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Billy

That;s why my other half is thinking of starting his own publishing imprint. He used to print and edit books in small editions which all sold out. You know in the big cities, mostly there are book stores which think just like that selling the best of books.

posted by beachbelle on December 2, 2004 at 12:45 AM | link to this | reply

BB - i think that with books and music technology has made doing it

yourself the way to go.  There needs to be a creative improvement superstore like all the home improvement ones for doing it yourself.

posted by FreeManWalking on December 2, 2004 at 12:00 AM | link to this | reply

Hmm. You must have a catchy snag line then!

Think maybe that came partly from bloggin? :-)

posted by Oceandancer on December 1, 2004 at 5:44 AM | link to this | reply

Ca88

As an artist and writer he is all too aware of the choices. As I mentioned in previous comments, he has redrafted his novel several times taking into account the comments he received. I think it might be the nature of the piece if one uses a literary style that it takes a lot of work. Luckily he is not fazed by hard work. Many are.
The trouble is that these days there is a also tendency to think that being commercially viable and dumbing down are the same thing. The publisher I was listening to thought that there was a move away from the dumbed down stuff and that it is taking up to much shelf space when people actually want something better

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 2:04 PM | link to this | reply

beachbelle, unfortunately artists (and I speak of all of the creative arts here) have to make decisions about whether to make their work more commercial or not. Its simply reality. There are always exceptions to the rule and I hope your husband is one of those. Meanwhile, congratulations on your proposal, may it bring you all you desire!

posted by Ca88andra on November 30, 2004 at 1:54 PM | link to this | reply

And Canine welcome back

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 12:21 PM | link to this | reply

Thank you Klara, WWL, IR and last but not least McNab

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 10:28 AM | link to this | reply

Mary x

Every dog has its day. We very much view it that if one is doing well at any given time it is great for us all.
I am fortunate because he will help me so much and is already engaging his mind in it.

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 10:27 AM | link to this | reply

Firstfig

The radio show I heard the other day spoke of the growing interest in good writing. It said that publishing houses had been slow to respond to this.
My husband has mae his work more penetrable but you won't be stand naked on top of this building on his account.
My idea is something for which commercial considerations must be taken some account of, however, the agent (thankfully) could see my vision for the work which was not to add another bland, basic offering to the pile. We are looking at what's there and trying to turn it on its head

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 10:25 AM | link to this | reply

Diversion4u

He will get there I'm sure. He won't stop until this book is accepted. But now he is also thinking of becoming a publisher again. He used to publish books

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 10:19 AM | link to this | reply

Klara

My husband is unlikely to give up ... this task is proving more challenging and time-consuming than most. We want to be rich ...but it's not so much about money ..all we wish is to live our lives doing as we wish...that is wealth

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 10:17 AM | link to this | reply

Rovesciato

My old factory had a few of your type but most don't.
In answer to your question it can do no harm to have a shop window - just keep in mind that what you show is for display only (so present it as professionally as you can) or if it is something of great value that you want to sell - offer only a tantalising snippet. Anything is possible of course but your work seems the type that the average plagiarist wouldn't know what to do with.

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 10:14 AM | link to this | reply

L.E.Gant

They were obviously in denial of what a basic consideration of demographics will tell anyone.
My idea is not the same but in another section of the same ballpark. Of course at this moment it is completely in my head and so while this is a positive sign it is a world away from actualisation.

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 10:09 AM | link to this | reply

OCEANDANCER

If truth be told he is more "proven" than me although his audience has always been less mass market than mine. He used to have a printing press and produce beautiful hand-made private press books which always sold out.

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 10:05 AM | link to this | reply

Katray

When he first showed me his novel it was inpenetrable and so my husband has rewritten and rewritten just to make it more accessible - ie commercial. That he does that reveals his strong desire that this work be published.
He is actually considering starting his own publishing imprint. He used to produce private press books - beautiful to behold and read

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 10:02 AM | link to this | reply

TBgroucho

Thanks so much for that. My husband is happy for me.
I think this just revealed the realities of the publishing world.
Mind you now I have the work ahead of me.

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 9:57 AM | link to this | reply

Symphony

Thanks .... I don't feel guilty really

posted by beachbelle on November 30, 2004 at 9:51 AM | link to this | reply

beachbelle great post

I agree with tbgroucho...don't feel guilty!....well done to you

posted by _Symphony_ on November 30, 2004 at 9:02 AM | link to this | reply

beachbelle

congratulations on pitching the right idea.  Please don't feel guilty re: your husband's efforts.   I hope he is truly happy for you.  You also underestimate your own abilities, and this i say not ever having seen your husband's work.  You are deserving of your publication record and should be proud of it.  tg

posted by tbgroucho on November 30, 2004 at 6:32 AM | link to this | reply

Congratulations on this good news Beach! It is difficult when what pours forth from heart and soul is deemed not commercial. I seem to have this problem also. The most realistic advice I received from a very accomplished author (relative of a family friend) was to set myself the task of producing lighter, or categorized work that would sell. Once your name becomes familiar and profitable enough, you can then return to the writing that is real to you. And have it published. Practical and proven wisdom, yet still hard for me to completely accept. I am trying. Or there is self publishing; a few success stories in that area too. Best wishes to you both.

posted by PoetRaye on November 30, 2004 at 6:25 AM | link to this | reply

I think it may be because you are a "proven" writer.

