tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post8886290306512024353..comments2023-07-03T07:26:04.780-04:00Comments on The Rejecter: Authorial Beauty ContestsThe Rejecterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09087643296072075641noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-90552287207586691742007-08-27T22:29:00.000-04:002007-08-27T22:29:00.000-04:00The question is this: at what point do we admit th...The question is this: at what point do we admit that we are not in the literary world of the Moderns but in a pop culture world where the stars just happen to know the difference between "who" and "whom"?<BR/><BR/>Most of them, anyway.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-66778583483284296042007-08-27T17:57:00.000-04:002007-08-27T17:57:00.000-04:00It's cleft PALATES, peoples. Pallets are those wo...It's cleft PALATES, peoples. Pallets are those wooden platforms they use for forklifting large boxes of remaindered books around.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-28229355089691576532007-08-24T21:07:00.000-04:002007-08-24T21:07:00.000-04:00If looks sell, why don't publishing houses just hi...If looks sell, why don't publishing houses just hire models to pose as authors? Then they'd be assured of sales. And writers could go right on being fat, or bald or quaintly ordinary. I've always found authors pix to be incidental, unless, like Mary H. Clark, they happen to be flashing a paperweight sized emerald. That certainly grabs my attention. Perhaps plain Joes and Janes could pose next to an article or person of singular beauty, thereby providing a much needed distraction from the author's mediocre physical features. <BR/>As for those cleft pallets - it usually takes me about 8 minutes to recover - a warning sign would be greatly appreciated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-72384034804186924902007-08-22T19:12:00.000-04:002007-08-22T19:12:00.000-04:00I think it's not necessarily that you have to be a...I think it's not necessarily that you have to be attractive to get published. It's just that in some cases it works in your favor. Part of the publishing biz is figuring out what works in your favor, and using it. You don't need to lament that other people have advantages that you don't have. If you honestly have no special advantage, then the only thing to do is to write really really well.<BR/><BR/>There's always a story behind a story, and that's why the New Yorker was selecting "debut fiction." They wanted quality short stories, but they also wanted quality author stories--authors who could present themselves as exciting young urbanites. If you can sell that story about yourself, then it works in your favor. If there's another story about yourself that you can sell--if you were born in Afghanistan, or were raised by your mother's psychiatrist, or if you're the child of someone famous--then let it work in your favor. If not, write really well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-10756755430531129722007-08-22T12:58:00.000-04:002007-08-22T12:58:00.000-04:00Sadly, looks matter. All things considered, if th...Sadly, looks matter. All things considered, if the publishing genie asked me if I'd rather have a smidge more talent or a whole lot better looks, I'd be torn. A little more talent won't get the marketing gurus to greenlight a book (is she telegenic?), but a whole lot more in the looks department might. One publishing marketing exec I know said that if an author is a knockout looks-wise, that almost negates the need for "platform." Go figure.Lisa Romeohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01522310766694189857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-61422140763691947772007-08-22T04:00:00.000-04:002007-08-22T04:00:00.000-04:00You should leave this post here and let us analyze...You should leave this post here and let us analyze this controversy until it's dried up. There isn't enough conflict for us to suck on. It seems like it may be an injustice, but we're not sure. Doesn't one deserve to benefit from every aspect of their character? <BR/><BR/>By the way, how does one get eight million dollars for their second book? There must be a secret entrance that we can exploit. Does anybody know anybody? What is the criteria? Past performance predicts future performance, I know. Don't screw up the first time. Is that the best advice ever? <BR/><BR/>Does anybody have any big ideas? We need more geniuses, dammit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-49756566250539998812007-08-21T21:33:00.000-04:002007-08-21T21:33:00.000-04:00I'd pose nude with an appropriately placed hot dog...I'd pose nude with an appropriately placed hot dog bun if it got me into the "New Yorker" and a $500K deal for one of my unsold novels. ;-) The sight of me like that would incite a veritable tidal wave of editorial chum and publicity.<BR/><BR/>If you're an unknown and you think your pic will help with sales, you need to take advantage of every angle available. Once you become the 500 pound gorilla, then you can use the photos from your basement. Now, where did I leave that glamour shot of me?