Dear Lit Loves, Editors, Agents, and Publishers,
It has become apparent to me that the traditional means of publishing with the big four is quickly fading. The world of big, traditional publishing that has financed careers, retirements, Park Avenue offices, and Jimmy Choos eventually will come to an end. How do I know this? I HAVE STOPPED BUYING BOOKS AND SO WILL YOUR BOOK BUYING AUDIENCE WHICH INCLUDES WOMEN LIKE ME WHO BUY THE MOST BOOKS AND HAVE THE MOST DISPOSABLE INCOME.
Recently, I got so tired of not hearing back from literary agents that I just began submitting to editors directly. The editors want to find the next bestseller and they are realizing that not all talent is discovered by literary agents. Amazon figured this out years ago, by the way. Seriously, HarperCollins in England is already taking open submissions directly from writers beginning in April from what I read recently. Why is this happening? Literary agents are not finding the talent. I think most of them are relying on their current stable of authors hoping onE of them knocks his/her next book out of the park; therefore, they're not making time for new talent and new writers. You can't find the next diamond in the haystack if you're aren't looking folks! Wake Up! Put on your glasses and get a magnifying glass for God's sake!
Then I noticed a multitude of literary agents screaming for Young Adult books. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but since I'm a realist and deal with real life issues in the memoir genre, this group of readers will pass. They grow up, get heavily involved with their phones, devices, and something called Candyland. Don't ask me about that because my primary relationships in life are face-to-face with real people and not via a medium on a device. And people wonder why the younger generation has no clue what interpersonal communication excellence is?!! And Hello! The market is totally flooded with the genre of Young Adult. I was and a whole lot of other folks were over it before it started. We were singing, "LET IT FREAKING GO" a long time ago, I just don't think publishing folks are listening. Maybe there wearing their earmuff too tightly or should pull the ipod buds out of their ears? Lord, who knows these days.
You say there will always be another generation to take the place of the graduating Young Adult generation. Maybe, if you want to place your money, fortune, way of life, future hopes on the whims of teenagers. And then, wait, the other day there was an editor via social media yelling for someone to send her meaningful memoir. I'm like, okay, let me figure out how to contact her because obviously this woman and I need to talk. I specialize in lives rich with conflict, disaster, the unusual, and the infamous. Do you know what I discovered? This editor works at a company that wants you, the writer, to pay them to evaluate your manuscript, edit it, format it, market it, and then publish it. Are you insane?! I can do that via CreateSpace lady!! Oh, the horror of dealing with the realities of publishing today!
So you guys/gals go ahead and stake your fortunes, dreams, retirement, and careers on romance, young adult, sci-fi, and fantasy. I'm going with the real people who don't need to find adventure via any of those genres. They're living that excitement each day via their own lives. And guess what? They don't want a guru or "alleged" guru telling them how to care for a parent with Alzheimer's, help a friend during her last six months of life, how to overcome an autoimmune disorder robbing them of their hearing and eyesight, or instructing them on what to do when an oncologist is found negligent when it comes to treating their brother/sister for a cancer. No, what Generation Xers and Boomers want is some real person who has lived through these encounters and writes about them clearly, concisely, and with compassion because our stories are how we learn to deal with lives that are already overwhelming, insane, and rich in both the hilarious and unpleasant. And those of you who don't give us the opportunity to give that group of readers those kind of stories and that kind of content? See you when the company folds, you're standing in the unemployment line contemplating how much you're going to need to take from your retirement account to survive, and you're left standing by the curbside with your fantasy book wondering where your next meal will come from and how on earth you got to this point. Me, I'll be pursuing my dreams in publishing via whatever means necessary. And if you try to stop me to get me to tell you how I did it, I'm not sure I will have the time to speak with you because I'm busy speaking my story to the people who are listening and in touch with real life.
Sincerely,
Grace Sutherlin
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