I'll Drink to That

by Allison Pang

...or not really.

Not to be a killjoy,but even if I *could* drink, I have to admit my palate is rather dead when it comes to wine and champagne and the like. It's just not my thing.

Which is probably why when I mentioned on Twitter that I was going to make mimosas for Danielle Poiesz with the bottle of Dom I received for Christmas, Jeffe begged me not to.

Apparently that's a bit of a sin in the champagne world. (Yes, I am aware of how much it costs...but what else was I going to do with it?)

But...since Danielle actually agreed with this, I found a bottle of cheap stuff. Some form of Brut. And actually the second bottle I chose and chilled turned out to also be a $150 dollar brand. Yeah, okay, I'm clueless.

But in the end, mimosas were made with the third choice and enjoyed, along with banana chocolate chip pancakes.

Which sort of segue-ways into Jeffe's topic earlier this week about drawing lines in professional relationships. For those of you who may not know, Danielle was my editor for A Brush of Darkness. She left to pursue a new career with Book Country, but we always kept in touch.

It's kind of an interesting place to be because I've been on both sides of the line with her. As Jeffe pointed out, a writer's relationship with an editor or an agent has to be professional. Obviously you want them to believe in you and your work and encourage you as needed...but they have to be able to give you the tough love side of things too. A writer depends on her editor to help her write the best book she can. A good agent helps navigate the potential pitfalls along the way.

Being too close to either one, particularly at first, can be a detriment to your professional growth. I say at first, because we do hear from authors who indicate their editor or agent is their best friend - but usually if you dig a little deeper, you discover they've had a deep working relationship for many years. They've worked out the personal space issues and know what works for them to keep the team running smoothly.

I do think that new authors need a little distance - particularly when they're processing everything that's coming at them for the first time. Contracts, deadlines, social networking. There are so many things crawling out of the woodwork  - having someone behind you who will tell you what you need to know and give you an honest appraisal of your options is refreshing and much needed.

To put it in perspective - I'd go out to lunch with my editor or agent at the drop of a hat...but would I invite them to my house for the weekend to make unicorn poop cookies?

Probably not.

I'd break out the Dom, though.