I Know Better

I sat in my office at my publishing company looking through the drafts of A Game of Thrones, the first book of the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Despite the mounting pressure from my editors about not releasing it now and waiting for a few years to make such a drastic jump in genres, I was determined to see it through. 

'What do they know?' I thought, while trying to silence the nagging voice in my head that reminded me of their years of experience.

The book was 90 percent complete, but I had been focusing too much on the movie side of things, which slowed my progress.

Everything had gone well for me until now, and I didn't think a genre change would affect me that much.

I continued reading through it, but I put it down again. The whole editor thing was bothering me. 

I couldn't believe it was bothering me this much. As I sat there lost in thought, I heard someone knock on the door.

"Come in," I said.

It was Julie.

"What is it, Jules?" I asked.

"You have a meeting with the security company on Friday, and Lucy has asked for you to meet her at her office," Julie replied.

"Lucy? What does she want? Is this about the book? Are the editors there? Oh, I am so firing them," I said, my frustration evident.

"She just asked you to come," Julie said.

I sighed. "I will be there in a minute," I said.

Julie left, and I muttered, "I really hope this isn't about the book," as I got up and headed to Lucy's office.

As I walked to Lucy's office, I remembered the other thing Julie had mentioned – the meeting to hire some security for me. The security wouldn't be with me all the time, only when I attended more public events. Though, I felt I might need them more frequently as my fame increased. 

But that was for future Daniel to worry about.

I entered Lucy's office, annoyed to see my editors there but surprised to see my new publicist Raj and his team as well. I had recently joined a very exclusive PR firm, and they were as good as Lucy had said they would be.

'What's going on?' I thought, seeing them all here.

"Daniel," Lucy said, noticing my presence.

"Lucy, what's up, why is everyone here?" I asked, scanning the room.

"It's about Game of Thrones," Lucy said.

"Oh, come on! I thought we agreed on this," I said angrily, frustration seeping into my voice.

"Yes, we did, but we have some new information that we'd like to share with you," she said.

"Fine, let's see this new information," I said, sitting down.

"Hey, Raj," I greeted my publicist as I settled into my seat.

The room was arranged with Lucy's desk in the center, where she usually sat. Today, she had moved to a chair next to me to facilitate the discussion. The editors were seated opposite me, their faces one of concern. Raj and his team occupied the seats along the side wall, ready to contribute their insights.

Raj cleared his throat and leaned forward, his expression serious. "Daniel, here's the reality of the situation. Releasing A Game of Thrones right now could be risky for your image. You've just come off a huge success with Percy Jackson and Toy Story. You're known for the young adult fantasy genre. Jumping into a dark, political fantasy is a massive leap."

He paused, making sure he had my attention. "Your current fan base is used to a certain style from you. They know you for Percy Jackson and Toy Story, which are significantly different in tone and content from A Game of Thrones. If we release it now, there's a risk of alienating those fans who might not be ready for such a drastic change."

Lucy nodded, chiming in. "Listen to Raj Danny, he is the best at this."

"Think of it this way," Raj said, "You're not just releasing a book. You're shifting your entire public image ,your brand. It's too much, too soon. We need a carefully crafted plan to make this transition smooth and successful."

I held back my anger and asked, "So what are you suggesting I do?"

"We suggest you wait for a few years," Raj said firmly.

Raj leaned forward, laying out a detailed plan. "First, we suggest starting with a spin-off of Percy Jackson. This will help maintain your current fanbase and give them something familiar while introducing them to more mature themes."

"We could explore new characters or side stories within the Percy Jackson universe. It would allow you to start incorporating darker, more complex narratives without completely abandoning the world your fans love," Raj explained.

Lucy chimed in, "This approach gives your fans time to grow up with your writing. Once they are more accustomed to these mature themes, we can introduce a story similar to A Game of Thrones as a litmus test."

"And if that goes well, we can then think about releasing the A Song of Ice and Fire series," Raj added. "This way, your audience will be more prepared for the shift, and it won't be as jarring."

"But it's done. Do you expect me to drop it all?" I shot back.

"Yes," Raj replied coldly. "We have a lot of experience, Daniel. This would not be good for you. You have no controversies other than, well, that wild party incident when you were a teenager. We can slowly change your image, but it will take time and your cooperation."

I was still not having it. "Daniel, please think about it," Lucy pleaded.

"Fine, I will think about it," I lied, standing up and walking out of the room.