<BR/><BR/>-rick<BR/>http://muse-needed.blogspot.com/Rick Bylinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10493557860835710721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-29505436454909027302007-08-21T16:02:00.000-04:002007-08-21T16:02:00.000-04:00"I mean, look at Danielle Steel. Her grammar might..."I mean, look at Danielle Steel. <B>Her grammar might be atrocious and her stories aren't anything all that special...</B> but she *is* an attractive woman, and her author photos certainly reflect that."<BR/><BR/>That is <I>precisely</I> why this is a big deal.Austin Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11422616218138298776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-30274510871842104492007-08-21T15:08:00.000-04:002007-08-21T15:08:00.000-04:00I saw an article that said Binky Urban sold Charle...I saw an article that said Binky Urban sold Charles Frazier's second book for 8 million dollars off a 1 page proposal. That qualifies her as the most powerful literary agent in my book!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-75120189300872804032007-08-21T14:21:00.000-04:002007-08-21T14:21:00.000-04:00And by the way, as far as powerful literary agents...And by the way, as far as powerful literary agents go, I'd certainly say Ms. Urban is up there -- she's basically a legend in the publishing industry...I read an article saying she got Charles Frazier 8 million dollars for his second book off a one page proposal! That's good enough for me!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-75173211894168003332007-08-21T03:36:00.000-04:002007-08-21T03:36:00.000-04:00Excellent, another reason why I can't publish ther...Excellent, another reason why I can't publish there. I'd look terrible leaning on crushed velvet.<BR/><BR/>Don't really see what looks have to do with anything. Yes, it helps, but so does good cover art just the same.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-37155967599392006882007-08-20T22:38:00.000-04:002007-08-20T22:38:00.000-04:00This raises the question: Why do they even allow u...This raises the question: Why do they even allow unsolicited manuscripts? If it's all run on a basis of exclusive nepotism, why don't they just tell us? <BR/><BR/>One might look at it from the slush reader's perspective. Mountains of garbage a lot worse than Updike's crotch monument. Your sensitivities are being blasted by thousands of unskilled attempts, diminishing all resistance against pessimism. <BR/><BR/>There are two ways to distinguish yourself: Write so that your words prove the power of your vitality or manipulate the social network. I imagine a slush reader would maintain a preemptive contempt for all unsolicited manuscripts. It's an impersonal process, however much you contort your innards while doing it. An editor is more affable to see you as a person if they're familiar in some respect. It's just easier to make friends than to do your job. What if we all vow never to be lazy? Would we be complaining right now?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-53273829200472750522007-08-20T17:43:00.000-04:002007-08-20T17:43:00.000-04:00Huh. I hardly think "crotch-high" describes a moun...Huh. I hardly think "crotch-high" describes a mountain, although I guess that would depend on the crotch, wouldn't it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-23682346502995759382007-08-20T17:21:00.000-04:002007-08-20T17:21:00.000-04:00So am I the only one who doesn't see what the big ...So am I the only one who doesn't see what the big deal is? If you're an attractive individual, why not use your looks to try and gain an edge?<BR/><BR/>Please don't confuse this with "sleeping with your publisher/agent/boss in order to get ahead." <BR/><BR/>However studies show that those born beautiful -- male or female -- are often more successful than their more plain-Jane counterparts. It's more or less rooted in trust; we trust beautiful (read: symmetrical)faces because we see them as signs of vitality. <BR/><BR/>I mean, look at Danielle Steel. Her grammar might be atrocious and her stories aren't anything all that special... but she *is* an attractive woman, and her author photos certainly reflect that.<BR/><BR/>Then again, I do live in Miami and work in PR, so maybe I'm just biased? Looks are certainly a way of life down here, that's for sure!Julianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15270220758139335265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-13902867432026003332007-08-20T13:58:00.000-04:002007-08-20T13:58:00.000-04:00In this whole article and ensuing post by The Reje...In this whole article and ensuing post by The Rejecter, the only thing I find truly disturbing is that John Updike is called the greatest short story writer. Really? I can't believe anyone would brand that overheated, florid twaddle as great. Seriously?<BR/><BR/>I can't even begin to capture how stinky his work is. Florence King once wrote an essay about it that is sharp and hilarious. It is a brief epistolary in which she corresponds with her publisher about the crotch-high mountain of garbage that is John Updike's writing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-14225030610080234752007-08-20T13:55:00.000-04:002007-08-20T13:55:00.000-04:00"My argument with this argument is that the shift ..."My argument with this argument is that the shift happened 15 years ago (not three), when Tina Brown was hired as editor of the New Yorker."