Writer's Catch-22

maestrowork said:

There's nothing new here.

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Yes, it's the traditional combination of golden word syndrome and delusional paranoid psychosis.

"It's not me; it's them, I tell ya. THEM!"

Well this has been an interesting thread. Now while I'm the first one to say that my tastes are sometimes out of fashion, and occassionally I wish publishers wouldn't worry about trends and publish something they wouldn't normally, because bugger the subject/ theme / lack of HEA / the fact it hasn't got bloody vampires in it, it is good.

But wait, now let me get this straight:

If I write a book that people want to read, that gets published because the publishing industry thinks it will sell, then it must be garbage.

BUT, if I write a book that no one wants to read, then it is worthy, and the publishing industry is a conspiracy against worth.

Plus, if I write something worthy but then accept money for it, then it is no longer worthy, but crap. ( I'm not sure how money changing hands changes the quality of written words, but hey)



That's bollocks.

Or did I miss something?

This rant is because you never get past the query stage? Get off your arse and sweat blood to craft a decent query letter like the rest of us. Writing a query is a different art to writing a novel, BUT it is there to show how well you can write -- which is why a lot don't get past that stage

Or would writing a good query be betraying your art?

Isn't it great that our failures are never our fault? There is always someone else to blame to make ourselves feel better.

Carry on.

Agents are supposed to help publishers by weeding out the books people don't want to read. And most people make a decision very quickly when it comes to books. Usualy by the end of the first page, most folks will know if they want to take the book home or not.

I tried reading it, but my eyes glazed over by the bottom of the first page...

Now maybe other readers like info dumps, but I know I don't. And neither does my hubby. But maybe I'm just not the audience for the book-- I'm only a reader who consumes a variety of everything as well as an English teacher. But maybe we're just not the audience for the book.

It could very well be the book really is worthy of publication, but the author stops submitting and says, "To Hell with it" after the 16th rejections. Maybe it just hasn't found its audience yet. Maybe. Who knows? Maybe.

maestrowork said:

I still don't get the "catch-22" reference. I must be really stupid. Someone clue me in, please.

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He was just trying to get all the bingo rants onto one card.

If only there were a place where writing could be published almost free of charge, to be accessible to millions of potential readers who could then judge its worth. If only there were some sort of -- computer network, maybe -- something that allowed people to communicate through writing without going through the publishing industry -- but that's crazy talk! No such thing exists.

*runs through thread with pants on head*

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

MacAllister said:

I'm giving Keith a week off from posting. Hopefully he will go and read the newbie guide, and come back able to participate in a discussion without hurling thinly-veiled insults and waving the snotty attitude about like a bloody flag.

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Yet another reason why we all love She Who Must Be Obeyed.

Queen of Swords said:

If God submitted a query letter for the Holy Bible, I'll bet even that would be rejected.

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God's Query:

Dear (editor's name -- but, of course, I know that):

I offer for your consideration in literary representation the Book.
It is the truth, as represented by the following synopsis/summary.

The world is created. Animals and plants are created. Humans are created. Only they don't work all that well, so I have to fix them. Of the first ones, a brother kills another over gardening vs. ranching. Then I flood the whole place, on account of evildoing, to teach them all a lesson. I choose one group of people as the best, then subject them to all kinds of tribulation, have them forced into slavery, only to escape when I give one the power to part the sea. After that, I give him laws, in the form of stone tablets, to pass on to everyone. But none of it works, so ultimately I have to give them my very own son, as a sacrifice.

Then, if they don't believe, I sentence them all to eternal fire and torment.

The work is complete, and available in electronic form. No SASE is enclosed, as, should you decline to accept, you also will be sentenced to eternal fire and torment. I am available through prayer.

Thank you for your consideration.

God.


caw

blacbird that was damn near perfect, but you forgot to mention all those begotten...that might push it into romance. Unless of course we note those who were fed the fish, which would in turn put it into fantasy... Oh darn, what about the guy who turned on the mc? That could put us into murder mystery.
I firmly believe genre has pigeonholed some of us into a quandary. Where exactly does it fit, and which editor wants it on what particular day?
RA
(absolutely no insult intended to any groups or factions of any kind, anywhere, real or hypothetical of course)

Rena Andra said:

blacbird that was damn near perfect, but you forgot to mention all those begotten...that might push it into romance.

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If the Song of Solomon doesn't do so first.

Great job, blacbird!

The bazillions of copies of book X sold by megabestseller Author Y, who may or may not write all that well, are what keep publishing SOLVENT, which in turn makes room for new writers and/or authors of "little" books or literary or poems or history, things with much smaller audiences, and pays for all that paper, ink, staff, press runs, binding, shipping, promotion, time and energy.

The celebrity books, the Grishams, Steeles, Cartlands, Collinses and Browns, keep this business alive for the rest of us. I know I've read obscure (and excellent) literary writers who would never have gotten a press run had the industry not been in good financial shape. Those aspects denigrated by the original poster benefit us as readers and as writers - they allow book publishing to continue to thrive.

blacbird said:

The world is created. Animals and plants are created. Humans are created. Only they don't work all that well, so I have to fix them. Of the first ones, a brother kills another over gardening vs. ranching. Then I flood the whole place, on account of evildoing, to teach them all a lesson. I choose one group of people as the best, then subject them to all kinds of tribulation, have them forced into slavery, only to escape when I give one the power to part the sea. After that, I give him laws, in the form of stone tablets, to pass on to everyone. But none of it works, so ultimately I have to give them my very own son, as a sacrifice.

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YOU. STOLE. MY. IDEA.

Go to hell.