“...equating elite with elitist is a common mistake. However, the two words and the two ideas are miles apart. We do ourselves, our world, and our grasp of reality a disservice by failing to note the differences between these two words and their respective ideals.
There is such a thing as high quality. There is such a thing as low quality. If we fail, for whatever reason, to distinguish between the two we pervert and harm our culture and our language.”
The meaning of the word “elite” has become so distorted over the years that it now connotes undesirable exclusivity instead of something worthy of achievement and celebration. . .the e-word is bandied about as something to be avoided in favor of the commonplace.
Ultimately it comes back to semantics: the nice distinction between being elite (a necessity in any creative endeavour) and being elitist (an attitude with sometimes pejorative overtones).
The true group of elites (in whichever field/industry) often aren’t “rah-rah types.” This is likely due to the simple fact that they’re busy constantly improving their craft, instead of constantly craving social support.
Some of us are primarily or solely focused on commercial success. Commercialism involves a whole set of (business-related) talents too.
Others derive satisfaction and fulfillment from focusing on the quality/substance, because of the value in creating something that can be remembered.
To end this article:
Image from Funny Stuff / Apathy Machine
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3. The Corrupted Publishing Industry
(29 October, 2011)
A short essay on how the traditional publishing industry is corrupted (based on several years’ natural observation).
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“Corruption” | Image from UNODC
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Reason #1: The Industry is Racist
The publishing industry is an industry that doesn’t support true multiculturalism (which means it perpetuates racial stereotypes and/or racism, to an extent).
According to AgentQuery.com (as of 17 April, 2010):
“Multi-cultural can be a tricky genre to simply pin down because it can mean different things to different literary agents and publishers. Most insiders will agree that multi-cultural fiction is a code word for books that possess racial and ethnic diversity within the depiction of its characters, cultures, and conflicts…while we certainly consider works representing Asian, Indian, and other ethnic cultures and characters as “multi-cultural”, some agents and publisher only mean African-American and Latino fiction when they use “multi-cultural” as a genre tag. For this reason, “multi-cultural” has as diverse a meaning as the racial and ethnic groups it’s intended to describe.”
Interesting Case In Point: If Battle Royale was written by a U.S. author (and not a Japanese one), The Hunger Games wouldn’t have been published. Why must something be westernized from its original cultural/ethnic form?
As the author of the following blog post writes:
“I suppose we should give Ms. Collins props for ripping off exploiting Asian cinema the YA SF post-apocalyptic niche. Still, she seems to have borrowed source material from BATTLE ROYALE like nobody’s business.”
(The Hunger Games Vs. Battle Royale)
The publishing industry “deserves to die. The publishing industry is racist, sexist, and it heavily favors white male authors over others, especially in literary fiction, which produces the next generation of American literature. If women and non-whites can’t get published and can’t get reviewed and can’t get on prize lists, we will not be able to contribute. For that reason alone it deserves to die” (Why Publishers Can Suck My Dick).
Reason #2: The Industry Is Sexist
The majority of readers are women but 30% or less of books published by literary houses are by women (Salon.com: Literature’s Gender Gap).
Women constitute only 17 percent of opinion writers at The New York Times, 10 percent at The Washington Post, 28 percent at U.S. News & World Report, 23 percent at Newsweek and 13 percent at Time. Overall, only 24 percent of nationally syndicated columnists are women (A Matter of Opinion).
Books like Twilight “promote sexist ideals—Bella has no self; her character exists solely to highlight how much stronger, smarter, and overall better her male suitors are than she is. She has no goals, no cares, no life outside of her man. Her entire world revolves around a shallow, obsessive, dangerous, unequal romance based on lust, a romance that is shown as the ideal” (comment at (cult)ure magazine).
It’s Puritanism in hyperdrive, and (therefore?) celebrated by an elite group of racist, sexist anachronisms.
Reason #3: The Industry Is Committed To Just One Thing: $$$$$$
Literary agents state on their websites that they’re looking for something that wows them, that’s unique, that puts a fresh spin on things.
Literary agents stand by this statement, while checking out the Amazon bestseller lists to discover and sign on self-published individuals who tend to produce work that’s very similar to the kind that the big publishers already mass produce (i.e. popular franchises). The value and decision is solely based on commercialism/commodification, and not on the true substance of the book’s or item’s contents.
This, after years of berating “the dark side that’s self-publishing,” and cautioning would-be “real published authors” to not ever “self-publish” because “no NYC publisher would be interested in a self-published book!” (these are statements that were more popular before 2009, before the indie publishing scene began to be taken more seriously due to the amount of “rising stars” who were making much more than anyone “in the industry” ever expected them to).
Some agents still subscribe to and promote such notions (Should I Self-Publish A Book? | Literary Agent NY).
