Friday, May 8, 2009

HUH????

I just recieved rejection #17.

While the rest of the letter is really nice and positive, this phrase hit me like a brick in the head, and I'm still laying on the ground bleeding over it.

While there is no easy way to say this, I am afraid that we will have to pass on your manuscript. It's not quite right for us, considering we strictly publish sci-fi/horror/fantasy. Emergence doesn't really fit into any of those categories, seems to be more of a suspense thriller.

Emergence is not science fiction?????? Oookkkaaaayyyy????? What is it then? Granted there's a bit of steampunk, but my character likes old things. Theres not enough to call it steampunk either.

Somehow it will find its place in the world.

7 comments:

Pendragon Inman said...

i guess it fits into the Emerging "Emergence" genre! LOL :)

Anonymous said...

I'm a long time lurker on your blog, so I hope this doesn't come across as "kick me when I'm down." I just wanted to say that in all the descriptions you've given of Emergence and the Dominion Day series, it has everything suspense/thriller but nothing science fiction.

Let me explain. And please forgive me if I have things slightly off, since I don't have a description of Emergence in front of me. You've described this as a book about a guy who is an ex-agent that needs to take down the bad guys. That is suspense/thriller. I don't remember ANYTHING that is futuristic in this novel, which makes it science-fiction.

Maybe you should consider shipping this book as suspense/thriller. I think it would fit in well in that genre. I don't read this genre regularly, so I can't think of anything off the top of my head that fits this description, but I'm sure there are some books shelved under suspense/thriller that have science-fiction overtones.

C. Michelle Jefferies said...

Rukia. . . *grin*

Storyengineer, Your probably right and no, your comments are not a "kick". It makes me think. I really don't know what it goes under. It is futuristic, it has suspense, (the second book doesnt have as much suspense tho).

It's more of a character diven family saga that is set in the future. Dont know where it goes, what to call it, how to shop or market it.

The rejection letter was really nice. I just was a little shoked that a publisher that only publishes SF/F/H doesnt think its SF.

Anonymous said...

I think SE is right- if you look at this story without the rest of the series (which no one can see but you, yet) there's hardly any sci-fi elements. Wow, that does make for a perplexion, don't it?

C. Michelle Jefferies said...

VERY PERPLEX, I wish I had a magic wand here.

I have a friend who writes fantasy but has to get her MC to the planet in the story. Her first book appears verry SF and not fantasy. The question is what do we do how do you market something that starts as one thing and naturally evolves to another?

Questions to be answered I guess.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever considered putting the entire story into one book, rather than spreading over a series? If you think about it, the actual plot is him going from evil to prophet - everything else is really subplot, isn't it?

Pendragon Inman said...

Hey--you were talking about me!

It's a fantasy! it's a fantasy! it's a fantasy! it's a fantasy! it's a fantasy! wah wah wah.... pout pout... tantrum throwing, feet kicking into floor, big croc tears.

did i win yet? :)
That's it! I'm blowing Mela-4 up.