Wednesday, March 4, 2015

IWSG Post – When Mediocre Manuscripts Get Published

However busy I am, I always make it a point to post on the first Wednesday of every month for IWSG (Insecure Writers Support Group), an online group of writers, is a place where we members freely talk of all our writing problems with other writers, without worries of being judged or sounding like grumbling, grouchy wordsmiths. We are confident that other writers grappling with similar issues and insecurities are facing the same situation. IWSG is a place where we can learn, grow, support and encourage each other to keep writing inspite of all the odds stacked against us.

Ninja Captain, Alex J Cavanaugh (the author of the Amazon Bestsellers: CassaStar, CassaStorm and CassaFire and the upcoming Dragon of the Stars ) created this awesome and inspiring group. IWSG members post on the first Wednesday of the month. The IWSG website is a wonderful resource for writers.

As I do a lot of book reviews, this month I will talk of seeing mediocre manuscripts reaching the publishing goalpost ahead of the good ones. Quite a few of the manuscripts that reach my doorstep are filled with dull writing, insipid characters and a plot more obvious by its absence. And many of these books have been published by the big publishers.

Sometimes, I wonder how do such books get published. I also wonder how did the editors allow such manuscripts to reach the readers, without atleast a few rounds of revisions and heavy duty tweaking. I shudder to think of the condition of these manuscripts before they were published.

And when you see the good stories being published by the indie presses, you do feel bad for them. That is not to say that indie presses are bad, but it’s obvious that the writer would have been turned down by the big publishing houses before he/she took this route.

Have you all been through the same situation? Have you all wondered why some manuscripts that have no business being published reach the bookshelves ahead of their better counterparts? What’s your take on this scenario?


39 comments:

  1. Yes, I do wonder the same thing at times. Or I see some writers who are published breaking all the rules we're told not to break.

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    1. Natalie, I have also seen many writers breaking the writing rules and getting away with it.

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  2. Just goes to show we shouldn't be too hard on our own manuscripts. Who knows what will get through. We just have to do the best we can do and try not to compare ourselves to where others might be in their journey.

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    1. Lynda, I have decided not to be too harsh on myself. Everyone's journey to publication is different.

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  3. Yes. And I've read books that I've seen literary agents rave over, and I question why. They're awesome agents with awesome clients. But the story they loved had so much telling, or the characters fell so flat for me, whatever the issue was, and I don't understand why they love it so much.

    I get that everyone sees things differently, but it's frustrating sometimes when you're trying to break into the business.

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    1. I just read a story that starts off on a wrong note. In another book I read, the plot had done a disappearing act, the book was published by a biggie publisher :(

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  4. You bet, Rachna! I am appalled by what is on the book shelves these days. I shack my head and mutter under my breath. It is so frustrating. For five years I have tried to get published and have to see such crap being published over mine and other VERY TALENTED writers who can't catch a break.

    Sadly, it's all about timing and fate. But I honesty believe if we keep trying our worlds will get to our readers. We have to keep the faith and plug on. Thankfully we have this wonderful and supportive community to fall back upon for advice and comfort.

    Hoping all is well with you!

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    1. I agree that it is all timing and fate. The stars will align for us too and soon we will see our books in the bookshelves :)

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  5. I've read countless books lately from big pubs and have thought the same thing! Of course, I've read some awesome ones too. It helps us learn what to do and not do in our own writing!

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    1. Same for me. I have read both awesome and awful books published by the same publishers!

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  6. I have wondered the same thing for YEARS! It's depressing. I'm published by a small press because I couldn't get in anywhere else. But I'm happy with my publisher. For now, at least.

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    1. I have seen that small presses tend to be more adventurous, while the biggies like to play it safe and not upset the sales wagon.

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  7. A lot of books coming out of the Big Five are so cliché, insipid, flavorless, boring, corporate, watered-down. I gave up on the agent rat race because I didn't want to be forced to radically rewrite my books into something flashy and cheap just to get more sales. It makes me sad to think of all the classics which would have a very hard time finding an agent, editor, or publisher these days. I can almost hear the snide remarks: "Watch that word count!" "You didn't write one book, you wrote five or six books." "There's no one main character!" "There's not enough of a plot!" "Too much backstory in the first chapter!" "The story doesn't get started till Page 50!"

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    1. I have read a few of those cliched books. Insipid, boring and watered- down are the right words to describe them.

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  8. I wonder that all the time.
    What I note is sometimes the most original stories come from small presses and self-published authors.

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    1. I agree with you, Alex, that the most original stories come from small presses and self-published authors.

