A genuine rarebit! This is the first one I ever actually saw in the flesh, and actually tasted. World's Greatest Cook ordered this thing. I went for the yummy vegetable soup! Rarebit is a slice of too-thick bread with stinky cheese grilled on top. With or without meat, WGC went for the so-called "bacon". It's really not that bad, but really not that good either. I cannot imagine anybody becoming a rarebit FIEND.
Back to the books: I chose a date and plowed ahead. If I just told myself I'd make a move when the mock-ups were ready, they'd never be ready. There's always something more pressing. It's psychotic, but I have to play these games with myself, like people who set their clocks ahead to trick themselves into being on time. My goal was to get 4 books mocked up, and I got 3 done, so that ain't bad. For me. I was actually fine-tuning and re-sketching some old books that were written and mocked up years ago. But I knew I could make them better.
Meanwhile I sent letters of enquiry and requests for an audience to about 16 or 18 publishers. As I was researching and collecting addresses, I learned that nearly all British publishers (and perhaps Americans too now) publicly refuse to accept any new material unless it is presented to them by a bona fide and known agent, if they will look at anything new at all. They are quite adamant about it on their websites and in their literature.
This is a completely ass-backwards way to go about things I know. But it works for me. If I had not committed to this venture (and actually bought plane tickets and hotel rooms!) I may have been discouraged by all of the unwelcoming vibes being thrust forth by the publishing industry.
True to their word, of the publishers that sent back replies, all but one replied "thanks but no thanks". This is to be expected, everybody knows that. Everybody knows you have to get a billion rejections before you actually sell a project. But it still sucks. It's still very discouraging to get those little messages. It's a lot easier now, as an old experienced fart, but it's still a struggle to stay psyched up and focused as those things trickle in. So let me just say this to any young turks who may be reading this: NEVER GIVE UP! Yeah, I know you just read that last week on some other artist's blog, but listen to ME! Keep pushing.
That's all for today. I gotta go to work now. But first, one more sample of British food. Nut cup! No comment needed!
WAIT! Before I go: What's all this firestorm about tearing up books? (see yesterday's comments). If it was a rare old collection of Rowland Emett cartoons I could see the problem, but a Hare Krsna Bible? Those things are everywhere. If anybody wants one, they can easily find one. Is the world really going to be poorer with one less Krsna Bible?Interesting...
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4 comments:
British food native to the Isle is uniformly sucky. There is no such thing as good British food. They BOIL VEGETABLES for crying out loud! The only thing edible there has been imported from somewhere else, usually one of the countries they have conquered or invaded. Even the frick'in tea came from China!
The success of the British empire is undoubtedly based on the fact that they were desperate for food that tasted like something other than Haggis.
I just have a thing about people tearing up books. A comic dealer I know had some beat up old Golden Age comics. Stuff nobody wanted. He stood up at a convention and yelled, "If no one buys these from me within thirty minutes, I'm going to tear them up!" They were funny animal comics--obscure, but Golden Age. I just didn't feel like buying them, but didn't think he'd go through with his threat. Thirty minutes later, I was horrified to see Earl stand up on a chair and shred the Golden Age comics into many bits and toss them around his booth. He really did it.
Even seeing crappy old comics torn up bothers me. Oy.
So...did you sell a book? My experience with British publishers is that they are MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE POLITE than American publishers. I've only dealt with a couple through the mails, but they were soooooooo damned nice! They didn't buy any of my novels, but golly they sure were nice about it.
"Is the world really going to be poorer with one less Krsna Bible?"
Maybe richer. Plus, you saved the art, and that's really all that matters, right?
'"Is the world really going to be poorer with one less Krsna Bible?"
Maybe richer. Plus, you saved the art, and that's really all that matters, right?'
I could say the same thing about the King James Bible, or the Koran, or the Torah. But I wouldn't destroy one of those, either.
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