Three Writers Write to Book Biz Santa

A Writer Writes:
Dear Book Biz Santa:

You don't need to bring me anything this year--2005 has been good to me (thank you for that.) This year, I am writing on behalf of some of my friends and students and any other excellent writers out there who are beginning to lose faith. I think many of them don't believe in you any more. Rejection after rejection can be a bitter pill to swallow. I know. I've been there. What I'm asking this year is that you give the gift of hope to those who are so deserving of it. A byline in a literary journal here. A bite from an agent there. An offer from a publisher for those wonderful books that haven't found homes yet. Even a detailed and encouraging rejection letter. Validation ultimately needs to come from within, of course, but external validation can go a long way. I know many fine, fine writers who are ready to throw in the towel. Please give them the strength to keep going, to keep believing in their work. A new idea to send them back to the page with refreshed enthusiasm. A particularly juicy span of writing. An issue or cause that inspires them to use their voice for the greater good. Any of these things would help spark hope. As Emily Dickinson wrote, hope is the thing with feathers. And what is writing, what is publishing, if not a chance for flight?

Thank you, Book Biz Santa!

With love and gratitude,
Gayle

Gayle Brandeis is the author of Fruitflesh: Seeds of Inspiration for Women Who Write (HarperSanFrancisco) and The Book of Dead Birds: A Novel (HarperCollins), which won Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether Prize for Fiction in Support of a Literature of Social Change. Her novel Self Storage will be published by Ballantine in 2007.

Another Writer Writes:
Dear Book Biz Santa,

I know there are very important things going on in your world--life and death things that are much larger than whether I ever publish another book. But Santa, I would be oh so grateful if you might look favoarably on those of us who have fallen from publishers' grace. You know who we are--those designated as the dreaded and blackballed "mid-list" authors of commercial fiction and non-fiction whose sales numbers haven't measured up to the advances we've been paid.

We're the ones who've reached middle age with three, four or more books under our publishing belts and are now being cast aside. Some of us in the fiction world are changing our names, trying te reinvent ourselves as fresh authors. Others writing non-fiction, like me, must appeal to our credentials, expertise, and platform and can't change our identity. Publisher's P and L statements become our enemy, forecasting rejection rather than acceptance of a new proposal or manuscript.

Santa, despite your workolohic schedule, I'm sure you took a break to read my tale of woe, "They're Just Not That Into Me" back in May on Mad Max's BookAngst blog. If you remember, he graciously allowed me a great deal of space for my essay on what a drag it was not to be able to sell my latest proposal. In excrusciating detail, I spelled out how my age and past sales history had marginalized me from earning a new book contract, despite having one of the venerable legendary agents in business do my bidding. Elegance and execution of concept were minimized--all they cared about was sales history.

For me, it's the non-fiction world of self-help. I've spent my entire professional career helping individuals, couples, and families. I've got 30 years of clinical experience, Santa, and know how to translate that experience into very readable prose. And since you are omniscient, I don't have to remind you of the hundreds of articles, workshops, reviews, and columns that make up my resume. You know my qualifications, Santa. But here I am at the prime of life, wondering if this sparkling resume and solid platform will count for anything when I'm looking for that next book deal.

All I'm asking Santa, is for publishers and editors not to push me and those in my predicament aside--to give us a chance to share our life-time of knowledge and experience with our readers. And, if it's not asking too much, perhaps you could get me a TV show, like Dr. Phil has, so I would never again need to worry about whether a proposal of mine will be accepted. You know I could do as well as he does--and, unlike him, I wouldn't even need to rely on that down-home folksy thing.

Yes, in a bottom-line driven world, I know it may sound like I'm asking for magic. But then, you've always been the go-to guy when it comes to making author's book dreams come true.

Thanks for remembering us, Santa

Existential Man

And One More Writer Writes

Dear Santa,

What I'd like from Santa is a change in the bookstore business so that my novels, published by a legitimate indie publisher and printed through POD, could be featured everywhere easily.

I'd also like to have people's attitudes change about POD, equating it to self-publishing and/or sub-standard publishing.

I've been a relatively good girl.

Thanks,

M. D. Benoit

Comments

[Peter L. Winkler]

Dear Santa:

Next Christmas, please spare me these "Dear Santa" letters from writers whining aout their misfortunes or whatever but making sure to include their author's biography in their letter so as to promote themselves.

[Lisa Coutant]

I'd like to get in on the first one please.

Thank you,
Lisa

[David Ward]

A year ago, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution stated in print that it gives all POD books the same consideration: it's biased against all of them and won't mention any of them in print, much less review them. This, of course, leads local bookstores to shun POD books because nobody's ever heard of them. I share M.D.'s hopes that there will be an attitude change about this.

--David

P.S. I'm using a pen name here and leaving out my web site so that if any semblance of whining is detected in my comment, nobody can say I'm plugging my book.