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  9. I don't get it either. It makes me mad and I'm like "You? YOU got published? With THAT?" And then I feel like a horrible human being and retreat into guilt. But yeah, it's a puzzle. I guess it goes based on popularity? Being easy to read? I don't know. Glad to know I'm not the only one thinking this.

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    1. Many publishers are going for books that are easy to read and in popular genres. Catering to the readers' tastes, I guess :(

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  10. I pretty much only read novels that I'm almost certain I'll like. As for short fiction, I will occasionally stumble upon a story that's pretty awful, but was published by one of the big short fiction magazines/markets. In that case, I just sort of assume I'm missing something. Not to say that redeems the story, but it's legit enough.

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    1. Patrick, when I don't like a book people are raving about, I attribute it to different tastes. Maybe, my literary tastes don't tread that territory.

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  11. It's the luck of this business as well as the talent that determines a lot. I often wonder about timing, too. If I'd subbed the book earlier would it have been chosen over 5o Shades of Gray? Would it have climbed the charts and pushed Twilight down to #2? I could spend a lot of time doing this wondering, so I try to keep it under control and just write.

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    1. I agree that luck and fate play a major role in writers' books getting published. Talent is a crucial factor, but so is luck and timing!

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  12. I hear about this all the time. I must say though that I guess I don't see these mediocre manuscripts as much as I hear about them. I think I tend to be less discriminating and more forgiving then a lot of people--call be a bit of a sucker perhaps, or a naive reader. I mean, I do find books that I think are pretty atrocious, but I also try to find something good about them and at least recognize that some effort goes even into writing a bad book.

    On the other hand, I don't read as much as probably you do, so I probably am more selective about what I read and tend to read mostly better books that I was wanting to read anyway.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

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    1. Lee, I am with you on that. I believe that some effort went into writing a bad book. That's why I never give very harsh reviews to any book.

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  13. Agree Rachna as a lot of riff raff gets published and one wonders who would read it:)

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    1. Rahul, you will be surprised that there are a lot of takers for the riff raff books, that's the sole reason they are published, and at times they beat books far better than them to reach the bookshelves first :(

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  14. My last book review was a tough one because the story was awesome, characters, world and plot well developed, but the editing errors kept pulling me out of the story. It was published by a literary agent that was on my wish list to query. Guess I'll pass on him now.

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    1. Donna, don't be hasty by passing on the literary agent and judging him/her because of one badly edited book.

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  15. I've put down books that fall into this category...and sometimes from ESTABLISHED authors. It's more of a shame when authors coast! :)

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    1. Its sad when established authors try to take the readers for granted and make no efforts to strengthen their plot or they come up with paper thin characters.

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  16. What I've noticed is that the small presses are more willing to take a chance on something not run of the mill. There are a lot of what I would call a lot of formulaic books out there, well-written,but lacking depth, not books I'd keep for life and re-read. The plots aren't that interesting -- too action oriented, or predictable, or the characters are predictable. Stuff like that. That said, though, I do see a lot of good books published by the big publishing houses as well. Why the other ones get through, I don't know.

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    1. I have also seen that small presses are more willing to try unusual themes and accept work from unknown or new writers, while the biggies play it safe by publishing formulaic books that will have a read once only quality!

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  17. All the time. I've read numerous books by best selling authors as well as new one from the Big Six and there is a beginning and an ending with four hundred pages of fluff in the middle. Money Grab!

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    1. Stephen, I like the way you described it :a begining, an ending, and four hundred pages of fluff in the middle :)

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  18. It is odd sometimes the books that make it to print and the ones that don't. Unfortunately, sometimes in life it's who you know more than what you know. But so long as good writers are out there, we'll find their books one way or another:)

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    1. Mark, I too feel that sometimes in life its who you know more than what you know that can make all the difference. I also agree that good writers and good stories will ultimately triumph.

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  19. Sometimes I do wonder about books that make it big, and think about manuscripts I've read that still haven't even gotten agented (and fully deserve to). But I lay it down to personal taste and the fact that I don't know the market well. There's a reason for everything, so I assume that the books that do sell must have enthusiastic champions even if I don't feel as strongly! And a book is a book is a book; someone slaved really hard on that book even if some think it "mediocre," so good for them if they caught the attention of a major publisher!

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    1. Julie, I put it down to editorial preferences and personal taste when not so good books land up on the bookshelves faster than others. I am reading a book that though well-written, is something that I am just not warming up to.

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  20. I can't tell you how many books I put down compared to those I read, and many are from big pubbers. But I have specific tastes and not a lot of time, so I appreciate books that are fast-paced. There's nothing I hate more than protagonists thinking to themselves for pages and pages while nothing of any importance happens plotwise. But other readers love that - they enjoy being in the character's head. To each their own. :)

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