A frustrated new writer shared, “I submitted my manuscript to a big Catholic publisher, and they were so rude to me!” She was discouraged. She’d worked hard to meet the publisher’s expectations, and a curt “No no no” was all she received in return.
What’s going on? Have our Catholic publishing houses really fallen into the hands of cruel, soul-crushing despots?
No, I don’t think so. Most Catholic publishing-house employees seem to work with the same professionalism as any other Catholic in the pews. The CWG has had wonderful support at our online and live conferences from Catholic, Christian, and secular publishers who are genuinely eager to discover up-and-coming writers.
So what’s the explanation? Of course it could have just been a bad day for whoever wrote the e-mail in question. But more likely, the publisher seemed rude because of 5 big realities new writers don’t understand about publishers:
1. A publisher is not a critique partner. It is not the job of an acquisitions-editor to mentor aspiring writers. If you want help with your writing, ask a friend. Join a local critique group. Participate in a writer’s organization. Attend a writing workshop or conference. Subscribe to a good writing blog. The role of the publisher is to tell you “yes” or “no”. It’s your writing partners who then help you figure out why you got the “no”, and what to do next.
2. Don’t feed the puppy if you don’t want it to follow you home. You are a hard-working writer giving it your best. You aren’t weird (in a bad way), and you try to be mature and respectful towards others. Your would-be publishers have no way of knowing this. All they know is that you have written a work that doesn’t fit their publishing agenda for this year. And they need to tell you so in no uncertain terms, because if they give you the least encouragement . . . there’s a chance you’ll never, ever, leave them alone.
3. Honest misunderstandings happen. See “don’t feed the puppy”. Here’s a true story: I once finished up a manuscript I had started in a workshop, and sent it to the instructor just to show her. No other reason. I was excited and I figured my former teacher would get a kick out of seeing the fruit of her efforts.
She misunderstood. She was quite firm in saying, “Um, Jennifer, conference over, go away.” Was she being rude? No. She’s probably one of the ten most gracious people on the planet. But she was being realistic. Her crazy-new-writer alarm bells were going off, and she couldn’t take the risk of encouraging that. It was a false alarm. But misunderstandings happen. (And now I know better. Your instructors will tell you if they are open to follow-ups. Otherwise? Let them go in peace.)
4. Your dream is a mighty popular dream. Ever notice how many people have a memoir or a novel in progress? You, responsible writer, are trying to perfect your craft, and to only submit to publishers who might realistically be interested in your work. Not every writer-in-training shows such restraint. Your would-be publisher has to wade through piles of drivel in order to find your pretty-good submission. It’s wearying work.
5. Publishing professionals are silly busy. This is not their hobby, this is their living. And they are trying to eke out this living in one of the hardest industries around. What comes across as “rude” is usually just “short on time, need to whip out this e-mail and get on to the next thing”.
[Hint: Want to see a wealthy Catholic writer? Look for someone who has a day job doing something else. Many Catholic publishers and bookstores operate as non-profits. ]
What’s an aspiring writer to do? Be patient and forgiving. Pray for the poor guy who did not mean to make you cry when his lousy day collided with your vulnerable, my-hopes-are-crushed heart. Catholic publishers really do want to find and encourage new writers. They can’t always do as much as they’d like. They can’t always do it as gently as they’d like. But you’re on the same team. Don’t give up on them, and they won’t give up on you.
Jennifer Fitz
Jennifer Fitz is the author of The How-to Book of Evangelization: Everything You Need to Know But No One Ever Taught You from Our Sunday Visitor and Classroom Management for Catechists from Liguori Publications. She writes about all things evangelization and discipleship at jenniferfitz.substack.com. For updates on where else to find her, visit JenniferFitz.com.
Good article, Jennifer. Nice points.
If I can just add one thing … sometimes an editor/publisher will be a bit snippy if s/he has clear instructions on the website, and the writer, in her/his zeal, ignores them. If the submissions say to wait three months, wait three months. If the submissions say not to call, don’t call. Editors and publishers are, as you say, silly busy. And sometimes, they don’t mean to be snippy … but if they’ve encountered the same issue for the tenth time in the day, they might not be as sweet as they otherwise would be.
Or so I’ve heard. 😉
Yes! Definitely. New writers need to be honest about whether we are at fault for driving publishers crazy. And try to make sure we don’t repeat our mistakes in the future.
It’s funny, because I’m an accountant by trade, so I should have joined the writing world understanding all this. But no. I think the writing part of the brain is so full of hope and imagination that magical thinking is just part of being a beginning writer. Probably kind of like having a baby — the real thing is way better than you ever imagined, but wow, a whole lot more work and not-so-pretty moments, too.
Hi Jen:
Thanks for such an on target and informative article. Every aspiring wants it to be “easy” after they’ve already put in hours. We need to be reminded that despite our “lofty ambitions” this is still “just business” in the publishing world. After all, a few hurdles just make you tougher! Job is my hero!