Dear Lit Loves,
Usually I take the time to post reviews of memoirs on this blog, but today I am writing because of extreme disappointment in the independent trade book house known as Workman Publishing and its small imprint known as Algonquin Books. I've always prided myself on my spirit of deep independence and passion for writing as well as the value of a really excellent book that I could recommend to someone. Four years ago I decided to take up writing manuscripts in the memoir genre about matters such as southern family strife, the strong bonds of female friendship even in the face of death, the insanity of navigating our modern medical system as a patient with a few unique illnesses, the strains and rewards of being a determined patient advocate for a parent battling a rare form of cancer and finally, how to build your intestinal fortitude and courage upon enduring domestic violence, corporate chauvinism and a year teaching in the chalk dust trenches. I wrote four manuscripts and four book proposals over the course of four years. I've queried literary agents and editors as well as small and large publishing houses. Since I am a native North Carolinian, naturally it made sense to submit to Algonquin Books and the independent trade publishing house that later bought Algonquin Books, Workman Publishing.
Why would it seem natural to query Algonquin Books? Well, let's see, they have a primary location in Chapel Hill, North Carolina which is virtually right next door to where I live. They were supposedly founded on the premise of discovering and publishing those writers who might otherwise remain undiscovered. I mean, not all writers live in New York City, write for The Wall Street Journal, attended renowned schools of writing or are considered celebrities. It appears now that as a writer you must also have five million Facebook fans and a half million Twitter followers if you ever want your manuscript to see the light of day via some form of traditional publishing.
I want my fellow writers, especially those of you who are new or just beginning to put the finishing touches on a manuscript, to know that I am most sorry I ever thought to submit any of my writing material to Algonquin Books or Workman Publishing. It usually takes four to six months to receive a reply once you submit a hard copy or email copy of your writing material. If you write an editor at Algonquin Books or try to make a connection with them, good luck. The acquiring editors at Algonquin with whom I would have liked to work never responded to any of my emails. And today, I received word that Algonquin Books is no longer open to unsolicited submissions for the foreseeable future due to a backlog of submissions. I do remember once writing the publisher of Algonquin Books to inquire as to what more I could do to help raise my prospects of getting an invite or offer from them regarding publishing any of my work. The publisher responded, "No one was interested in any of your work and we publish very few books per year." Wow. That was a blow. So no editor at Algonquin is interested in life-changing moments, walking with a friend to the very end of her life, how to withstand being used and abused by our medical system in this country, what it is like to assist a father through his third bout with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma via a stem cell transplant, or why folks who often lead uncharmed lives matter and make a difference in this country on a daily basis. Evidently the answer is a resounding no.
Not to be forgotten, I also recently submitted to an editor at Workman Publishing, the publishing house that owns Algonquin Books, because I liked one of their recent narrative nonfiction books that revealed the drama associated with being a nurse. Fortunately, that particular editor responded to my email and encouraged me to submit my work as I informed her I write about encountering our country's medical system and its doctors from the patient's perspective. I was excited that the editor encouraged me to submit my work and I did. Today, I received a form rejection letter via email from someone at Workman Publishing. I don't know who evaluated my work as the rejection email was not signed by an actual editor nor were there any specific reasons given for the rejection. So I will no longer be purchasing any books published by either Algonquin Books or Workman Publishing. I won't be recommending any books published by them either. My experiences reflect the sorry state of publishing today where you are treated as a nobody, ignored, and often discarded because you do not have a literary agent, are not a YouTube sensation, do not have a "brand" and you are an unknown writing entity. Wait! Isn't that the premise upon which Algonquin Books was founded? The mission to discover and champion writers who might otherwise go unheard of and undiscovered? Also, I do believe I read where Workman Publishing and Algonquin Books wish to publish books that "stimulate, enrich and entertain legions of fans." So I guess a southern writer with a Master's in Communications and who also taught English doesn't meet those qualifications. And I guess her written work revolving around subjects like life, death, female friendships, the convoluted U.S. medical system, domestic violence, and the real heroes in the world known as teachers, just do not matter. Well then, shame on you. And I truly wish you all hadn't wasted my valuable time.
Truly,
Grace
(Amy)
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