Saturday, June 03, 2006

 

Erudite sorrows, redneck remedy

Dang. Big Academic Press has rejected my book proposal -- unless I want to add a few more chapters. That doesn't surprise me in the least, but it's disappointing anyway.

I may or may not rework it and reubmit. I might submit it as-is to another press -- one still interested in publishing monographs of fairly narrow scope rather than probable moneymakers.

And Scholarly History Journal has rejected my article -- unless I want to rewrite it and resubmit, which does surprise me since I've done that once already.

Now, I'm afraid *not* that Scholarly History Conference will reject my paper proposal I sent in a couple of weeks ago, but that it will *accept* it. Right now, I feel like an imposter.

Sigh. Who'm I kidding?

Academic eggheads aren't interested in work that appeals to a broad audience. They just don't. They like to feel special, even if it means creating their own tiny false universes where they sit around and take turns staring at one another's navels. Outsiders need not apply -- and if everyday people think they're out of touch with reality, then that's all the better since it reinforces the myth that academic elite "thinkers" are somehow "smarter" than the average bear.

Makes me want to sell all my dang books, my microfilm reader, all the film I've accumulated and just give it all up.

Before I do that, I think I'll fire up the grill and do some barbecued chicken. Grilling, hangin' with the dogs, smokin' a stogey -- that rarely fails to improve my mood ...

--ER

Comments:
Sorry to hear about your sorrows. The dogs ought to help that quite a bit. I recommend lots of doggie petting. :)
 
I recommend lots of doccy petting. To hell with them animals. Call Dr. ER.

:-)
 
LOL and wow! Thanks, Sheila.
 
Feeling sorry for your self Redneck? Cussin the academic world for being what you have know it was all along? Kickin yourself for wanting to be one of them and being rejected?
Last year everybody was patting on you back and giving you awards and stuff. Not much of a farmer if you expect a big crop every year. Send the dang stuff out to the next publisher and the next publisher and the next publisher until it sticks. Of course you are a fraud. We all are frauds. We all pretend to be something we are not most of each day, including those "editors" who rejected your stuff.
Trick is can we get the other guys to believe us?
 
Yep. I'm like a pecan tree.

Tomorrow is another day.
 
BTW, it wound up being grilled beer-soaked, bacon-wrapped and honey BBQ sauce brush shrimp, and grilled salmopn steaks with butter-lemon-parsley stuff. Mmmm mm.
 
Better than "float in water".
 
Hey, most writers get rejected over and over with NO "if you rewrite and add chapters" business! So you are way ahead, in my opinion. Giant steps in the right direction...
 
why not set up a paypal button and send the paper as a zip to those who purchase it? or use one of the print on demand. part free and pay for the rest. I spend way more that planned on Baen's books because of that.
Cath
 
To echo Miss Cellania - at least they suggested to "rewrite and add more chapters." To me that sounds a lot better than a flat out rejection. I could be wrong, but maybe they see possibilities.
...Enjoyed your site. Found you via Miss Cellania's Blogroll. Being a transplanted redneck, I always enjoy southern bloggers.
 
Thanks to all. Cox Communications, 'Net "provider," kept me off today until now, and now I'm too pooped to pop.

A few things, tho.

Heifer International. Sustainable agriculture types. Kids from the church I attend left today for two weeks there.

www.CrosswalkAmerica.com -- they're coming through here and will give a talk on who they are, and what, Wednesday night at Mayflower Congregational UCC Church in Oklahoma.
 
Snort! Mark is a derringer.
 
cap gun
 
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