'Things used to be so easy before,' I thought as I left the building and headed back home. My mind raced on how to counter this whole thing.

.

.

.

In the evening, I sat in front of my PC, the dim glow of the screen illuminating my frustrated face. I was trying to lose myself in a game of Dungeons & Dragons with my friends, but my mind kept drifting back to the meeting with Raj and the team. I was the DM for our session as always, running the campaign via video conferencing. The faces of John, Matt, Joanna, and Lucia, appeared in small windows on the screen, each one engrossed in the game.

I guided the party through a dense forest, but my narration lacked the usual enthusiasm.

"You hear rustling in the bushes ahead," I said, my voice flat. "A group of goblins emerges, their eyes glinting with malice."

"Daniel, are you okay?" Joanna asked, her concern evident even through the screen.

"Yeah, just... a lot on my mind," I replied, trying to refocus.

The game continued, but my heart wasn't in it. I described the goblins' attack haphazardly, mixing up their abilities and stats. Matt's character, a valiant paladin, swung his sword at the wrong enemy due to my confusing instructions.

"Daniel, are you sure that goblin has 18 hit points? I thought you said 12 earlier," John pointed out, his brow furrowed.

"Uh, yeah, my bad. It should be 12," I corrected, feeling the frustration mounting.

Lucia, playing a cunning rogue, noticed my distraction. "Hey, if you need to take a break, it's cool. We can continue another time."

"No, no, let's keep going," I insisted, but even as I said it, I knew my heart wasn't in the game.

The session dragged on, with my mistakes becoming more frequent. I mixed up the order of initiative, misinterpreted spells, and forgot key plot points. The usual excitement of our adventures was dampened by my obvious frustration.

"Alright, let's wrap it up for tonight," I finally said, unable to continue. "We'll pick up here next time."

"Ok, what's wrong?" Joanna asked again.

"Yeah, man, what's up? You look so down," Matt added.

"What's going on, Danny?" Lucia and John chimed in almost simultaneously.

"It's nothing," I tried to brush it off, but the worry in their eyes made it hard to maintain the facade.

"Just tell us, man. Maybe we could help you," Matt urged.

I sighed deeply, rubbing the back of my neck. "Alright, fine. It's about my new book."

"The one with all the sex?" Joanna asked.

"Yeah, that one." I said laughing. 

"My editors, Lucy, and now even my new publicist Raj, are all saying I should wait to publish it. They think releasing it now will be too much of a shift from my usual genre."

"They do have a point." John said.

"Oh come on you too." I asked.

Lucia shook her head. " You've worked so hard on this."

"Exactly," I agreed, frustration seeping into my voice. "I get where they're coming from. They have experience and all, but…"

Matt leaned back in his chair, thinking. "I can see both sides. On one hand, they want to protect your brand and ease your fans into this new genre. On the other hand, it's your work you want it out there."

"They're suggesting I shelve the book for a few years," I continued, "which is just... ugh. I can't even describe how that makes me feel."

Joanna leaned forward, her face serious. "What do you want to do, Danny?"

"I want to release the book. I believe in it. I think it's ready, and I don't want to wait. But hearing them speak of all doom and gloom... I'm also worried about the fallout. What if they're right? What if my fans don't like it?"

"You've built a loyal base. Sure, some might be hesitant at first, but they'll come around. They trust your storytelling." Joanna said firmly. 

"I have an idea," Lucia said.

"What" I asked. 

"Leak a chapter of a story or something similar to it, maybe the raciest chapter but with different characters and names changed. Leak it to the Adler fan forums and see how they react. Leak it to the press and see how social media reacts."

"That is a great idea," Matt said. "If they dig it, then the PR firm was wrong. If they react negatively, then, well, you wait a few years like they said."

I thought about it. It was a good idea to gauge reaction. "Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "I think you guys are onto something here."

"Glad to help," Lucia said with a wide smile.

"Thanks," I said, feeling a renewed sense of determination. "I'm going to try that."

"Go get 'em, tiger," Joanna said with a wink.

I exited the call and opened one of the drafts of the book, scrolling to find the chapter that could serve as a test. It was a particularly intense chapter, with the raw, gritty edge that characterized much of the story. Perfect for this experiment. I began editing it, changing the characters' names and tweaking some details to make it less recognizable.

Just need to think of a way to make the leak believable and easy to deny as well.