Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Arrogance and Ignorance

So I'm reading the PublishAmerica boards again tonight (yes, I really was that bored!), and what do I find but more arrogance and ignorance from an aspiring writer.

The thread starts out innocently enough. The orginal poster states that when he tried to order a PublishAmerica book at a local Barnes&Noble, he was told it was a POD and was subtly discouraged from buying it. OK, fine. The saleswoman was trying to warn him, even at the cost of a sale. Perhaps not the best business sense, but then PublishAmerica does publish America's slush pile.

It's the second post that prompted this blog entry. Here is what the poster says:

It's also the attitude that they have at B&N in Mishawaka, IN..The people at Borders must have gotten the virus too, because their attitude is the same. My guess is that none of them has ever had a book published, with their name as AUTHOR. Since they can't do what so many PA authors have done, maybe there is a tinge of jealousy hidden away and it only comes out when they have the opportunity to put someone else's efforts down. They seem to enjoy the 'arrogance' of having done nothing.

Say what? The saleswoman wants to be an author, too, and is jealous? He doesn't know that. The poster just assumes that, because he wants to be a published author, the saleswoman has the same goal. I mean that must be the answer, right? Because it's not like PA offers unedited books with limited returnability and bad discounts to bookstores. How outrageously ignorant. How outrageously arrogant (on the poster's part). Or as Miss Snark would say--how outrageously clue free.

Slushpile has a good discussion on a related topic.

(And actually if the saleswoman wanted to be PA author, God forbid, all she would have to do is submit 60,000 words of whatever, and if she got in before the daily quota was reached, she'd be offered a contract. Of course, if she was turned down, she could just keep trying earlier and earlier each day until she hit the jackpot.)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If the salesclerk were going to be "jealous" wouldn't it be of someone she's heard of, that has books on the shelves and is enjoying a nice advance for their hard work?

Julie Doe said...

Yeah, definitely!

You know a friend of mine works at a book store. I know many of the employees there because I've given them many, many, many dollars over the years. Not one of the employees has a secret desire to be an author. Most of them just like books and a steady pay check.