<BR/><BR/>The math doesn't add up here. Three years ago was 2004, not 2001 as the article is dated. Did Rejecter dig up an old essay she wrote in 2004 (about an article written in 2001) and post it because she had nothing else to post? I dun get it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-71780898311285354052007-08-20T13:45:00.000-04:002007-08-20T13:45:00.000-04:00I don't quite get why we are discussing an article...I don't quite get why we are discussing an article dated 2001. It seems all rather moot by now. Are we so hard up?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-88171809121695018642007-08-20T13:18:00.000-04:002007-08-20T13:18:00.000-04:00Regarding this Nell person. Isn't there some sort...Regarding this Nell person. Isn't there some sort of conflict of interest, if she is an 'assitant' at the New Yorker? Sounds unfair to me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-58775212032232459722007-08-20T12:59:00.000-04:002007-08-20T12:59:00.000-04:00"Go readers! Yay! In the end, quality triumphs hot..."Go readers! Yay! In the end, quality triumphs hotness."<BR/><BR/>For now...<BR/><BR/>Twenty more years of pin-up pics for author's profiles, and we'll see how easily a quality author who isn't also eye-candy can get published. To me this seems unfair and irrelevant. As much as quality triumphs hotness presently, I cannot say I am optimistic about this development. Our society is very good at ditching substance for style. <BR/><BR/>I suppose we'll see further down the line...Austin Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11422616218138298776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-11477915553455701562007-08-20T12:34:00.000-04:002007-08-20T12:34:00.000-04:00I was kidding about the sleeping with someone part...I was kidding about the sleeping with someone part. It's just insanely hard to get into the New Yorker, and you usually you have to know someone, or know them well, or be married to them.<BR/><BR/>Anon 7:50:<BR/><BR/>I'm not questioning Newsweek's integrity. I love Newsweek. I've read it about every week since I was 16. That said, a baby with a cleft pallet is a disturbing image and generally when you see one on a respectable website or the television, they give you a warning first.The Rejecterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09087643296072075641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-56034685203164007822007-08-20T12:28:00.000-04:002007-08-20T12:28:00.000-04:00I personally know someone who debuted her short fi...I personally know someone who debuted her short fiction in The New Yorker. She did NOT have to sleep with anyone. She had a good agent and a lot of connections through her family who are all in the film business.<BR/><BR/>That being said, the concept of cheesecake writers is gross.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-4781237733448773722007-08-20T10:34:00.000-04:002007-08-20T10:34:00.000-04:00I think it is just a case of people trying to read...I think it is just a case of people trying to read too much into particular behaviour. The New Yorker does what it thinks is going to help it sell magazines. As imelda mentioned, magazines are visual media and require pictures - preferably, large glossy appealing ones.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08466885792177930052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-55744564509736746842007-08-20T08:16:00.000-04:002007-08-20T08:16:00.000-04:00I wish I'd known...When I was young and handsome, ...I wish I'd known...<BR/>When I was young and handsome, I figured I couldn't yet write my novel because I hadn't yet lived enough. Not enough real experience to hang meat on the bones.<BR/>Now, when I have the experience, the looks have fled.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-37241922162469932332007-08-20T02:53:00.000-04:002007-08-20T02:53:00.000-04:00Were you kidding when you said they probably slept...Were you kidding when you said they probably slept with somebody? Is the whole industry corrupt? I don't think I'm overanalyzing this. If it's corrupt, I would like to know, so I can be prepared. I've never slept with anybody before, so it would be my first time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35623128.post-60964241565027650092007-08-19T19:50:00.000-04:002007-08-19T19:50:00.000-04:00So you don't want to see pictures of beautiful aut...So you don't want to see pictures of beautiful authors used for promotion, fine, but then you attack NEWSWEEK for "running ads for donations to treat kids with cleft pallets," because you need "warning" before seeing those pictures?<BR/><BR/>Yes, NEWSWEEK should absolutely be shallow and bend to your needs to not be made uncomfortable by seeing poor, needy children wtih cleft pallets that can easily be fixed by donations.<BR/><BR/>Good God, what was NEWSWEEK doing, not consulting you on this issue?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com