What a city. After punishing me for moving with a heat wave my last visit, New York and I have made amends. The weather is spectacular, the food amazing and the people walking faster than ever.
I’m now halfway through my 2,000+ meetings, which have been great. The pace on these trips is pretty intense. Working in the morning, lunch with an editor and then three hours of back to back meetings.
Oh, you thought I was done? Then it’s time for drinks with an editor, some days two, then dinner somewhere that night.
I can’t complain though, I’m having a great time and it’s so great to see everyone. However, because of this schedule insanity I’m instituting a query moratorium, so if you don’t hear back from me this week that’s why. If you read the blog and are thinking of querying, waiting a week would be greatly appreciated.
In the meantime, thank you New York! I knew we could still be friends.
Sophie says
Feel need to post as caught your blog before has any comments, but now stuck for inspiration.
Glad New York is behaving self. I would hate my rosy idea of NYC to take a battering (formed entirely from romantic comedies which all seem to be set there.)
Anonymous says
Mr. B in my city! I put the order in for good weather.
You’re welcome very much!
Remember, don’t make eye contact with the natives and keep your elbows out at all times.
And I promise not to query you for at least 6 months (I’m feeling optomistic today that my first novel will be worthy of reading by then.)
Have fun!
JAnonymous
Wanda B. Ontheshelves says
Just don’t ask for a 700-billion query bailout when the moratorium is over.
π
(hmm, that does sound like an agent’s worst nightmare!)
A Paperback Writer says
I hope you have time to have a little fun while you’re there!
Marilyn Peake says
Wonderful post, Nathan. Glad youβre enjoying New York City. I absolutely love NYC β the sidewalk cafes, museums, Central Park, Broadway plays. I recently saw The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked there; both were fantastic. Have a great week!
gwen says
Nathan, did you make the choice to move to San Francisco without a job offer, or did an opportunity come up for you to transfer there?
Just curious.
Have fun in NYC. π
Lady Glamis says
So great to hear that your trip is running smoothly! I haven’t been to NYC, but wish to someday! I have relatives there, so I should go sometime when the weather’s nice. But SF is great, too (my personal preference).
I won’t query this week, I promise. In fact, I won’t be querying you for my first novel for several weeks, maybe months. Depends on my beta readers.
Have a great rest of the week!
Dan says
To borrow a quote from one of my favorite movies, referring to traffic.
‘Watch out for the yellow ones, they don’t stop!’
Ryan Field says
The weather here has been fantastic, and it’s probably the best time of year to really enjoy the city. Don’t forget to go to Bleecker and pick up a few cupcakes at Magnolia.
lotusloq says
I’m so glad you’re enjoying your time in the Big Apple.
I’m so disappointed I can’t send my query this week. I was just brushing it up. I was planning on starting with a “Yo, Nate-dog! ‘sup?” but I guess it’s back to the drawing board. Dang! It should be ready by Thanksgiving or Christmas. Haha! jk! I would never do that to you.
Say “hey” to Time Square for all of us.
Scott says
Best to stay friends and only friends, Nathan. I happen to know for a fact that New York is seeing other people.
Enjoy, and may I suggest the Museum of Art and Design:
https://madmuseum.org/
Oh, crap, I think that’s closed cause it’s moving.
Okay, try here: https://www.icp.org/
Not that you’ll have time, natch.
gophergrrrl says
Sounds like Heaven, to me! You are a very lucky fellow!
New Yawka says
Hey Nathan!
I godda tip for you:
Go to St Marks Place (8th St) and Third Avenue from 6til midnight and have a molten chocolate cake for $5 from the fabulous DESSERT TRUCK. Only in New York!
Cera Dark says
Loved your post Nathan. May I call you Nathan? New York is truly a most spectacular place to visit or live. I am biased of course, I live here! Please enjoy our beautiful city. By the way, please be sure to check out my pajama shorts!
Cera Dark
https://www.pajamashorts.blogspot.com
Adaora A. says
HAHA! How is your body adjusting to our standard eastern time? Are you a bit bleary eyed? Sounds like you’re having fun. Love NYC.
M. Dunham says
Have a great time in NYC. Hope you get to do something besides just work shoptalk!
Lisa and Laura says
Crap – just sent you my query. Just figures…sorry for cluttering your inbox, and hope you think it’s too fabulous to pass up, even in a query moratorium…
Anonymous says
Thanks for the update, Nathan. We’re still out here, waiting for your return.
Furious D says
Enjoy New York, don’t pester the Chuds, and have a good time. π
Isabelle Santiago says
Sounds like you’re pretty busy! But I gotta say, you’ve got the best time of year. New York in the fall is magical.
Enjoy it!
Ela says
Hope you have some time to enjoy the NYC, so much stuff to do and pretty exciting city!
https://uncommondollars.com
Tha BiGG DoGG says
Just found your blog it's really good. I'll be keeping an eye on it & see if their are other things of interest to me.