You have a track record for pleasing the reader in that the reader will read you! First timers don't have that sorta "proof of saleability" behind them.

posted by Oceandancer on November 30, 2004 at 5:55 AM | link to this | reply

The vissicitudes of writing!

A few years ago, I started research for a book that was going to be called "Killing the Golden Goose", about people over the age of 50 who had been made redundant, and who had been living off what should have been the basis of their pension funds. I sent queries to a number of publishers (this was not a book that one could afford to self-publish becasue of the volume of research required) and ALL of them told me quite strongly that the idea was non-sense - that it could not be happening. Even the NZ government could not accept the basic premise.

There might be no justice in the world of blogging, but there's even less in the publishiing world.

posted by L.E.Gant on November 30, 2004 at 12:33 AM | link to this | reply

"they probably wouldn't be accepted" should fit into that rather akward second sentance.

posted by rovesciato on November 30, 2004 at 12:07 AM | link to this | reply

my road is probably vertical, since, as owen wilson's character in the royal tennanbaums, i write in an obsolete vernacular. even if i write accesably in these older (rather, mixed) dictions and styles because they don't fit in with any editorial style of a modern publisher. i'd make a very bad factory worker. wel, i was a good assembly line worker, but i couldn't hack a professional writing job. hell, i can't even keep up a few blogs where i have complete self indulgence. if its not coming out something close to the way i've thought it than i tend to abandon even comments.

i would like to ask you if you think there is any practical purpose in my putting together a website via gomedone's new internet business (a soon to be published novelist too, btw!) . the idea would not be to atract readers via the internet, i can't even attract those here and that's the only reason people come here, but, if i start trying to send stuff to agents and i can reference them to a website with samples of my rather various output, thus supplying a context for whatever piece i send them on paper. the idea is that an agent or publisher that liked something i wrote personally but didn't see how it could fit into a market might, when read in the context of my writing in general, a) see a potential, given that a number of things were already finished, of carving out a new market, or, b) see a potential of tapping into the traditional market, ie. there's a non university market for elizabethan and stuart poetry, so if a contemporary writer can write in that  style successfully then why would there not be a market for "contemporary traditional" writing?  of course, just below you've said not to leave things lying around on the internet. do you think this would be helpful, harmful, or a merely a waste of time and a little money? 

posted by rovesciato on November 30, 2004 at 12:05 AM | link to this | reply

Has he considered self publishing?

Many writers have been able to thumb their noses at the big publishers by hard selling their tomes on their own. I'm sorry he has had such a hard time, but I hear that perseverance is the key, but I think only the losers say that. Wish him good luck!

posted by Diversion4u on November 29, 2004 at 11:32 PM | link to this | reply

Congratulations! And sympathies to the hubby.

posted by AnnaMJ on November 29, 2004 at 11:20 PM | link to this | reply

I hope your husband holds strong to his soul in writing. If I hear the term "commercial" used to describe how one should water down their art one more time, I swear you all may read about me standing naked on top of a building somewhere screaming for the record companies, book and art publishers to stop the madness. Are we not immersed in commercialism enough. Can't we just look at the depth of someones art and say YES! Finally! we have come full circle to the days when complex brilliance was celebrated.

I wish you well and applaud your endeavors and good fortune. I too have had the pleasure of receiving possitive responses to queries and ideas, but I long for the courage to pour my soul into something and have it revered as a great work.

posted by First_Fig on November 29, 2004 at 10:37 PM | link to this | reply

bb, good for you. i wish you and your husband all the best.  

posted by canine277 on November 29, 2004 at 8:19 PM | link to this | reply

Beachbelle,

I'm not sure about justice in terms of reward for due diligence, but when that moment of grace comes your way, you shouldn't feel guilty or that your incredible opportunity diminshes his hard work.  Opportunity is as much about timing as about work. 

posted by Blanche. on November 29, 2004 at 5:23 PM | link to this | reply

So true about the sharper, narrower road, Beach. You said that so well.

Second great post in a row. I hope you become exceedingly rich and exceedingly famous. You deserve it! Tell your hubby not to ever, ever give up either!

posted by KlaraRoberts on November 29, 2004 at 5:13 PM | link to this | reply

OMG Beach!

Is this what you were referring to earlier in the comment you left for me?  I'm so excited for you that my fingers can hardly type fast enough and I'm one fast typer!  AROOOOOOO  hehehehe

Your husband will get published. 

posted by Wildwoman_Laloba on November 29, 2004 at 4:47 PM | link to this | reply

Poor guy!

One day his ship will come in. Congrats BB. I hope this turns into something big for you.

posted by word.smith on November 29, 2004 at 4:46 PM | link to this | reply

beachbelle

All the best to your husband's idea of closing the circle and yours of writing about what you know.  In fact, beachbelle, you've given me another idea.

posted by johnmacnab on November 29, 2004 at 4:24 PM | link to this | reply

I hope your venture turns out well, Beach

Your husband's day will come, I am sure. Sadly, as you said, a writer must do more than write. I wish you both the best!

posted by InherentRights on November 29, 2004 at 3:56 PM | link to this | reply

I love it Whammie

posted by beachbelle on November 29, 2004 at 3:30 PM | link to this | reply

BB

posted by WHAMENATOR on November 29, 2004 at 3:22 PM | link to this | reply