Me: Ok, folks out there in Blog O Land, say hello to Rejection Number Two (wild applause from the studio audience).
Rejection Number Two comes to us today from That impish Penguin Imprint, Berkley! (another round of studio applause)
So, R#2, tell us about yourself.
R#2: Well, I'm an email rejection (wild applause), and I'm short but to the point (yup...wild applause). My basic message is this: Too Controversial
Me: Too controversial?
R#2: That's right, David.
Me: Ok, but not "The writing is terrible" or "The plot stinks," or "Your author needs to stick his head in a Glad bag and inhale deeply for several minutes," nothing like that?
R#2: No, no. Nothing like that. Too controversial. That's all.
Me: And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen! (more wild applause) Controversial does not always equal dollar signs. Let's have a nice round of applause for our guest, Rejection Number Two! (more...ahh...you get the idea)
R#2: Thank You, thank you. I love you all.
:)
Seriously, it's a bummer to get another rejection (Two publishers so far...both of which require an agent [hehe...I have an agent - I never get tired of saying that] to submit). But you know (or yanno, for the Snark O Philes out there), if I'm going to get rejected, this is one I can handle. I can deal with "controversial" as a reason for rejection because honestly, to me a little controversy is a good thing. Stir the pot. Make some noise. Stories don't always have to be "safe" to be good. To my mind, there is definitely a place, nay, a need, for "dark" fiction. Stories that go where people don't normally look. Ugly little misshapen pieces of fictitious...uh...fiction. Yeah. I like those types of stories (which is probably why I wrote one). I like them, I say. Bring them on. Bring them...OW! Damn!
Oops. I got too excited and fell off my soap box. I think I broke my pinkie toe. Sorry for the rant, y'all. Got a little carried away. In all honesty I knew, the moment the idea struck me, that it would probably be called "controversial" at some point. I wrote it anyway. Faint heart ne'er won a fair publisher's...er...um... A Fair lady ne'er a heart won...Crud! How's that one go? Nevermind. The point is I knew this was coming sooner or later. The first rejection I received (for those who read that post, both of ya) was similar. They didn't actually use the word "controversial," but it was clear the editor thought so.
But the good news, in both cases, is that was the only reason for the rejection. No harping about the writing, no one said the plot was lame, and none of them thought the idea derivative, wish-fulfillment, or otherwise unoriginal.
Just "Controversial."
I can live with that.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
15 comments:
What exactly is controversial about your book? That's the one thing that's missing from your story.
I had an article rejected for the same reason, in an automobile service industry magazine (ASA Shop.)
Anyway, good luck . . I agree that controversial is a lot better than the alternatives.
John -
I know. I kinda left that out on purpose. I'm not entirely sure how some folks will take it and I'm not really looking to alienate any of y'all who might be reading the blog.
*sigh*
Ah, well...gotta come out sooner or later.
The book is about vampires in biblical Jerusalem. When one of them betrays his people to follow Jesus of Nazareth, the other vamps send an assassin (another vampire) to kill them both.
Obviously, the vampire can't harm Jesus, so he works out a plan using a Roman Centurion to achieve the desired result. The Centurion in turn finds willing aid in the Sanhedrin, and of course everyone knows what happens after that.
There's more (lots) but I think I've dug a deep enough hole already.
OK, how many of y'all will come back now?
I'm here! :) Sounds like an interesting book. Bummer about the rejection, but hang in there. I hope it sells soon.
Thanks, Thomma Lyn. :)
I think the plot sounds way cool. Of course I do not mind religious controversy. I think that is how we examine our own beliefs.
But publishers sometimes have to guess what will rile the public (shades of "If I Did It")
Thanks for commenting on my blog!
Good call, Pat. Never thought of it that way (If I Did It). Thanks for stopping by. :)
Man I love the sound of your plot! You'll get a deal, I have no doubt.
Besides I mean, dude, being rejected because your book is controversial is more like a badge of honour! Wear it proudly!
I agree, David. You haven't aliented me. It sounds like a great story and I'd love to read it.
Thanks, guys. :)
I don't mind the rejection, really. Except in the sense that it's another pub down. I'm still optimistic my li'l book will find a home.
I don't see why that would be rejeced as controversial. Is it the weaving of vampires into regular religion?
I'm surprised
John,
I think so. The other editor said it was "weird" to see a story like that during Easter (my agent submitted it during Holy Week).
I think the issue some are having is with the actual intent of the vampires to kill Jesus, rather than their insertion into a biblical setting. In fact, the Berkley editor actually said "... but I'm really not sure about the killing Jesus angle."
Repeat after me, David, "controversial is good, controversial is good".
This story will sell. It just need to find the right publisher.
And let's hear another round of applause for Rejection Number Two. What a gutsy little guy he is.
David, if this is an editor in a major house I'd give weight to his opinion.
Could the vampires plot against someone else? Does it have to be Jesus?
The thing is . . . it doesn't trouble me. But if troubles others, it may make your book subject to criticism and ridicule. And that could halt a budding career.
John,
I can’t argue with you there. In fact I have a tremendous amount of respect for the editor’s opinion. I don’t fault them for it. They will publish what they will publish, and my book does not fall into that group. I can live with that. Really.
For reasons I can’t explain without sounding (to me, at least) argumentative, I can’t see changing Jesus to someone else. There are plenty of things about the book I could change, but not that.
well, controversial can mean so many things!
Mystery writer Marcia Talley had a friend who got 140 rejections before anything of hers was every picked up.
So yeah, controversial isn't bad. "The killing Jesus" angle is a funny statement to make --almost like something you'd hear in Hollywood.
Post a Comment