BAD TIMING: my story's "Suicide-by-cop" theme

small axe · Apr 20, 2007

Okay, I was about to submit my Science Fiction short story to a national publication (totally on spec / slush pile basis) ...

It starts off, we're told it's going to be a "suicide-by-cop" plot, crazy old guy's gone into a police station to goad them into shooting him dead.

That never happens, it has a happy ending, there's no violence at all. But for seven pages, you think it'll end bloody and tragic ...

(I hadn't planned to comment on the story content at all, before, just do a "Here's my story, thanks for your consideration, etc")

My question NOW is:

Given the recent VT massacre, what would you do in your COVER LETTER?

Knowing the story (if it sells) won't appear for months ...

Do you:

1) Say nothing in cover letter -- and risk the editor thinking bad feelings, until half-way through the story we realize things will be non-violent?

2) Mention the bad timing of the "suicide-by-cop" set up in the cover letter, but tell the editor there's no violence (ruins suspense of story)?

One friend says "Wait a month or two before submitting it, let it all the TV coverage cool down."

Another says "No, submit it now and they'll understand you wrote it before, it's just lousy timing ... in a month or two, they'll have gotten a dozen stories about psycho shootings! Be the first, even if you explain or don't explain in the cover letter."

How would you AW writers handle the cover letter?
Can anyone suggest a smoother way to deal with this lousy timing?

Thanks in advance! This is a bad dilemma.

Novelust · Apr 20, 2007

From your post above, it sounds like your story doesn't even have a school parallel.

I'd say don't let current events have too much influence on your query. I don't know where you're submitting, but chances are they won't even read your story for a while (if we're talking about slush). Either way, I wouldn't start out apologizing for the content.

Birol · Apr 20, 2007

If the incident has no selling potential, there's no need to tie it to recent news events, but this brings up an interesting question. What do you do when real life suddenly, and unexpectedly, overshadows your fictional work?

Popeyesays · Apr 20, 2007

There will probably be a dozen books out this year on the VT campus massacre. None of those authors are going to feel bad about the timing. Why should you feel bad about a story with very few parallels?

Regards,
Scott

Jamesaritchie · Apr 20, 2007

VT

You shouldn't allow anything to intimidate what you write. What, you think violence in stories, or in real life, is going to stop because of VT? Write what you feel, and do not apologize or explain.

victoriastrauss · Apr 20, 2007

Birol said:
If the incident has no selling potential, there's no need to tie it to recent news events, but this brings up an interesting question. What do you do when real life suddenly, and unexpectedly, overshadows your fictional work?

Submit anyway, and let the market draw its own conclusions. With the lengthy lead-times in publishing--and that goes for much magazine and journal publishing as well--the odds are that by the time the piece comes out, public attention will have moved on to something else.

If you're submitting a story for publication, you often don't even need a cover letter unless you have publication credits to list. Check the publication's guidelines. If you do write a cover letter, it should be short and sweet--you're submitting the story, here are your publication credits (if you have them), you've enclosed a SASE. No need to comment on or describe the story--it's not like a query letter for a novel.

- Victoria

Birol · Apr 20, 2007

victoriastrauss said:
No need to comment on or describe the story--it's not like a query letter for a novel.

- Victoria

Oops. I missed that this was for a short story. I thought we were talking about a novel.

jclarkdawe · Apr 20, 2007

Jodi Picoult has a book on the New York Times bestseller list (Nineteen Minutes) that is about a school shooting. It's been out since the beginning of March. I haven't heard anyone connecting Virginia and her book.

I wouldn't worry about it myself.

Jim Clark-Dawe

Pisarz · Apr 20, 2007

I'm in this EXACT position right now regarding submission of my novel, which opens with a shooting massacre in a community institution (not a school) and deals with the trauma of the sole survivor. I have several agents reading partials or fulls right now and I'm stressed about what to do or expect (from the agents reading and future queries) regarding my novel.

piscesgirl80 · Apr 20, 2007

My own humble opinions, as someone who has very close ties to Blacksburg and VT:

To small axe, the original poster: Unless I missed something in your post, from the information you've given us, it doesn't seem like your story has any parallels to Monday's events, (unless possibly mental illness?) so I don't think you need to change your cover letter from what you were going to do.

To Pisarz: Unfortunately, the incident wasn't the first mass shooting, and I'm sure won't be the last. I suspect Monday's events probably won't have too much impact on how your book is received. The news cycle moves quickly, and in a few weeks, I'm sure it will be out of the news completely.

Good luck.

small axe · Apr 20, 2007

Pisarz said:
I'm in this EXACT position right now regarding submission of my novel, which opens with a shooting massacre in a community institution (not a school) and deals with the trauma of the sole survivor. I have several agents reading partials or fulls right now and I'm stressed about what to do or expect (from the agents reading and future queries) regarding my novel.

That was my main worry too, how will the "psycho shooter" aspects hit the magazine editor right now (or in a week or two) ???

Will he think negative thoughts about the story ... assuming I was jumping on the "milk the tragedy" bandwagon, or just have his own "aw jeez, I'm just tired of hearing about this sh*t" reaction ???

But you've all put my mind at ease: just do it, as if reality hadn't intruded. Maybe the fact that mine ends happily will even be a plus?

But ... I wish it weren't even an issue. Feel petty even saying that, feeling for the people whose real lives were so ruined by the massacre ... That my worry is nothing but for my little story ... sad. Somewhere, parents are weeping for lost children, and others for slain friends and lovers. All I have is a story issue ... big deal.

Thanks for the comments and advice.

Pisarz · Apr 20, 2007

small axe said:
But ... I wish it weren't even an issue. Feel petty even saying that, feeling for the people whose real lives were so ruined by the massacre ... That my worry is nothing but for my little story ... sad. Somewhere, parents are weeping for lost children, and others for slain friends and lovers. All I have is a story issue ... big deal.

That's precisely how I feel.

And here's another answer to our question: To my great surprise--given the events of the week--I got a request for material several hours ago.

To Piscesgirl--May you and all those touched by these events find solace in time.

Judg · Apr 20, 2007

Congratulations, Pisarz.

BAD TIMING: my story's "Suicide-by-cop" theme

small axe

memento mori

Novelust

*Does not molest books.

Birol

Around and About

Popeyesays

Now departed. Rest in peace, Scott, from all of us

Jamesaritchie

victoriastrauss

Writer Beware Goddess

Birol

Around and About

jclarkdawe

Feeling lucky, Query?

Pisarz

piscesgirl80

Friendly Neighborhood Fish

small axe

memento mori

Pisarz

Judg

DISENCHANTED coming soon