Dienstag, 3. März 2009

Well that was quick.
I sent it off on Thursday and received the rejection yesterday.
Can't fault 'em for the swift answer, just the content could have been a bit more positive.

Ah well, I wasn't sure it was the right sort of publication anyway. The name alone, (Extreme Horror Anthology) arose my doubts as to its suitability.

So why did you send it then? (I hear you ask.)
Well, it was the first one on the list that didn't have a ridiculous amount of formatting to do. I think it must be some kind of test of willingness with these publications. Everything has to be "just so". The spacing, the margins, the type set, the size, indent or not indent on a new paragraph, put three asterixes, (or should that be asterii in the plural?) after a change of scene, every tenth letter must be a capital, translate the whole story into Hindustani... the list is as varied as it's ridiculous, especially when you're sending a twenty thousand word novella.
Each publisher has their own "needs" and I've no idea why, it's not like their going to print it blind. Why can't they read it through, send it back and then say how they want it?

No way Reg, that's far too much like hard work. These guys work a twenty five hour day and have no time to do that if they want to read everything.
Are you kidding me? Half of the slush pile gets binned after the first paragraph.
Ok, (I hear you say again) that's a fair point, but it's you who wants them to print your work, not the other way around.
True, but it's not like they're paying me, is it? At most it's a cent a word, an American cent that is. Or a voucher at Amazon or an Oxfam christmas card, whatever. The market out there is geared to the muck-eater (the writer) being kept in his bottom-dwelling place. You only have to read the comments on some of the other blogs by agents or editors to know who's at the top of the superiority tree and who eats what in the big scheme of things. I don't blame them, I'm as arrogant as the next one if I'm feeling superior. The thing is, I haven't been feeling very superior since I started sending my work off, to be honest.

That's because it's crap, Reg.
Thanks for that.

Actually, I must add that some of the blogs I've read from people in "The Biz" are very good; the ones I follow are excellent.
However, there are those that smack of self-love so much, I feel like I'm intruding on a
solitary sexual act everytime I read their splurge. Ew...

Well, that's it for now.
Needless to say, I found a different publisher of short stories, formatted the text to their expectations and sent it off.
Now where's that muck, I'm starving.

Reg :-)

1 Kommentar:

Anonym hat gesagt…

Aw feeling better now?
It will happen for us my lovely.

In a fit of doldrums last week I phoned up the Author House and left message for contact.
They returned my call stating that they were self publishers.
I instantly said not interested. Their response..........."Oh are you a celebrity then"? I said something equally rude back and they suggested I should keep searching for my holy grail then; but when I get fed up they will be waiting to print my book for me as they are No. 1 in the world. Honest injun above dialogue word for word!!
I told them to email me their details etc. (So I could print it off and stamp all over it). They stated they would also send me a hard copy (which they did - their money after all). When I worked out everything I would need to spend with them it came out to approx. £8000 - yes £8000) BUT BUT BUT I can do it in instalments and when it's paid I can then have my book published. HAH. I let the cat lay on that copy.
Will look at Frank this weekend for sure as have been a bit busy this week.