...but what about short story writers?

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Mon, 2006-08-07 18:49
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rdeous
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...but what about short story writers?

It's time that commonwealth short story writers get their due. The publishers all want you to 'expand' on the story, fatten up the marasmic word count... and and and pander to the popular and the colloquial. For an Indian writer like me that means pandering to the interests that I'm not interested in?

Any similar tales of woe?

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Juliet OC
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sorry wrong response didn't see short story in header. Can you explain what you mean a little bit more? Juliet

Juliet

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bobblehat2023
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Not quite sure what you're getting at here? Publishers want writers to write things that people will want to buy. Why should a publisher care what your interested in? That's what friends and family are for.

 

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rdeous
rdeous's picture
It's just that books FROM the commonwealth FOR British markets are all the same. They all could be the product of one giant scribe packing industry. There is no life to it. I am experiencing frustration because I'm running against stone wall publishers and all of them have the same suggestions for spicing up the stories. Read the likes of newbies like Chetan Bhagat and you'll see the amount of trash being churned out!
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Juliet OC
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But i think all unpublished writers feel to some degree that what they have written is 'too out there' and if only publishers would take their blinkers of they would see the virtue of their stunning prose. Maybe you should take on board what the publishers are saying, there obviously like your voice but they are telling you to improve your plot. I would be chuffed with this if it was me, if they are making suggestions that is a million times better than a standard rejection letter. Juliet

Juliet

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pepsoid
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Those lovely folk at Fuselit (brighteyes/Jack Cade) have been "pulling apart" a couple of stories I have sent them for their latest "BATTERY" issue... half of me wants to stamp my feet and be all Writer-y Primadonna-ish and go on about compromising my integrity & say they should take it or leave it'n'all that kind of gubbins, yet on the other hand... it's so lovely seeing my work in their delightful little mag! The question is... do I wanna be published or do I wanna sit on my creative hands & refuse to budge...? Quandary... ~PEPS~ “There is no spoon.”

The All New Pepsoid the Umpteenth!

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rdeous
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Ditto! We have a stereotype in India; a khadi wearing wandering poet who refuses to give in to the publishers. But the fact is that lit out here has become so commodified that the next Rushdie or Roy seem impossibly implausible. I 've stuck to my guns. I won't give in to the Penguin 'anthologists' at all. Good luck with your fighting!
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pepsoid
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Well I'm not fighting as such, but... Integrity Vs Recognition... a tricky one. So far I'm all Integrity & virtually no Recognition (well a little bit on ABC, but no Cold Hard Cash!). Sounds like the publishing industry in India is no different to in the West. Good luck to you too! ~PEPS~ “There is no spoon.”

The All New Pepsoid the Umpteenth!

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Dr Jekyll
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...but what about the beginning of the sentence?
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