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This the first serious thread that I've submitted. Please bare with me.
Last night, I found a novel that a friend of mine had left at my place. The novel is Normal Girl by Molly Jung-Fast, daughter of Erica jung and Jonathon Swift. Her novel was published I think when she was twenty years old. I began to read it and thought to myself "Why?" after I realized I was thoroughly unimpressed, "would this have ever gotten published if it wasn't for her mummy and daddy being famous writers and having all the connection she's got in the publishing world."
And then I was reminded of my high school I attended. A politically influenced private school in the DC Suburbs that breeds Future CEOs and Future Congessman. Heck, A few kids I graduated with had Senator Fathers.
I remembered how indirectly I was taught to use the people and resources around you and be sure to repay the favor when you become a power to reckon with. Trading favors we called this. It's a very tight net and everyone has each others backs. Believe it or not, for the most part, this is how politics works in the U.S.
My questions is:is the publishing world the same way? Is it necessary to have "connections" to get published and be promoted effectively? Do I need to start befriending "all the right people"?
F'ed up as this may sound, let's face it.
Isn't it not enough to just send out our work to slush piles and hope we hit the lotto. Don't we need someone to push our work that has their hand already in the inside?
Feedback is appreciated.
Thanks,
Adam
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Life is a lottery, unless someone can tell you the numbers.
Ultimately, this boils down to the paranoid need for comfort which pretty much sums up mankind. The problem you describe isn't just limited to politics and publishing, it exists in every facet of life.
If you know the right person, you can get your groceries on the cheap, because friends work in Tesco, you can get your kids into the top school, despite not being in the catchment area, thanks to the headmaster who's car you got through MOT or whatever, you can get a good new job, because your ex-boss has moved and wants his old team in his new role, you can get free flights because 'a mate' is an air hostess, or pilot with BA.
Ultimately, if you know the right people, you can have it all. But, one might be moved to ask, what of those unfortunate enough not to have these connections, either through lack of opportunity to make them, or a disinclination to be associated with them? Well, these people simply pay over the odds because the freebies offered to everyone else are incorporated into what is known as RRP.
'It's not what you know, it's who you know' is a concept built into every sensible business model since the dawn of time, and if you don't know the people, then you're the one paying top dollar, the guy at the back of the queue, who's name isn't on the list and can't come in.
It's a simple way of ensuring, generally, that those people with money get to keep it and watch it grow. Everyone else gets to live in envy.
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Adam, you've turned all serious - what have we done to you??? Actually, I am very happy to learn about another side to your multi-faceted character.
To address your question, I think it's just human nature to feel a wary around strangers. Until you get to know someone, there's always a chance that they'll turn out to be a psycho who you wish you'd never met (of course you can get to know people who seem quite unpsychotic and they still turn out to be nutters, but I think some signs will always show in the early days.)
Also, it seems only natural to me to want to interact with people, whether in business, politics, or social life, who share the same values as you do.
As for the question of getting published, it is simply a lower risk option for publishers to go with those who are already known to them in some way. However, as I'm sure you know, low risk often equates to low reward, and I'm sure they miss a lot of talent as a result.
Adele.
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P.S. Clues that someone may be a psycho:
They express deep admiration for Patrick Bateman in American Psycho
er, that's enough...
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That makes most females quite suspect.
Must be fairly accurate, then.
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IB, you must know some very strange women if they like Patrick Batemen...
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Thanks IB,
That really puts it into perspective. The "I know a guy who knows a guys" culture has really kept us comfortable, yes.
Am i going to quit my job, move to New York City, and work my way into the elitist publishing industry circles from the few close personal contacts that I have. At my young age, its tempting.
But how will I prove to myself that I'm any good if I sneak in through the backdoor. Won't it hinder my abiltity to grow as a writer? I cheated for years in school work and managed to create great results and opportunites from it, but I honestly now realize that I did myself a disservice, because I didn't learn shit. The only thing I learned was how to manipulate other people, which does come in handy from time to time, but essentially worhtless when it comes to growing as a writer.
And you hear the story a lot: about the young aspiring screenwriter who moves to Hollywood with a hot head and great expectations, only to find himself outnumbered and too far behind those of the other screenwriters that already know people in the "inside".
I'd be reluctant to pack up and move to NYC on a whim, but I've done crazier things than that. It just seems to me that there really is a million to one shot of becoming a great success, unless you have someone pushing your work from the "inside".
Excuse me, if I sound like I'm talking out of my ass.
Hyperactively Spitting Words,
Adam
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Adele,
I love Patrick Bateman. I consider him a role model.
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Al T, I was thinking of the movie, where Patrick is played by Christian Bale. The ladies "luv 'im".
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Adam, when I moved to London I knew literally one person, and the poor soul had early stage Alzheimers so was not exactly a help to my social life. However, this didn't stop me from getting out there, getting to know more people, and carving out a decent career.
You are young, sound like you have drive, and if you are also willing to work hard, I'm sure you'll do extremely well as a writer, or as anything else you put your mind to. The last piece of work you posted was outstandingly good. So why not pick up the ball and run with it?
Adele.
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Btw, Adam, if Bateman is your role model, just ensure that when you chop up women's bodies you dispose of them rather more efficiently that he did.
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You wanna hear something freaky?
My roommate in college was reading American Psycho obsessively and began taking on Bateman traits of his own.
He began using facial masking products and lathering his whole body in lotion everyday.
He was a little pudgy though, I think he forgot to take on the most needed Bateman trait(and excercise, especially the abs).
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oops, on the italics
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How very metrosexual of him.
Turning back to one of your earlier questions:
| how will I prove to myself that I'm any good if I sneak in through the backdoor? |
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If your writing stinks, you may still get a book contract, which these days tend to be for at least two books. However, if the public doesn't like your work then they won't buy the second book, and you won't get another contract.
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Hi Silverelli,
I think it depends on the individual. I know people who have had a lot of opportunities and have thrown it all away and not made use of them. I also know people who came from nothing, had no connections or money to start off with and then achieved great things through hard work, talent and perseverance.
In my opinion, drive, motivation and hard work can get excellent results - sometimes better results than knowing the right people or having everything handed to you on a plate.
For example it could be argued that people in the UK have many opportunities and options available to them, but often they don't realize how fortunate they are or they simply choose not to make full use of what is offered to them and better themselves.
Education is a good example. In developing nations education is considered a priviledge, whereas I think in the UK there is a large majority of people, young and old, who regard further education as being unessential or as a chore.
Despite having fewer opportunities (and maybe because of this) people in less fortunate societies are often more driven to succeed and better themselves.
So I don't think success is necessarily related to who you know, although in many cases it does help. I'd like to think that determination and talent will take you just as far.
However, Silver, if you've got connections or friends or other avenues you could pursue in order to further your career, I don't see any shame in following up on them.
Sorry if I veered off the topic at all....brain is slow today!
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