Which is perhaps why some writers believe that ‘literary agent’ is (also—see last paragraph of first section) “a profession that deserves to die—unless agents can develop some useful new services to offer” (Literary Agents and Self-Publishing).
The Solution: Independent Publishing (lol)
I see independent publishing as a real gift for contemporary authors/artists who do have things to say and share with the world.
Some writers have a vision.
For some writers, money = the vision.
If a writer has a clear conscience, they’ll not deny which camp they fall into.
The current traditional publishing scene is not about quality, value, vision, messages, or anything respectable. It’s about the profits that mostly come from commodification (which guarantees, to an extent, the “quick bucks”). Which means that exciting, original books are continually rejected by publishers because they don’t fit a commercial mould.
I don’t mind speaking my views here (which are based on natural observation), because like Julie Bush, I decided some time ago that it’s no longer a priority (for me) to publish books through the traditional publishing industry.
Besides, if/when some of my (more mainstream type) work starts sailing high on the Amazon bestseller charts, I bet I’ll get a few calls/emails from agents. They do smell the money, after all.
I know the bottomline of any business is about profits, and I know that not every single person in the industry is corrupted (though it’s a different thing when the industry is taken as a WHOLE).
I also don’t think profits should compromise certain principles.
If I have to work alone in order to work with a clean/clear conscience, then that’s what I’ll keep doing.
P.S. FURTHER READING:
Corrupted, a serial ebook of aspirations, fame, fortune, sex, shame and scandal, is Omar Tyree’s latest novel, as he uncovers the dark, passionate and sinister side of the American publishing industry.
Rated Triple RRR, for Real Raw Reality.
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4. Real Love Versus Romance
(1 November, 2011)
An essay on the difference between substance and fluff.
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“Love Vectors” | Image from Meaning of Love, Life
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I enjoy escapism from time to time, as both a reader and a writer.
I like to have some depth to the characters and the love story they’re involved in. Nothing annoys me more than a shallow, obsessive, dangerous, unequal “romance” that’s actually based on lust or physical attraction, a romance that is portrayed as the ideal.
This is a theme that has become very popular in mainstream/commercial YA fiction (mostly due to the commercial success of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga). This is precisely why one of the genres I work in is Young Adult Fiction.
I believe there’s more to life than popularity and the latest trends and fashions. There’s nothing wrong with finding these appealing, as there are social and other perks to being well-liked by one’s peers.
However, I think commercialism has a tendency to take things to the extreme. Market power is exploited to the detriment of social value. Superficial and shallow things like romantic fluff (i.e. what is “lacking originality or profundity“) turn into the actual substance to mass market consumers.
This is one reason I’ve always been very wary of consumer capitalism.
A quick definition:
“Consumer capitalism is a theoretical economic and political condition in which consumer demand is manipulated, in a deliberate and coordinated way, on a very large scale, through mass-marketing techniques, to the advantage of sellers. The theory is controversial. It suggests manipulation of consumer demand so potent that it has a coercive effect, amounts to a departure from free-market capitalism, and has an adverse effect on society in general.”
(Wikipedia: Consumer Capitalism)
Films like Titanic and classic works such as Romeo and Juliet contain a love story (and romantic elements). The substance lies in the characters involved and their drives/motivations, which separates these stories from the “mindless entertainment” type of shallow, fluffy romantic stories.
There’ll always be a market for mindless entertainment, but what is both irritating and dangerous is how these works often cause innovative, original work to be ignored or discouraged.
Shelly Barclay has a very concise article titled, Modern novels: Assessing the romance genre. She writes:
“With apologies where it does not apply, the romance genre tends to be overly gushy, shallow, unbelievable and tends to be tumultuous in a boring way.
There is a lot of petty bickering (To add to the suspense?). There are a lot of ‘other’ men and women trying to intrude (To add to the suspense?). Worst of all, there is a lot of horrible, boring and vapid dialogue.
It should be said that there are extraordinary romance novels. Gone with the Wind, Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre come to mind.
However, for a romance novel to be extraordinary, it has to have more than just romance. It has to be historical, exceptionally insightful or add some other tangible element that adds foundation to the story.
To be fair, there are many excellent writers out there who choose to contribute to the romance genre. They write well-rounded, moving and memorable novels. There is something special and worthwhile about their novels...[which] catch the attention of those of us who do not particularly enjoy romance as well.”
(Modern novels: Assessing the romance genre)
Grantley Morris has an interesting article where he questions if romantic fiction is the female equivalent of porn.
He writes that “both erotica and romantic fiction create images of, and create a longing for, things that no normal partner could ever match, with the result that both sexes end up wishing their partners were more like those portrayed on the screen. In real life, the initial euphoria of romance wears off. The really heady stuff is more likely with a new partner.”
