I've written elsewhere on the site about the woes facing my first novel Warp — my publisher (MP Publishing/Macadam Cage) isn't currently able to get it on bookstores in the States as the American distributor won't touch such a controversial, blasphemous book.
Now I'm trying to place my second novel Agency, which was intended to be mainstream commercial fiction, but hasn't turned out that way. I'm currently 20,000 words into it, and my editor has described the results as "darker than American Psycho". She thinks it's the most hilarious black comedy she's ever seen, but isn't going to buy it as once again the American distributor wouldn't go near a novel of that ilk.
Meanwhile, my beta readers' reactions have varied from fascination and delight to absolute revulsion; several have commented on the considerable use of bad language (205 uses of the f-word and 87 of the c-word so far), which I consider integral to the dialogue and narrative voice. I've also shown it to my contacts in two manuscript assessment agencies: one liked the novel but considered it unpublishable, while the other derided the opinion of the first and described it as a "clever, confident book" that merely needed to find the right outlet.
Here's my dilemma: I have no intention of finishing it while I'm not certain it will place with a publisher, as I could be spending my time on my non-fiction books instead. But at the same time, agents and publishers don't generally want to purchase a title on the basis of a query letter, synopsis and 20,000 words (that if they've got the stomach for the book in the first place).
So where do I go from here? Are there agents or publishers with particular interest in challenging writing who'd like to take a look?
Now I'm trying to place my second novel Agency, which was intended to be mainstream commercial fiction, but hasn't turned out that way. I'm currently 20,000 words into it, and my editor has described the results as "darker than American Psycho". She thinks it's the most hilarious black comedy she's ever seen, but isn't going to buy it as once again the American distributor wouldn't go near a novel of that ilk.
Meanwhile, my beta readers' reactions have varied from fascination and delight to absolute revulsion; several have commented on the considerable use of bad language (205 uses of the f-word and 87 of the c-word so far), which I consider integral to the dialogue and narrative voice. I've also shown it to my contacts in two manuscript assessment agencies: one liked the novel but considered it unpublishable, while the other derided the opinion of the first and described it as a "clever, confident book" that merely needed to find the right outlet.
Here's my dilemma: I have no intention of finishing it while I'm not certain it will place with a publisher, as I could be spending my time on my non-fiction books instead. But at the same time, agents and publishers don't generally want to purchase a title on the basis of a query letter, synopsis and 20,000 words (that if they've got the stomach for the book in the first place).
So where do I go from here? Are there agents or publishers with particular interest in challenging writing who'd like to take a look?