Christian says
Hey! Just found out that you (Nathan) are one of the agents appearing in 2009 at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference in Colorado Springs. And guess who’s pitching his new novel to you? he he. NOW you’re in trouble. Looking forward to meeting you in the flesh, sir!
Jill of All Trades says
The Hubby and I are traveling to NYC for the first time (for me) in October for a few days. Can’t wait.
Chatty Kelly says
Told ya the East Coast was having great weather. My hair has never looked better. LOL!
Enjoy your trip.
Robena Grant says
I love NYC! Usually manage a trip back each year to visit a friend, haven’t been back in ’08, sigh. Maybe in the late fall. I miss it and am green with envy.
Have a fabulous time. Let us know what those editors are looking for.
Anonymous says
I’m wondering if you could offer any advice for a pubbed author who very abruptly had to split ways with her agent and now really needs to find a good one, quick. Most of the advice I’ve found is for those trying to query an agent about a new project, but my current project is already sitting on my editor’s desk and will likely be accepted.
Eric says
I’ll keep my eyes peeled for you and your Curtis Brown orange t-shirt. There’s only eight million or so of us, so I’m sure I’ll spot you here or there soon enough.
Enjoy the cool weather, Nathan, and thanks for bringing it with you.
Eric
Sun Singer says
That cool weather is a big plus, though not enough to draw me out of quiet North Georgia into THE BIG CITY. (Atlanta’s bad enough and, at least, we have grits.)
Malcolm
Deaf Brown Trash Punk says
lucky bastard. I love NYC and wish I can live there *sigh*
+2,000 meetings? HOLY HELL! bring a tall cold bottle of fresh water to nourish your throat so your voice doesn’t crack.
Anonymous says
It’s great news to learn your not taking querys at the moment. My recent MadLib query generated so much interest it forced me to add the voice of Mr. T to my doorbell. “Come back later fool, with a bigger offer.”
If you have time, get yourself a horseradish vodka shot at the Russian Somavar on 52nd and Broadway.
Erik says
What? You just flew over us without stopping to say “Hello”?
Jeff says
Lunch, dinner, drinks? In NYC? In the fall? Wow…tough life.
How does one get a job like this?
I’d gladly read some bad submissions for this kind of abuse.
You’re a lucky dog and you know it!
Elton A. R. Alwine says
I love NYC. I just got back from one of the last few games at Yankee Stadium. And for the first time I had an emotional trip. Even my dad had a tear in his eye!
Excellent blog, Mr. Bransford. I look forward to sending you a query as soon as you’ve lifted your moratorium…
nona says
From a friend who just returned from NYC:
“We went to the J. Pierpont Morgan, MoMA, Met, Malcom Forbes and New York City History museums. They were wonderful. Also walked the Brooklyn Bridge and came upon a wedding in progress under one of the piers! So cool. Only in NYC — probably Chicago, too!”
Getting married under a pier of the Brooklyn Bridge? I guess that would be the equivalent of tying the knot on Lower Wacker Drive . . . not for the faint of heart!
Sophie says
anon-
You’ve worried me and put me off querying my own masterpeice when the time comes. I hate the idea of having to hurt so many agents and publishers feelings (possibly Nathan’s) when I have to plump for just one! How are you coping with it?
Now back to working out when I put the apostrophe in ‘its/it’s’!
Tom Burchfield says
Missing me by that much . . . my wife and I will be in NYC starting Oct. 4 to celebrate our 5th anniversary.
rachete says
Have a safe trip!
Jeanne says
Could you have picked a more exciting week to be in NYC? Leaders from all over the world addressing the UN. The Wall Street mess. Sarah Palin lunching with Ahnadinejad. Sarkosy snubbing everyone at dinner parties. The air must be more electric than usual.
I was in Paris in July, just before their enormous Bastille Day celebration on 7/13. All the leaders of the EU were coming to town and security was higher than I’ve ever seen. Soldiers hanging around the base of the Eiffel Tower, smoking and holding their machine guns -scowling at everyone. I bet security is equally high, or high in NYC right now.
Enjoy the rest of your trip!
Karin Zirk says
What a great blog. The good people are always too busy! I haven’t lived in SF for a few years, but just wondering if the NYC Versus SF battle is still on. I guess I’ll have to wait a while before I send you a query letter.
Chris says
Ah, NY in the fall…It’s just so When Harry Met Sally, isn’t it?
SozinTara says
I haven’t been to New York in a while…it was quite interesting when I was there at age 17. I want to go back though. Glad you are still in love with NYC!
rws says
autumn is a wonderful to be in n.y.c. i was born there — right across the water from the u.n. — and returning releases a flood of great memories. i haven’t been back in a while, and seeing it through your eyes, however briefly, made me smile.
thanks, nathan. be well.
janeyolen says
DANG! I was in NY at CBLtd a week before you arrived.
Did you wear your hard hat?
Jane