Dear Lit Loves,
If you go by the lead article on Publishers Weekly today, October 23rd, 2014, you would think the sky is falling when it comes to publishing. No, it's not. Amazon is taking losses because it's opening new distribution centers and brick and mortar stores. Digital sales are on the increase over traditional print sales. Now, this is a fact of life everybody needs to get used to, stop whining about, and get on board with it or get left behind, understand?! I'm serious. The state of publishing is in quite a disarray, but it will settle down everntually. I'm not having a panic attack about it and I'm still in the midst of trying to find an agent and a book deal.
I'm not overly enthused about the selection of books available in my preferred genre: memoir. I just saw where someone published a memoir entitled Diary of a Pissed Off Flight Attendant. Well, okay I can understand the plight of flight attendants. Planes are overbooked, nothing appears to ever be on time anymore, and heaven only knows, you might be flying with someone who might have exposed you to Ebola these days. I totally understand the frustration. Will I buy the book? No, I'm just not in the mood for negativity. Plus, I live in Atlanta with one of the nation's busiest airports so I see on a regular basis why flight attendants become perturbed. And well, yesterday I had an appointment at Emory and fortunately, that hospital is getting the job done when it comes to stamping out Ebola.
Okay, let me just get this out of my system: NO, I AM NOT READING OR INCLINED TO READ LENA DUNHAM'S MEMOIR. Yes, I realize it sold 38,000 copies in its first week, but Lena is a product of a completely different generation than me. Generation X, my peer group, we're much more laid back about life. We don't have to push our ideas and values in an "in your face" kind of manner. It's not our style, or at least it's not mine. So yeah, I'm skipping Not That Kind Of Girl. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO PUBLICATION OF AMY POEHLER'S MEMOIR ENTITLED YES, PLEASE! Are you kidding? Now, there's a woman who's lived long enough to experience a hard-earned lesson or two and well, she's a stitch! So yes, I will be reading Amy's memoir.
I did buy and read Not Fade Away: A Memoir of Senses Lost and Found. I found the story quite moving. There were parts of the book where I thought the author got kind of "preachy" and Lord knows she's been through enough trauma in life to warrant being preachy, but I don't like preachy people or writing. I thought some of the lessons in the book were cliche and bordered on being a bit Pollyannish. I still feel for the girl though and respect the medical ordeal she's been through and is still living. I suffer a similar fate in life so I can definitely sympathize. I just want the opportunity to tell my story from a differing perspective and style. Comprende?!
And then I just read that Reese Witherspoon is starring in the movie version of the memoir Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Yes, I read the book, but no, I won't see the movie. Honestly, there were significant parts of the book that were dry for me as I'm not big on flowery, poetic description. And no, I would never even think of trying to take on hiking the Pacific Trail in order to find my bearings in life following some significant transitions. No, I'm more likely to go down to The Caribbean and find a resort. Maybe even swim with stingrays, but hike with a 100 pound backpack, in the woods, and sleep with the bugs and dirt? Oh, HELL TO THE NO PEOPLE. I didn't get the nickname "Dixie Diva" for nothing ya'll.
And I almost forgot! Oh Lord, lit loves, I'm reading a memoir right now which I won't name title, author, or publisher because it has so many errors in it that I've stopped counting! Okay, I didn't stop correcting the errors because I am classically trained as an English teacher. I was mortified. And I have to say it made me not want to have a book issued by this publisher. It just goes to show that when you do get published, you and many others better read the preliminary copies of the book just to make sure you get all the errors. Or maybe that's just because I'm picky. Still, if my name or pen name goes on a book, it needs to be of pristine quality.
Till next time,
Grace
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