More fooey. At least I didn't have to wait a long time.

[ritaxis]

Small Beer doesn't want my book.

They have a couple of things to say about it -- stilted, too much infodump. I promise I'm not going to go into a defensive tailspin. I usually like the book, I usually think I got it about right. But. If somebody doesn't like it, then I wonder. I know there's taste. But. Oh, just, fooey.

I wonder if it's the dialog -- which is written in a Spanglish future slang, and the protagonist has trouble expressing himself? Or the narrative? If it's the first, well, I don't think there's anything to do about it. I worked really hard to get those people to sound just like that. Just. Fooey.

I don't know what to do next.

I'm going to Potlatch tomorrow, but now I don't want to. I want to stay home and cry.

Comments

[julesjones]

Bad timing. :-( Go to Potlatch anyway, it will almost certainly make you feel better. I am at home at the moment, should you want to call in here tomorrow on the way to have a rant to someone you will not be spending the weekend with.

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

I wonder if it's the dialog -- which is written in a Spanglish future slang, and the protagonist has trouble expressing himself?

David Feintuch has written a book like that - half of it in unintelligle future slang, and I've given it away because it was so horrible. (It wasn't a good story, either.)

I haven't read yours and don't know how much it would grate on my ears, or the editor's ears, but if it's too prominent and takes too long to puzzle out, two things will happen - unless the reader really *wants* to read it; they'll either find it too much work or they go into analytical rather than story mode.

Could this find more favour with a more literary publisher, maybe? (Not because it's hard to read, but also because it seems full of social issues and literary devices from what you've said on your journal)

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Oh, pooh! Commiseration on the rejection. I haven't read any of your stuff, but from the way you talk about it, it always sounds interesting. Of course that's not always an infallible guide. I've just given up on a book that has had glowing reviews and I know from what the author says about it that they intended it to make all sorts of deep and valid points, much of which I would agree with. But I just couldn't stand the main character/s and emotionally the book felt all wrong.

I suspect that, emotionally, your story would feel right to me, but perhaps it's not gung ho enough for the US market? Have you considered trying the UK? I know the market here is smaller, but it publishes things like the Jon Courtenay Grimwood Pashazade trilogy a long time before the States would have anything to do with it.

[mayakda.livejournal.com]

Small Beer doesn't want my book.
Their loss. Their loss.

Anyway, it won't do any good looking at the book right now, while the wound's fresh. Put the book away for a bit, keep working at current project, then look at the book again after a bit. If it still looks good, it probably is.

And I hope you enjoy your day today.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Damn, and I thought that would work.

Well I like it.