Aye. If I want a sermon, I know where to find such. And no which I might select, it will almost certainly be better. As for younger entertainment reading... Well, I rather liked The Mad Scientist club books...
One of the funniest reviews I saw of John Van Stry's new book was comparing it to a Heinlein Juvenile, if said Juvenile grew up on the wrong side of the tracks.
As a kid. I read most of what Louis L'amour and Zane Grey wrote, a lot of WWII history, all the sci-fi greats - Heinlein, Azimov, Bradbury, Zelazny.... etc. I often re-read them, I can't seem to find anything recent that appeals to me.
The thing that is 'radicalizing' young men--- is mostly their mothers, not folks online. She set the archetype defining women for them. They observe how mom acts, how she treats or treated their father or the men in her life if single, listen to her opinions of men, observe how her friends act towards men, see how their friends' mothers treat their husbands/men in their life.
The boys can't help but note that the men who 'do the right things', aren't actually attractive to women, aren't appreciated, and are treated horribly. Many who 'do the right things' are rewarded for serving mom, taking care of their kids, supporting everyone putting aside their own desires with a divorce.
Those boys don't get their opinions about women from Tate, or other folks on line. They go looking on line for an explanation of why the way women behave towards men isn't anything like what they've been told should be the case.
My agent has started pimping my new YA novel (with a boy as the narrator and main character) and sent me an email last week saying he was having trouble finding anyone to read it because -- here's a surprise -- editors were looking for stories with strong female characters. My story has some "strong" female characters, but it also has a strong male main character who isn't gay, isn't confused about his gender, stands up for bullies, doesn't play the victim, and, oh yeah, plays a mean drum set. Anyway, it kind of made my blood boil. You can probably imagine what I muttered. I was reminded of the editor for my second YA novel, "Stringz", who asked me to make some changes because "teenage boys don't act like that." I had to point out that my wife and I had two teenage boys, and their basement lair was one of the hangouts for their teenage friends, so I thought I had a pretty good handle on how teenage boys did indeed act. I didn't make the changes. As I learned a bit later, she was single, mid-30s, unmarried, no kids, only child, graduated from Wellesley College ... well, you get the idea. So, here's some good news. Got a follow up email yesterday from my agent ... he has found some folks willing to read it. My story is called "Stickz", by the way. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Here's my two cents. Plenty of great fiction out there for boys and YAs. Let's not give up on them. The focused attention over time that is encouraged by good fiction -- oh, hell, any good book -- will pay off big in other areas. There's also a kind of magic that only happens when you find a good story filled with interesting characters. I happened to like "Catcher in the Rye" but Joseph Conrad's, "Lord Jim," that I read in middle school has some scenes that have haunted me all my adult life: what if I'd done X instead of Y and killed the guy who was abusing my older sister (I'm still on the fence on that one). An absolutely great book for young teen boys -- my sons ate it up -- is "Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara. "Have Spacesuit will Travel" is another one ... I could go on, but I won't continue to bore y'all. Cheers.
I agree with all the points made, and I ran into all the obstacles described when I tried to get my novel published. But “Traditional Publishing” is too grandiose a title for what are now exactly four New York based publishing conglomerates. The Big Four are the equivalent of the old big three broadcast networks; once absolutely dominant, now virtually irrelevant. My advice to young authors is ignore Traditional Publishing. There are numerous independent small publishing houses that will accept manuscripts for review. Some specialized (speculative fiction, Christian fiction, etc) and some not. Also University presses are looking for non-fiction niche works. Finally, self-publishing has never been easier.
Trad Pub is dying. Literature and entertaining fiction is fine.
As you point out, trad pub only seems to exist to launder money to politicians. I uncovered one of my wife's unpublished stories and thought, "That would actually be perfect for Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine," so, as a lark, I decided to send it to them. The first shock was the format they demanded, Title halfway down the first page, double spaced, story title and page number in upper right hand corner of each page. Are they honestly telling me that they're going to print my story out to read it? The 1970's are over, dudes! Word processing programs have comment features now! Duh! The only things different from half a centuryt ago were that they allowed me to email it to them and didn't demand a SASE (look it up kids). Just for kicks, I sent it in anyway, and they assured me that it usually took them 6-9 MONTHS to let me know whether they would accept it or not. It's been 11 months without a peep, and, even if they accepted it, it would probably be a year or more to publication and eventual payment.
They should get into antiquing. I heard Larry Correia say that he had been approached several times by trad publishers like they were offering him an opportunity and he had to laugh at their numbers, "Why would I take a pay cut to lose my rights?"
I can also recommend Son of SilverrCon https://fission-chan.org/son-of-silvercon/. Small, but good fun, and not woke. I know, Vegas in July, but, really, I recommend it.
I may have undersold WonderCon a little, because I didn't attend Barbara Kessel's panel, having enjoyed it last year especially about the hero's journey for women. Still, I hope the wokeness is going to die even if slowly.
If you're at LibertyCon in June, I hope to see you there.
Some of the format stuff is (I hope I have this right) the green m&m thing. The slush subs are voluminous and a lot, bad, and not what was asked for. (My first book was a slush sale - of more than 3000, one - mine - was bought.) So: if an author doesn't even read subs guidelines and follow - chances are they haven't read the brief of what is required for the submission, and will no listen to the editor. :-/. Long delays... are actually a net positive sign. The immediate cut is quick, the next cut is slow. It's a lousy system.
Aye. If I want a sermon, I know where to find such. And no which I might select, it will almost certainly be better. As for younger entertainment reading... Well, I rather liked The Mad Scientist club books...
and no _matter_ which
(ox slow joke go here)
One of the funniest reviews I saw of John Van Stry's new book was comparing it to a Heinlein Juvenile, if said Juvenile grew up on the wrong side of the tracks.
