How To Get Published

[ellynei]

ELLYNEI

Dont get your hopes too high. The woman who wrote BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN sez 20-something airheads do 100% of the book screening for major publishers and they wanna see evidence that your book is gonna appeal to all the important minorities, that is...every villain and half wit must be a WASP male, like in the Superman movies.

WASP male, is that a referral to physical appearance?

Tried to google it, but what I got was you know, actual wasps...

 

[freshface]

WASP male, is that a referral to physical appearance?

Tried to google it, but what I got was you know, actual wasps...

WASP stands for white Anglo-Saxon protestant. aka establishment types

 

[JackLuis]

WASP stands for white Anglo-Saxon protestant. aka establishment types

Careful now. With the last election the Establishment model has changed. Now to be politicaly correct we must included Barrack in the 'Establishment'.

That whole WASP concept is soooo "20th Century' now.

 

[off2bed]

Most authors don't get published because their work is crap.

 

[JackLuis]

ELLYNEI

Dont get your hopes too high. The woman who wrote BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN sez 20-something airheads do 100% of the book screening for major publishers and they wanna see evidence that your book is gonna appeal to all the important minorities, that is...every villain and half wit must be a WASP male, like in the Superman movies.

So let me get this straight, If I wrote a book about a woman who triumphes over the Washington Beltway Mafia She'd have to be half-Black/half Asian bi-sexual illeagle immigrante who wears big clunky boots and Black lipstick while driving a Yogo?

And all the Neo-Con villains would have to be White Eastern gaduates of Princeton or Yale who are lobbists for the Coal/Oil companies who want to surpress her hemp-oil alternitive fuel patents and direct our country into continuing the Oil/Cole dependency and side with the Teamsters Union while they do it?

And she'd have to have a sidekick who was a Purto Rican/Canadian who drove her Yugo?

THEN I could sell it?

Naaa It'd never work. Who's gonna believe anybody drives a Yugo?

 

[sr71plt]

Most authors don't get published because their work is crap.

Well, at least not high in the competition, in addition to not being exactly what acquisitions editors are looking for (it's a typical misconception that they are looking for the "next best thing"--most often they are looking for a catalog hole to fill) on the day they hit and the acquisitions editor reading the submissions letter isn't thinking about going for his/her next cup of coffee or worrying about what's for supper and who is going to fix it.

 

[manyeyedhydra]

Most authors don't get published because their work is crap.

Most authors get published despite their work being crap

 

[sr71plt]

Most authors get published despite their work being crap

Ummm. Most authors don't get published at all.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

JACKLUIS

I just report the news.

I was just reading the submission criteria for one of the horror magazines. Virtually every criterion eliminates one or more of the popular plots for horror fantasy, and the last one simply says dont submit horror fantasy...period. This is a weee bit restrictive me thinks! I wonder if the editors arent burned out.

I did catch Stephen King inserting a little bit of underage graphic homoerotica in IT. I wonder how he got away with it. But if he can do it, I can do it.

But I think London is right, if someone important likes your writing, your name sells the rest.

 

[ellynei]

There are editors here in Literotica who can review your stories and at least give you hints. IMHO, a good story is essential as the base for a published work. However, a good story can be obscured by bad writing. If you need to improve your writing, there are three steps you need to take, work, work work.

Didn't see your post first time round.


Well, am doing the "work, work, work" thing


I just don't think the "work, work, work" thing will ever give me a good feel for the "music of the language". With "work, work, work," I believe I can learn to write acceptably, technically tolerably even. But my usage of language, I don't think it will ever rise above mediocre.

Working hard to gain mediocre though

 

[ellynei]

WASP stands for white Anglo-Saxon protestant. aka establishment types

Thanks for the WASP explanation.

Well, if the WASP thing truly applies, my story is doomed. There isn't a single WASP in it

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

ELLYNEI

In that case your villain must be the victim of WASP abuse during childhood.

 

[manyeyedhydra]

Ummm. Most authors don't get published at all.

Sheesh. Picky editors.

Of the infinitesimal number of authors that manage to get published, many do so despite being, in this humble person's opinion, quite rubbish.

 

[ellynei]

ELLYNEI

In that case your villain must be the victim of WASP abuse during childhood.

Ah, negatory, not possible. You see, its a sci fi, WASPs are kinda extinct some thousands of year before the characters are born...

 

[freshface]

Ah, negatory, not possible. You see, its a sci fi, WASPs are kinda extinct some thousands of year before the characters are born...

WASPs themselves might be gone, but the Establishment attitude is eternal.

 

[ellynei]

WASPs themselves might be gone, but the Establishment attitude is eternal.

Well, there are politics and politicians!

 

[JackLuis]

Well, there are politics and politicians!

Both are eternal.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

ELLYNEI

Then youre book is doomed.

 

[JackLuis]

ELLYNEI

Then youre book is doomed.

Spreading Cheer again aren't youu Jimmy?

You have to be careful with that optimistic attitude.

Don't listen to him Ellyni You book as just as much chance of being published as anyone. You just have to submitt it about 110 times and colect the rejection slips until the scales tip in your favor.

So finishe up the Story, strap on the Kneepads and get out and Sell Sell Sell.

 

[TxRad]

Ummm. Most authors don't get published at all.

But sometimes you get lucky.

Someone reads a short piece of non-erotica on an erotic site. Then they send it to a friend, who in turn sends it to a friend. The next thing you know, you get an e-mail asking if there is more. There is, so a meeting is set up and the rest as they say is history.

 

[sr71plt]

But sometimes you get lucky.

Someone reads a short piece of non-erotica on an erotic site. Then they send it to a friend, who in turn sends it to a friend. The next thing you know, you get an e-mail asking if there is more. There is, so a meeting is set up and the rest as they say is history.

Absolutely. That's why it's good to just keep plugging away at inserting your work anywhere you can.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

JACKLUIS

After reading your advice, I suspect she may have hanged herself already. You have a lot of experience with kneepads? Ever consider being a motivational speaker?

Truth be told, 99% of writers have no story worth writing or reading.