Comments on: “But So Many Crappy Things Get Published!”

By: Martha Ramirez

Martha Ramirez — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:55:03 +0000

AMEN! Well-said, Mary!

By: Flur

Flur — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:34:57 +0000

When I read a crappy novel, especially a crappy best-selling novel, I try to use it to improve my writing. I break it down to determine what didn’t work for me – from an undeveloped character to a bad plot line to writing structure. It helps me to see the parts of my work that need to change and improve and helps me to avoid the mistakes the other writer made.

By: MotherReader

MotherReader — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:56:26 +0000

Yes, that is excellent advice. But can those of us who are both writing AND looking at the marketplace as a whole in separate roles OCCASIONALLY complain that there is too much crappy stuff out there? Maybe on alternating Wednesdays?

By: fred

fred — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:35:51 +0000

Crappy novels get published because the truth is there are very few great writers so if they don’t publish mediocre and crappy novels they would be out of business. No matter what they tell you it comes down to dollars and cents. If an editor thinks he can sell it he will if not he or she will reject it period writing has only a little to do with it or do you think the twilight saga was great fiction.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:26:08 +0000

Hi Mary,

I love your blog so far, it is very funny and gives sound advice. I get on the internet every morning to read your blog, and it never fails to put a smile on my face when I set my word count for that day. It helps me greatly, because I know how it feels to read a crappy book. As an Aspiring editor, I tend to want to go and correct these problems, but I know that I cannot. I will continue to work on my craft, and grow. I am actually, -if you want to believe this- looking forward to my first rejection so I can better my writing. I also have a question for you, if you don’t mind me asking. What classes should an aspiring editor take in university? I know that I am supposed to have a Bachelors in English Degree, but no one has even taken the time to tell me which classes would help in this future career. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question and reading my comment.

– Tina

By: Robert Kent

Robert Kent — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:22:34 +0000

This is some of the most solid writing advice I’ve ever read. There is a lot of crappy fiction out there, but it’s important to use that stuff as inspiration to make your own writing better. It’s easy to be better than a published writer in your head, quite another thing to demonstrate it in life.

By: Mary

Mary — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:24:02 +0000

Nate —

Dear Author,

It is with deep regret that I decline your invitation to review DWIGHT AND BIMBI: A PARANORMAL NASCAR ROMANCE. As incredible luck would have it, I just signed a very similar title to my list. Best of luck, and I’ll see you on the bestseller lists!

Mary Kole

***

But seriously… HA! I love me a good joke query. Thanks for the chuckle. (You think I’m kidding? I’ve received multiple joke queries each from most of my closest friends. They know how to lighten up a slog through the slush!)

By: Nate Pedersen

Nate Pedersen — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:53:01 +0000

Dear Mary,

I read on your above blog post that you are interested in representing a crappy paranormal NASCAR romance. It just so happens that I have just recently completed a crappy paranormal NASCAR romance called “Dwight and Bimbi: A Paranormal NASCAR Romance.” It is a quick read at 350,000 words and will be of great interest to readers young and old!

In my book, Dwight, a down-on-his-luck auto mechanic in Tennessee, begins to receive nightly visits from Harold the Mechanic Fairy. Harold is a cranky, but wise auto-mechanic fairy with much to teach Dwight in the ways of mechanics. Through his nightly tutoring, Dwight begins to learn all the important things about auto-mechanics to prepare him to be a top-level, ace mechanic for race car drivers. Freshly learned, Dwight strikes off to the NASCAR circuit to ply his new-found trade skills in auto-mechanics. While working the NASCAR circuit, Dwight meets the beautiful, smoking hot, blonde, and babe-a-licious Bimbi, a woman race car driver! Before he knows it, he’s fallen in love with Bimbi, but she doesn’t have time for a two-bit mechanic from Tennessee! So Dwight visits a New Orleans voodoo priestess in an extended, 20,000 word dream sequence, where he convinces the priestess, Mama Voodoo, to cast a love spell on Bimbi! But while Dwight is waiting for the love spell to take effect, Bimbi falls for him anyway because of his no-nonsense ways and expert skills in auto-mechanics! All of this comes to a nail-biting climax during the INDY 500 race, where Bimbi has a chance to win and Dwight has a chance to fix her race-car!

I am sure you will love my novel based on your desire for a crappy paranormal NASCAR romance. There is something in it for everyone: love, fairies, hot babes, fast cars, long nights of sultry love-making, and tons of in-depth overviews of auto-mechanics. Also Bimbi is a vampire.

Thanks for considering!

- Nate

By: deb

deb — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:32:16 +0000

Excellent advice, that’s the kind!

By: Shelley Moore Thomas

Shelley Moore Thomas — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:16:45 +0000

This made me laugh so hard…..just publish this hot mess already!!

Thanks for making my day start with a smile.

And you’re right about so many things within this post.

Shelley