Who's right?
- Thread starter PennLady
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Firebrain
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Pennlady, it's quite normal for a manuscript to be rejected before someone's read the whole thing. It's nothing to do with impatience.
Sub elsewhere. And delete this thread, if you can, because on the off chance your publisher sees it, they probably won't take it well. Best to be safe and all that.
Sub elsewhere. And delete this thread, if you can, because on the off chance your publisher sees it, they probably won't take it well. Best to be safe and all that.
PennLady
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Well, in this case it did have something to do with impatience, as she told me so. She was impatient to get to the conflict; if she'd read probably another six pages, she'd have gotten there.
I can't delete this thread -- I mean, it's not something you can do, even if you've started one. I suppose I could ask that it be deleted but I'm not sure they do that. As for if my publisher finds it, well, they might. However, I also blogged about it, in a general way, not a critical way, so if that's there, this might as well be.
No one's attacked my publisher, they've just offered opinions and alternatives. Perhaps I shouldn't have identified them, but like I said, it seemed a little disingenuous -- any one can easily look me up and find out.
sr71plt
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But you didn't specify you were speaking for the UK only. PennLady is in the States, where experience and training are included in qualifications. Perhaps if you defined your terms from the get go . . .
PennLady
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In the time and effort you've spent with this thread, PL, I'll bet you could have found a publisher for the book.
Oh, possibly, but this is kinda fun and therapeutic at the same time.
I did look at the guidelines for Ellora's Cave publishing today and will have to look at others. That's a step. The submission process is intimidating -- I hate writing cover letters and writing the synopsis is daunting as well.
PennLady
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So I had an exchange with my editor yesterday and I think I found my dilemma, which I'm sure other writers have encountered.
It boils down to this: She is advising me to change and/or eliminate some of the very things that the readers have told me the love about the story.
Now, she also made some suggestions that are good, such as a different opening scene, and I do think that could work. However, one other suggestion was to cut out most if not all parts from the guy's POV. That'd kill half the book, or close to it. And I like having both POVs; I mean, he's a character too. He goes through some things.
I'm leaving it for now, as I just don't have time for it with other things going on. But how do you reconcile stuff like that? When you have polar opposite forces advising you?
It boils down to this: She is advising me to change and/or eliminate some of the very things that the readers have told me the love about the story.
Now, she also made some suggestions that are good, such as a different opening scene, and I do think that could work. However, one other suggestion was to cut out most if not all parts from the guy's POV. That'd kill half the book, or close to it. And I like having both POVs; I mean, he's a character too. He goes through some things.
I'm leaving it for now, as I just don't have time for it with other things going on. But how do you reconcile stuff like that? When you have polar opposite forces advising you?
PennLady
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And I will, after the holidays, I promise.
I just don't think I've run into this major difference before.
Firebrain
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It may be the thing that people love is not suitable for this particular publisher's market. They all have different house "rules."
If you're going to try elsewhere, be aware that if it's been on Lit, your market will be somewhat smaller. Samhain and Ellora's Cave will not look at previously "published" stuff unless you're already on their roster. Loose iD and Lyrical Press will, among others.
If you're going to try elsewhere, be aware that if it's been on Lit, your market will be somewhat smaller. Samhain and Ellora's Cave will not look at previously "published" stuff unless you're already on their roster. Loose iD and Lyrical Press will, among others.
PennLady
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This publisher doesn't have a particular market, aside from Erotica. This publisher has put up stories in genres ranging from BDSM to romance and supernatural. The type of story I wrote is well within what they've put out before. I've put up four nonhuman novels with him, as well as two hockey romances in a compilation, as I said.
I do appreciate the advice. I'm not sure how this story would "count" being it's been revised from the original posted form, but it's good to know. I'll keep it in mind while I look around.
Firebrain
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What I mean is that some houses have a formula of sorts e.g. Loose iD has sex happening within the first few chapters. It's not the genre etc; it's the structure of the story.
I would stop analysing this, though. Unless you've revised significantly, if the story is recognisable to those who read it online, it's "published."
PennLady
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You're right. There's no answer and I'll just think myself in circles.
I do find the broad issue of what a publisher wants vs. what readers say they want interesting, but of course there's no satisfying both. It kind of fits in to how I'm always amused at the things that are huge in pop culture (DWTS, Kardashians) and which I have never watched and never will.
And yes, I won't waste anyone's time sending this to a publisher who says they won't accept previously published work. I was just musing.
One last word on the publisher's requirements -- they don't have the type of stuff you mentioned. They've published books that are collections of sexual vignettes, and they've published mine, where you have to wait a while to get to the sex. So this is not the type of limitation they have, at least not yet. I do understand that you're giving me advice on general publishing stuff, and I do appreciate it, it's just that Republica Press does not have those limits.
