Never-ending insanity from this presidential-administration has me sickened and frustrated, especially with the absolute lack of integrity shown by those in the legal and media professions (of which I’ve both been a more ethical member, not that it’s hard) as they continue to flagrantly enable every constitutional and ethical outrage.
An atrocious ongoing reality that I’ve covered as fiction in my Other Worldly series since Alienable Rights was published in early 2020, but I actually began writing that first novel in late 2017. Hence, much of what is happening feels like a sordid and horrifically enhanced twist of the movie Groundhog Day. On steroids.
The repeated and heightened heinous happenings also have me revisiting the very reason I chose to self-publish Alienable Rights, along with six books that have since followed. This as opposed to wasting any more time and emotional energy attempting to obtain a literary agent, as is uniformly required of authors by the autocratic US traditional publishing industry.
Timeliness in getting published was somewhat critical given the sociopolitical focus of my novels. And now, Alienable Rights hasn’t been rendered politically obsolete because unfortunately my nation somehow—despite the insurrection of Jan 6—installed a monster and his manipulative minions back in the White House.
I therefore decided to tackle a revised, updated version of Alienable Rights. And dared to hope that there might be a new publishing option for it. Yet here I am again, this time frustrated over a lack of timeliness or even a modicum of courteous communication from a traditional publisher.
You may recall summertime posts about how thrilled I was to find One More Chapter, an arm of powerhouse publisher Harper Collins in the UK, because it actively seeks authors without literary agents. Thereby ostensibly cutting out a huge chunk of time, not to mention removing a demoralizing and highly subjective obstacle in getting books out to the reading public. Except apparently it doesn’t.
It has now been two months since I submitted a revised Alienable Rights to One More Chapter, with nary a word. Perhaps my first clue should have been that nowhere on their website is information about how and when they might respond to submissions. This after I waited months for them to actually open for submissions after a “temporary” closure. Indeed, there is not even an email address provided for contacting them with questions.
Plus, this status of being closed for submissions unfortunately reminded me of the same maddening practice used by far too many literary agencies in the US. Yet at least some of those provide a timeframe as to when they will reopen for submissions, usually at summer’s end. Annoyingly, I also could find no information as to how long the One More Chapter temporary closure actually was, so I presumed back in July that it would span the length of whatever the UK considers summer months.
Hence, my headline for this article. Because I will never understand why literary agents and publishers seemingly don’t work (or communicate regarding their intentions) for months on end, but in their unexplained prolonged absence and silence, they can be unfavorably compared to Republican members of the US House or Representatives. Which means they are potentially deserving of utmost contempt.
Nevertheless, in their partial defense, it is likely that, being closed to submissions for months means One More Chapter was immediately swamped in early September when it reopened, with my submission among many awaiting notice—and hopefully actual, thoughtful review. Upon which some form of reply will eventually be forthcoming that isn’t merely a cookie-cutter rejection email. Dare I to dream? Alas, not so much anymore. Because they caused this backup by being closed to submissions to begin with.
Also, another clue that this lack of forthcomingness might occur is the highly impersonal and unimaginative electronic submission process used known as Submittable, the very same cattle-call indignity employed by many US literary agents for submitting query letters, synopses (groan), and sample chapters. The difference being the lack of an actual query letter, and the unprecedented opportunity to immediately submit your entire manuscript to One More Chapter. Which might also explain their time delay, but doesn’t justify a total lack of communication as to how long their review process might take, or if they will respond at all.
Does One More Chapter just leave an author hanging in perpetuity like so many callous and seemingly arrogant literary agencies? Like Republicans do to their constituents? Is an author without an agent seen as someone not deserving of professional courtesy?
Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad if the very reason I submitted Alienable Rights wasn’t due to its subject matter remaining current, and especially because I continue to draft the eighth novel in the series, Alien Origins. Even as I wait to learn whether my Other Worldly series will finally garner the attention and support of a traditional publishing house.
All I’m asking for is some semblance of reasonableness here. To be informed if the review process might take upwards of six months or more, or if that they might never respond at all. Though the latter prospect is appalling after having put so much time, energy, and hope into providing their required documentation, including that dreaded synopsis. A requirement that once made me eschew submitting to certain literary agents, along with avoiding the impersonal Submittable process itself.
Right now, the only notification I have is that my submission was received on September 13 per Submittable. No missives or information at all from One More Chapter. Highly disappointing. But, like I said, there were clues. Perhaps the fault is mine for naively having faith that there might be professionals operating with a modicum of decency and expediency these days.
Like so many authors, I’ve held out out hope that I might eventually be dealing with actual humans (ironic given the otherworldly subject of my novels), and be afforded professional courtesy and respect for what it takes to actually write novels, and then toss your work into a vast vacuum to be judged, and potentially ignored.
Thank goodness writing has always been cathartic for me, because I need it now more than ever as I continue drafting Alien Origins. However, in no way do I intend to create a work of fiction with conflict as horrific as our current reality, and why would I want to? As a result of cruelty and lack of transparency and professional ethics from Republicans, I’m dropping off canned goods, including pet food, at a local food drive for those in need in my community this weekend. It is wonderful to give and to help, but the treasonous reason for it is abhorrent.
So, screw the greed-mongering patriarchy, our moron-in-chief, and his fascist fuckwits promoting white-supremacist Christian Nationalism while they proudly torture immigrants, shoot dogs, starve children, and protect pedophiles.
Screw the legal profession for failing to hold derelict members (of which there are far too many) accountable for violating ethical rules of practice, not to mention the very Constitution itself.
Screw the mainstream media for absurdly normalizing Republican atrocities, and in doing so completely abandoning those same professional ethics I learned while studying both journalism and law.
I’m not yet ready to say screw traditional publishing once again, but I’m close. The industry could certainly benefit from extending professional courtesy in the form of timely communication toward those who make their jobs and their paychecks possible by actually writing books.
Right now, my revised manuscript for Alienable Rights might as well be lost at sea. Will that be the latest pathetic lie spewed by an atrocious twit of an unethical attorney general as to the existence of the Epstein files?