tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33218373.post516615220426071699..comments2023-09-01T09:05:27.990-05:00Comments on The Moon Topples: Old news for newer writersThe Moon Toppleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12717446064777879248noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33218373.post-92000675800683774252007-01-18T07:11:00.000-06:002007-01-18T07:11:00.000-06:00Hey Moon, I wish you all the best when it comes ti...Hey Moon, I wish you all the best when it comes time to submit your MS. After my own travails, I have no advice: I believe talent is not always enough, luck is certainly a factor, and whatever is fashionable at the moment. At the end of the day, agents and publishers are as flawed and fickle as the writing process itself, that is the only truth I have come to. Hope that makes sense!nmjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05477643084619789093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33218373.post-42544162693590073072007-01-17T19:01:00.000-06:002007-01-17T19:01:00.000-06:00Susan: I'm not allowed, apparently, to seek public...Susan: I'm not allowed, apparently, to seek publication i the UK, since I'm American and they worry about all the idiomatic differences, but your comments I suspect are more or less universally true. And yes, the tides change and suddenly something that the same reader would have rejected becomes something to be excited about.<br /><br />CC: I'm hoping to avoid self-publishing, but I certainly haven't ruled it out.<br /><br />Basest: I haven't heard much about this trend, but am a little intrigued by the idea. I'm gonna look into this a bit more, I think...<br /><br />HWDNS: Mr. T? Yet another accidental pseudonym, I guess. I wouldn't say it has "very little" to do with talent and craft and such. I would say that these aren't the only criteria by which something is judged, though.<br /><br />Liz: I agree. But I guess they have to try to find the things people might read. So maybe this post is actually about the audience for books (or the perceptions of the audience) as much as it is about the agents and publishers.<br /><br />Kosinski himself addressed this point, citing that it was ten years since <i>Steps</i> had first been published, and that nobody is who they were ten years ago.The Moon Toppleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12717446064777879248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33218373.post-57208009282429627622007-01-17T16:24:00.000-06:002007-01-17T16:24:00.000-06:00I do think it's 50% skill and 50% networking...it'...I do think it's 50% skill and 50% networking...it's how folks get ahead in any profession, although I do wish it were all skill based.Liz Dwyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17794296990587989214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33218373.post-39835938825973095022007-01-17T08:24:00.000-06:002007-01-17T08:24:00.000-06:00Another trend that has led to a certain amount of ...Another trend that has led to a certain amount of success that i've noticed is authors getting their books out there as free podcast audio novels. This seems to help them build an audience so that when they self-publish or go to submit to publishers, they have some momentum behind them. It seems to be pretty popular with genre (e.g., horror, SF) writers, anyway. <br /><br />Could be fun, anyhow...playing around with "acting" again...c'mon...you know you want to....basesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848568472795938206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33218373.post-90564932408751913442007-01-17T03:59:00.000-06:002007-01-17T03:59:00.000-06:00Hi Moon,
Enjoyed this post that stirred up though...Hi Moon,<br /><br />Enjoyed this post that stirred up thoughts.<br /><br />Basically, on submission, my philosophy is to just expect rejections but to perservere. But you're right. It's the <em>devil of a time...</em> I've heard from author friends that though a lot of manuscripts reach the slush pile, many are not even suitable, so there you are, you just never know.<br /><br />I'm submitting my work to Britain. The idea there where mainstream publishing is concerned as I understand it to be, is to go through the agents now. So the slush pile is rightfully on a literary agent's desk if you attempt the UK.<br /><br />Also they did try it in London about established authors resending their manuscripts on to literary agents, but being rejected; being told that as you said..<em>unsolicited manuscripts are not being read</em> or that the work isn't suitable.<br /><br />But I do wonder about this. At the end of the day, literary agents are still business people, and plots, styles, the use of language or even an audience's needs...all these do change with the times. What worked yesterday may not work today, that kind of thing.<br />cheersSuzan Abrams, email: suzanabrams@live.co.ukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08818807164881810296noreply@blogger.com