Posted on June 21, 2021

We received more comments for The Rant by Anonymous (Blog in the June edition of Fig Tree Lit) than we have for any other post. The following reply is from an individual who also wishes to have a name withheld. It is representative of most of the replies to that blog post.

Reading The Rant by Anonymous Rex was heartening, in that it allowed me to think that I am not alone in evaluating so many poorly written manuscripts that somehow get published. I have a front-row seat in this arena: I’m a young associate specializing in fiction in a literary agency that prides itself on representing high-quality literature, but lowers itself on too many occasions to act as a cheerleader for a manuscript that is guilty of many of the eight sins described by Anonymous Rex in the June issue of Fig Tree Lit.

Here is MY list of pet peeves about the publishing industry:

1. Too many people think they can write well – they can’t. And there are cheered on by friends or relatives who cannot see the difference between good writing and bad.

2. The Internet gives people access to micro or self-publishers who need the money to survive, so these firms lower their standards accordingly. This sets off a wave of additional poorly written memoirs and novels.

3. Sites like Amazon and Goodreads give voices (5 star ratings) to friends of authors anonymously. It becomes hard to separate the wheat from the chaff of reviews.

4. Agents and publishers are cowed by authors who may have written something good in the past, but don’t want to offend them by turning down substandard manuscripts for fear of losing out on the next good one.

5. The truth is that oftentimes high quality manuscripts from ‘privileged’ authors get rejected in favor of lesser quality works from writers who are not privileged. There is a great fear of turning down manuscripts from individuals who represent groups that have been marginalized in the past, regardless of the merits of the submissions.

6. The most prominent prizes are usually awarded to authors from the biggest presses, which excludes the few real quality works from the smaller publishers.

I’m dismayed, but will stay in the industry, hoping to rise to a level such that I can be responsible for making the decisions to reject second rate manuscripts. Hopefully, there are some others who share my views, and together, we can start to make a difference.

Anonymous Regina