As a kid. I read most of what Louis L'amour and Zane Grey wrote, a lot of WWII history, all the sci-fi greats - Heinlein, Azimov, Bradbury, Zelazny.... etc. I often re-read them, I can't seem to find anything recent that appeals to me.
The thing that is 'radicalizing' young men--- is mostly their mothers, not folks online. She set the archetype defining women for them. They observe how mom acts, how she treats or treated their father or the men in her life if single, listen to her opinions of men, observe how her friends act towards men, see how their friends' mothers treat their husbands/men in their life.
The boys can't help but note that the men who 'do the right things', aren't actually attractive to women, aren't appreciated, and are treated horribly. Many who 'do the right things' are rewarded for serving mom, taking care of their kids, supporting everyone putting aside their own desires with a divorce.
Those boys don't get their opinions about women from Tate, or other folks on line. They go looking on line for an explanation of why the way women behave towards men isn't anything like what they've been told should be the case.
My agent has started pimping my new YA novel (with a boy as the narrator and main character) and sent me an email last week saying he was having trouble finding anyone to read it because -- here's a surprise -- editors were looking for stories with strong female characters. My story has some "strong" female characters, but it also has a strong male main character who isn't gay, isn't confused about his gender, stands up for bullies, doesn't play the victim, and, oh yeah, plays a mean drum set. Anyway, it kind of made my blood boil. You can probably imagine what I muttered. I was reminded of the editor for my second YA novel, "Stringz", who asked me to make some changes because "teenage boys don't act like that." I had to point out that my wife and I had two teenage boys, and their basement lair was one of the hangouts for their teenage friends, so I thought I had a pretty good handle on how teenage boys did indeed act. I didn't make the changes. As I learned a bit later, she was single, mid-30s, unmarried, no kids, only child, graduated from Wellesley College ... well, you get the idea. So, here's some good news. Got a follow up email yesterday from my agent ... he has found some folks willing to read it. My story is called "Stickz", by the way. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Here's my two cents. Plenty of great fiction out there for boys and YAs. Let's not give up on them. The focused attention over time that is encouraged by good fiction -- oh, hell, any good book -- will pay off big in other areas. There's also a kind of magic that only happens when you find a good story filled with interesting characters. I happened to like "Catcher in the Rye" but Joseph Conrad's, "Lord Jim," that I read in middle school has some scenes that have haunted me all my adult life: what if I'd done X instead of Y and killed the guy who was abusing my older sister (I'm still on the fence on that one). An absolutely great book for young teen boys -- my sons ate it up -- is "Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara. "Have Spacesuit will Travel" is another one ... I could go on, but I won't continue to bore y'all. Cheers.
These days I think you are more likely to do better on your own or finding a small press like Raconteur
But good luck and I hope you get your books out somehow
I agree with all the points made, and I ran into all the obstacles described when I tried to get my novel published. But “Traditional Publishing” is too grandiose a title for what are now exactly four New York based publishing conglomerates. The Big Four are the equivalent of the old big three broadcast networks; once absolutely dominant, now virtually irrelevant. My advice to young authors is ignore Traditional Publishing. There are numerous independent small publishing houses that will accept manuscripts for review. Some specialized (speculative fiction, Christian fiction, etc) and some not. Also University presses are looking for non-fiction niche works. Finally, self-publishing has never been easier.
Trad Pub is dying. Literature and entertaining fiction is fine.
Traditional publishing is a dead parrot. I ignore people who are into it. See my report on the WonderCon 2025 https://frank-hood.com/2025/04/03/wondercon-2025/.
As you point out, trad pub only seems to exist to launder money to politicians. I uncovered one of my wife's unpublished stories and thought, "That would actually be perfect for Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine," so, as a lark, I decided to send it to them. The first shock was the format they demanded, Title halfway down the first page, double spaced, story title and page number in upper right hand corner of each page. Are they honestly telling me that they're going to print my story out to read it? The 1970's are over, dudes! Word processing programs have comment features now! Duh! The only things different from half a centuryt ago were that they allowed me to email it to them and didn't demand a SASE (look it up kids). Just for kicks, I sent it in anyway, and they assured me that it usually took them 6-9 MONTHS to let me know whether they would accept it or not. It's been 11 months without a peep, and, even if they accepted it, it would probably be a year or more to publication and eventual payment.
They should get into antiquing. I heard Larry Correia say that he had been approached several times by trad publishers like they were offering him an opportunity and he had to laugh at their numbers, "Why would I take a pay cut to lose my rights?"
Your description of Wondercon makes me wonder why I would want to attend any SF con except Libertycon and the various offshoots of it.
I can also recommend Son of SilverrCon https://fission-chan.org/son-of-silvercon/. Small, but good fun, and not woke. I know, Vegas in July, but, really, I recommend it.
I may have undersold WonderCon a little, because I didn't attend Barbara Kessel's panel, having enjoyed it last year especially about the hero's journey for women. Still, I hope the wokeness is going to die even if slowly.
If you're at LibertyCon in June, I hope to see you there.
Some of the format stuff is (I hope I have this right) the green m&m thing. The slush subs are voluminous and a lot, bad, and not what was asked for. (My first book was a slush sale - of more than 3000, one - mine - was bought.) So: if an author doesn't even read subs guidelines and follow - chances are they haven't read the brief of what is required for the submission, and will no listen to the editor. :-/. Long delays... are actually a net positive sign. The immediate cut is quick, the next cut is slow. It's a lousy system.
Just a comment on pricing since you brought it up. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OKRqlUz55iOcwVSYWTNMMb_NwmkOnhO9/view?usp=sharing