Publishers should accompany rejection with plausible reasons

By John K Kariuki

John Mwazemba’s article, The Mighty, Famous also Face Publishers’ Rejection Slip, cannot go unchallenged.

While giving examples of famous people like Rudyard Kipling, George W Bush, Earnest Hemingway and Samuel Johnson, among others that have faced rejection, Mwazemba seems to gloat at the publishers’ self-imposed infallibility. Witness the way he reproduces some famous rejections verbatim in quotes that border on the condescending, insulting and haughty to prove his case.

But, tragically, he fails to state the way forward with our local publishers whom he absolves for giving rejections.

He should realise these rejections he merrily quotes could have emanated from human misjudgement, prejudice and plain editor conservatism at the presentation of new works in styles they may never have seen before.

A case in point is J K Rawlings phenomenal Harry Potter series, which was rejected by several publishers on account of its occult undertones. And here at home, Binyavanga Wainaina’s literary endeavours with Kwani Journal would never have seen the light of day if he did not go it alone by forming his publishing company. I doubt if any of our more than 40 publishers would have dared touch his novel brand of work. But overemphasising these apparent assessment oversights as if they were some publishing milestones only mystifies what happens in this industry.

Oversight

In other spheres of the world, individuals who fail to spot business potential and ideas often take the flak and go home when the competitors take advantage of their oversights. But not so in publishing. Apparently, everybody here seems content with ‘publishing programmes’ which Mwazemba alludes to.

But pray, how is a budding author expected to know of a publisher’s priority at the time of submitting manuscripts? I think these are the things they discuss in editorial meetings and come out to write rejection slips and return mountains of manuscripts that are now officially obsolete on their tables.

A cursory glance of their catalogues reveals that many of our publishers are in all genres. In deed, even their websites call out for manuscripts in all areas, including poetry. But the truth is quite opposite when one makes an inquiry.

"We are dealing with inspiration and children’s books now," goes a frequent answer.

"Oh dear, a biography won’t do unless you have a title to your name."

It may not cost publishers much in regularly updating their websites and clearly saying their priorities from time to time and save writers from submitting the ‘wrong manuscripts’. The result of this void of information drives sellable authors wandering from one firm to the next and finally they lose their dream and try other paying endeavours.

Another nasty and mystifying problem with our local bookmen, and which Mwazemba should address, is that they take too long to assess manuscripts. It is not that local writers fear rejections but even these should come immediately.

Insignificant

A budding author should be ready to wait for at least four years before anything comes from a publisher. If they find a manuscript publishable, it will normally be another two years before it sees light of day.

But often the biggest sacrilege any upcoming writer can do is to call the publishing editor to inquire about progress on his or her manuscript, years down the line. Suddenly, some of these people are too officious and remote, asking how you have known their telephone numbers in the first place. They may cite a lot of work in their hands and brashly put you in your insignificant place in the pecking order as far as general knowledge and book making is concerned. Calling at intervals, say of six months, will often usher in the moment of truth and you may finally be told (curtly) of their publishing priorities and how manuscript doesn’t fit in. As in all self-respecting businesses, this calls for PR on both sides of authors and publishers.

Mwazemba calls for rejected writer to continue writing as if nothing has happened, improving on weaknesses. But how do you improve from a single line: "We are sorry we cannot publish your work at the moment, try other publishers?"

Persistent rejections, without highlighting any fault could be the bane of the dearth of a reading culture in this country. For the best manuscripts could have been sent back to their authors to light jikos.

—The writer (jkariuki1967@yahoo.com) is the author of Mystery of the ‘Red Mountain’ and teaches at Nyandarua High School.