Having worked at a publishing house, I know that it’s not possible for everyone who works at a publishing house to read all the books coming out that season, or even parts of them, or even the descriptions of them in the catalog or in-house “tip sheets.” But I also know that if a book is supposed to be a “big” book, everyone in the office will read it. I was a young woman, so of course they had lumped me in with the cake-girl books. But my book was not cakey. I had no idea how to explain this to people. I clearly still don’t. Knowing how obnoxious it would sound, but feeling I had to say it anyway, if only to have said it, I told them that they had to “go all out.” “Say that I’m the voice of my generation,” I told them. They looked at me like I’d emitted a long, loud, smelly fart. And so—swear to god—I amended what I’d said: “Okay, say I’m a voice of my generation.”
This is a bit of a cheat this week, but it's such a great read I couldn't resist giving it a post of its own. Emily Gould's story of having her first book published, having it flop and the behaviour that ensued is a compelling read and ultimately a cautionary tale. She's obviously a smart woman, but the way she handled it was anything but, and the way she vocalises that makes for a beautifully rendered and occasionally totally cringe-worthy story.
You can read 'How Much My Novel Cost Me' over at Medium.
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