A woman wrote in to Grantley’s website with the following comment:
“Women get caught up in story fantasy [and] become dissatisfied with their lives because their husbands don’t measure up to the hero, and the romance isn’t there as it is in the story.
If women would put in more effort into their real life relationships instead of living through fantasy, there would be less family difficulties. Women are so easily led by their emotions, and feelings. They are very ‘I’ centered also. Through these fantasies they focus on how everyone should be treating them but never see how they are treating others.”
(Reader E-mail / Romantic Fiction)
The following excerpt from Gayle Goldwin’s WomanSpirit Oracles states:
“In ancient times, women needed joy and fulfillment in their lives, just as women now do.
But women then were taught that they would find it within themselves—in the activities, pursuits and pleasures that they enjoyed. Their modern sisters, raised in patriarchal cultures, have been taught to look to a man for fulfillment instead of to themselves.
Romance is a fantasy designed to make women obey Man’s wishes in hopes of gaining his approval. Romance is not Love. It is Need. It is not joy, but only a brief distraction from depression and pain.”
(WomanSpirit Oracles)
The romance genre may be strong commercially, but as a writer, I’m more driven to write love stories than fluffy romances (love stories can also be very entertaining, when there’s the right mix of elements).
In all honesty, the commercial romance genre contributes little value to society.
And it’s society that suffers in the end, if, in the name of commercialism/profits/consumer capitalism, “romance” is viewed as “real love,” and Real Love ends up being devalued because it lacks cheap thrills and shallow excitement (i.e. the qualities which make “romance” much easier to exploit for profits).
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[THE DARKER SIDE OF LIFE]
I’m currently working on The Darker Side of Life (Book #2, Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy). One of the themes I’d like to explore is the negative influence(s) of the mass media.
I would like to see more presentations of love/romance/sex than the fluffy, formulaic love triangles of the present commoditized variety. I like creating what I have trouble finding ;)
Here’s some information on the project:
TITLE: The Darker Side of Life
(Book #2 in Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy)
PUBLISHING DATE: Early 2012
SUMMARY: A hybrid elf child combats a dark elf’s scheme to exploit and turn a virtual reality system into a weapon of mass destruction.
SYNOPSIS:
Anya is distraught as she copes with being separated from Ithilnin (Nin). She realizes she could get the answers she desperately seeks from Laer—the first dark elf she’s encountered.
With Laer’s help, a trip through the elves’ virtual reality system affects Anya more deeply than she anticipated. Laer enlightens Anya on her connection to the deciphered code of an ancient prophecy, information which she dutifully discusses in the dead of night with Nin. The discovery threatens to destroy Nin and Anya’s fragile but intimate ties, as Anya finds herself increasingly tempted to take a walk on the dark side.
The plot thickens with jealousy, betrayal, and a noble vengeance in The Darker Side of Life [Book #2 in the (Cyberpunk) Elven Trilogy].
GENRE: Urban Fantasy / Cyberpunk / YA with adult crossover appeal
* Recommended for readers seeking cyberpunk themes (not hardcore sci-fi), and a love story (not fluffy romance).
SOME INFO ON ‘CYBERPUNK’: https://elventrilogy.wordpress.com/cyberpunk/
INFO ON CYBERPUNK ELVEN TRILOGY: https://elventrilogy.wordpress.com/about/
AUTHOR BIO: Jess is an independent author/artist/non-conformist who’s dedicated to writing original stories that are both meaningful and entertaining. She works in a diverse range of genres, such as contemporary fiction, YA fiction, poetry, urban fantasy, and cyberpunk. Her website is jessINK.com
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[AUTHOR Q&A]
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The following interview extract was originally published on 29 October 2011, courtesy of Matt Posner (author of School of the Ages).
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MP: What’s your name, where are you from, where do you live?
Jess C Scott | from Singapore | currently residing in Maine (big change!)
MP: What do you write and why do you write it?
Jess: I write in a range of different genres (YA, poetry, urban fantasy, contemporary with erotic elements, etc.). I like trying out different forms and settings to come up with original material.
MP: Recommend to readers a book.
Why I Write, by George Orwell.
MP: In one of your books you talk about a business model for success as an independent writer. What are the very basics of that plan and how do you feel you are progressing toward your goal?
Jess: The plan covers the basics of building brand identity (which is vital for long-term success). I mostly focus on quality and improving my character via the work I do. The discipline sets the standard for future goals and projects.
MP: I admire your business model very much and I keep it in mind all the time. What are the pros and cons of being a multi-genre author?
Pros: It’s never boring. It’s challenging. Versatility improves ability.
Cons: It can be a bit harder to target a certain niche, if you want a high rank on the Amazon bestseller charts.
MP: You do all of your own art for your covers, interiors, and book trailers? Talk about what it feels like to be a multimedia artist.