What Just Happened, I Don't Even
Jan. 29th, 2016 11:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynlingYesterday I signed a book contract.
The book is about women and comics. My main argument is that women are not a subculture.
Since I had nothing to lose, I went to the biggest, shiniest editor at the biggest, shiniest press I could think of. She got really excited and started using words I didn't understand, like "fax" and "certified check."
It's a sad commentary on the state of writing about comics that I was able to sell the idea for a book that essentially states "women exist." I'm actually planning on being quiet about this on my social networks, because I've already gotten aggressive pushback against the idea that there are just as many women as men making comics. A lot of people hate comics that aren't about superheroes, a lot of people hate comics that aren't written in English, a lot of people hate Tumblr, and a lot of people hate women.
In any case, my contract specifies the deadline for submission of the full manuscript as August 31 of this year. Seven months doesn't seem like a lot of time, and I seriously doubt that I have the strength of character to see a project like this all the way through. I will do my best, I guess.
To celebrate I bought myself a leather jacket and a pair of gold-rimmed aviator sunglasses so I can pretend to be a badass bitch instead of a scared and pasty nerd who has suddenly found herself at the deep end of a shark tank.
The book is about women and comics. My main argument is that women are not a subculture.
Since I had nothing to lose, I went to the biggest, shiniest editor at the biggest, shiniest press I could think of. She got really excited and started using words I didn't understand, like "fax" and "certified check."
It's a sad commentary on the state of writing about comics that I was able to sell the idea for a book that essentially states "women exist." I'm actually planning on being quiet about this on my social networks, because I've already gotten aggressive pushback against the idea that there are just as many women as men making comics. A lot of people hate comics that aren't about superheroes, a lot of people hate comics that aren't written in English, a lot of people hate Tumblr, and a lot of people hate women.
In any case, my contract specifies the deadline for submission of the full manuscript as August 31 of this year. Seven months doesn't seem like a lot of time, and I seriously doubt that I have the strength of character to see a project like this all the way through. I will do my best, I guess.
To celebrate I bought myself a leather jacket and a pair of gold-rimmed aviator sunglasses so I can pretend to be a badass bitch instead of a scared and pasty nerd who has suddenly found herself at the deep end of a shark tank.
no subject
Date: 2016-01-29 09:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-29 09:53 pm (UTC)Assuming of course I can finish the damn thing.no subject
Date: 2016-01-29 09:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-30 12:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-30 02:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-31 06:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-31 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-31 10:05 pm (UTC)That's more major than it should be, and I hope that book makes waves. I think there will be demand for it, because there's certainly a lot of women in the comics community, both producers and consumers, marching against the same headwind that's sending you pushback.
For what it's worth, I think Alex DeCampi, woman making comics who is quite outspoken on Tumblr and in the comics industry, would give you the exact opposite of aggressive pushback.
Her name leapt into my head because she's a childhood friend (although I simply stand back and admire her from afar now), and she writes Tumblr posts from time to time that are not identical to but perhaps one lane over from the route you're traveling.
Also see Heavenscalyx, author of Wonder Stories.
no subject
Date: 2016-01-31 10:13 pm (UTC)I have reservations about Tumblr as a fannish platform, but for female visual artists it's like...