our
meetings and email the schedule to you.
 
The morning before we meet, please send me the changes via email.
 
Then we
’
ll discuss them in person.
”

“
Fine.
”

He came around his desk, and leaned
against it.
 
He was uncomfortably
close to me.
 
He tucked his thumbs
into the front pockets of his jeans and allowed his fingers to curl over
whatever the hell he was packing in his pants, which was substantial.
 
He smiled and nodded toward the
door.
 
“
Your bag is behind
you.
 
I
’
ll see you in a week.
”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Since Blackwell wanted a full report
about my meeting with Boss, I went to her office after leaving him.
 
When I arrived, I showed her the edited
manuscript I
’
d
received and gave her a rundown of my meeting with him.
 

“
So,
he was polite?
”

“
I
’
d say that he was
restrained, with the exception, of course, of when he called me a clown.
”

“
He
called you that again?
”

“
Oh,
yes.
 
And he reiterated that he
hated how I was styled yesterday.
 
He made certain that I was aware of that.
 
As if I could have forgotten.
 
He also said that you should consult
with him in the future on how I
’
m
styled.
”

“
The
hell I will.
”

“
You
might need to tell him that.
”

“
Consider
it done.
 
With pleasure.
”

I held out the manuscript.
 
“
Would you like to have a look at what I
’
m up against?
”
 

She took it from me, and flipped through
the pages.
 
“
There
’
s more blood on this
page than there is in his veins.
 
He
did this to your book?
 
What
’
s left of it?
 
Nothing?
 
I don
’
t even recognize it.
 
What does he expect you to write?
 
‘
Ulysses
of the Undead?
’”

“
I
’
m not about to write
about some scrotum-tightening sea.
”

“
Unless
he
’
s
in it.
”

“
Still,
that
’
s
apparently what he
’
s
expecting.
 
Look at the notes.
 
He wants to
‘
elevate my apocalyptic
vision to a new plateau.
’
 
Whatever the hell that means.
 
Ugh!
 
This is every reason I became an indie
writer.
 
Now, do I believe that some
of his edits will be helpful?
 
Absolutely.
 
But this looks
like overkill to me.
”

“
This
looks as if he
’
s
trying to throw you under the bus.
 
But why?
”

“
No
idea.
 
He
’
s the one who wanted
to sign me.
 
But it is what it is,
and I should go home and get to work on it now.
”

I collected my coat and started to
put it on.
 
Already, I felt
overwhelmed.
 
On the elevator ride
to Blackwell
’
s
floor, I
’
d
thumbed through the manuscript, and seeing the wealth of edits that were ahead
of me, I knew that the three weeks I had to turn this book around and meet his
needs would be the greatest challenge of my life.
 
I wasn
’
t sure if I could do it, and that was defeating.
 
I was certain I was going to fail.
 
I had a feeling he wanted me to fail.

“
I
don
’
t
know if I can do it,
”
I
said to her.

“
I
think you can, but I hear you.
 
It
’
s going to be
difficult.
 
You know I
’
ve read your
book.
 
I told you that I liked it
very much.
 
But he
’
s changed the lot of
it.
 
I don
’
t understand why.
 
Why did he change what didn
’
t need to be
changed?
 
I agree with a few things
I
’
m
reading in the margins.
 
He has some
worthwhile ideas.
 
But this?
 
This is all about payback for yesterday.
”