Re: Before and After the Book Deal

[rynling]

I can be very clear and detail-oriented about the business of academic publishing, but I'm not sure I can say anything nice. It's not that I'm bitter; there's just nothing good to say.

And there's so much to explain before you even get to writing a book. Why is the American university system so broken that people feel compelled to put up with this nonsense? How is it ethically and economically sustainable?

I've spent the past six months writing original fiction and general-audience essays, and my experience has been like...

Submitting and getting rejected
Submitting and getting rejected
Submitting and getting rejected
Submitting and getting rejected
Submitting and getting rejected

...but sometimes something will get accepted, and that's all you need, really.

Even when my work is rejected, the experience is so easy and pleasant and professional that it's really driven home just how bizarre academic publishing is.

Idk, maybe I will write about it. If nothing else, it might be amusing.

ETA: Actually no no no no, academic publishing is not a vibe I want to inhabit right now.