When Publishers
Aren’t the Enemy
By Wendy Dager
It happened again. I got another rejection letter. This time, it accompanied the book proposal I’d painstakingly put together to promote a compilation of my previously published opinion columns.
It’s not the rejection itself that troubled me—I’ve accepted them; come to terms with their existence. I understand that rejection letters aren’t necessarily a commentary of my work, but a way of letting me know that my writing doesn’t fit the bill for a publisher.
OK. No problem.
What annoyed me about this particular rejection letter was that my last name was misspelled—changed entirely, actually. Twice.
It was more than a mild blow to my inflated ego. To me, it implied a lack of respect. And it happens all the time.
Why is it we writers have to make sure our submissions are in good order, but editors and publishers can misspell our names or scrawl illegible notes or, worse, return our work without even a form letter rejection?
John Daniel of Santa Barbara-based Daniel and Daniel Publishing was glad to give me his take on the subject.
“I’m a writer as well as a publisher, so I see both sides of this,” he said. “I find it varies—some publishers are very courteous and neat, and their responses are intelligent and make sense. Others sometimes just scribble a note on the bottom of your cover letter. I think it has a lot to do with their workload. There are so many people knocking on their door, they sometimes feel as long as they’re getting back to you, they don’t need to take the time to be meticulous.”
But it isn’t just publishers who are in a rush. Often, it’s the writers who aren’t taking enough time to present themselves at their best.
“Being neat and tidy and having your spelling and grammar correct—that’s just good insurance,” said Daniel. “You don’t know who’s on the other side of the desk. You might be dealing with a schoolmarm or you might be dealing with a stoned beatnik.”
No matter who sits in the editor’s chair, writers should always try to make a good impression.
According to Daniel, his publishing house receives thousands of submissions a year. Queries come from new authors, prison inmates, teenage poets, and seasoned writers. There are those in every one of these groups—including the professionals—who make glaring submission errors.
“At least 30 to 40 percent put an ‘s’ on the end of my name,” he said. “They’ll send it to ‘John Daniel and Company, Daniel and Daniel Publishers,’ then my address, and then say: ‘Dear Mr. Daniels.’”
Still, he’s quick to point out that we all makes mistakes, including the editor who inadvertently gave me a new last name. The best thing writers can do, says Daniel, is develop a thick skin.
Don’t worry so much about rejection, but find a way to better your work, or find a publisher more suited to your writing.
Of equal importance is that writers should understand it’s not a matter of us versus them.
“Don’t perpetuate the notion that it’s the writers against the publishers or the publishers against the writers,” said Daniel. “Really, we’re all on the same team, trying to put literature into the world.”
—For submission information, visit Daniel and Daniel Publishing on the Web at www.danielpublishing.com.
—Wendy Dager is a freelance writer and senior editor of SPAWNews. Her email address is Wendy@Spawn.org.
Fighting For Our Rights
When this edition of SPAWNews went to press, Jonathan Tasini of the National Writers’ Union and five other freelancers were headed to the Supreme Court to battle for ownership of their work.
Tasini has sued publishing giants The New York Times Company and Time Inc., because they and others are re-selling articles online—and not sharing the income with writers.
The publishing companies contend that after they pay a freelance writer for first-time rights, the work remains part of their archives, including the articles publishers might sell to electronic database owners.
The case goes to the Supreme Court on March 28. In Tasini’s corner are the U.S. Register of Copyrights, the American Library Association, the Association of Research Libraries—and a lot of freelance writers.
We’ll let you know the outcome in a future issue of SPAWNews.
By Patricia L. Fry
By Mary Embree
by Virginia Lawrence, Ph.D.
Contests and Events
Writer’s Digest announces its 70th annual Writing Competition, where writers can compete and win in ten categories, including ins
Inspirational, article, short story, poetry and more. There are more than $25,000 in prizes, with a grand prize of $1,500 in cash, plus a trip to New York to meet with editors and agents OR a trip to the 2002 Maui Writers Conference. Entry deadline is May 15. For more information, pick up a copy of Writer’s Digest magazine, or check out www.writersdigest.com.
Want to sell your book? The Central Coast Book & Author Festival takes place on Saturday, June 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Mission Plaza in San Luis Obispo. If there is enough interest, SPAWN will reserve a booth at the event for members who wish to display their books. Please contact Mary Embree at Mary@Spawn.org for details.
SPAWN is a nonprofit corporation. Donations are tax deductible.
Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network
P.O. Box 2653
Ventura, CA 93002-2653
Website: http://www.spawn.org
Telephone & Fax: 805-646-3045
Wendy Dager
Senior Editor, SPAWNews
e-mail: Wendy@spawn.org
Hal Ranzenhofer
Managing Editor, SPAWNews
Telephone: 805/984-3216
e-mail: hal@spawn.org
Virginia Lawrence
SPAWN Webmaster
e-mail: virginia@spawn.org
Patricia Fry
Acting President
e-mail: pat@spawn.org
Ruth Hibbard
Treasurer
e-mail: ruth@spawn.org
Advisory Council
Patricia Fry
Author, Publisher
Carol Doering
Dallas Glenn
Rosalie Heacock
Literary Agent
Andora Hodgin
Writer, Editor, Publicist
Irwin Zucker
Book Publicist
Jim Lane
Author
Marcia Grad-Powers
Publisher
Melvin Powers
Publisher
Dan Poynter
Author, Publisher
Jean Wade
Author
Board of Directors
Mary Embree
Author, Editor, Literary Consultant
Founder and President of SPAWN
Patricia Fry
Vice President
Virginia Lawrence, PhD
Writer, Editor, Webmaster
Secretary of SPAWN
Ruth Hibbard
Treasurer
Frances Halpern
Author, Columnist, Talk-show Host
Marsha Karpeles
Executive Director, Manuscript Libraries
Richard F.X. O'Connor
Author, Publisher, Editor, Consultant
MISSION STATEMENT
To promote the literary arts and provide education, information, resources and a supportive networking environment for artists, writers, and other creative people interested in the publishing process.
Submission Guidelines
Members and Nonmembers: Please send your press releases, seminar information, and books for review to Wendy Dager, Senior Editor, SPAWNews, 3039 Country Lane, Simi Valley, CA 93063 or email Wendy@spawn.org.
SPAWN membership dues are $45 per year; spouses, half-price.
Subscriptions to SPAWNews are $15 per year for nonmembers. Make your check payable to SPAWN and mail to P.O. Box 2653, Ventura, CA 93002-2653.
SPAWNews, Member Directory and Web site listings, and discounts for SPAWN events are included in membership.
SPAWN is a nonprofit corporation. Donations are tax deductible.
Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network
P. O. Box 2653
Ventura, CA 93002-2653 |
