Progressive word count in Harry Potter series

I tried to do "Eat, Pray, Love" for them, but it came out "Meet, Spray, Leave". No takers so far

[PeteMalicki]

I wanted to do Shit, Curse, Hate.

That's non-fiction

[CandraH]

Originally Posted by Lin

We men learn to survive the sexism and double standards.

I tell ya though... even other women were talking about all these NYC publishers there--little clubs of 20-something Manhattan cuties looking for HIGH literary. Somebody said, "It's like Sex in the City for juniors"

You long-suffering bastards.

But seriously, thats a crazy state of affairs. That a small group of people can hold such a strong influence over whats the "accepted" current trend or what gets published in the book world. Not that that wasnt the case before when it was a boy's club. It's just that, going to the opposite extreme isnt progress. It's just a different bunch of greedy egos grabbing their chance to sit on top of the shit heap.

I'm not cynical, honest.

If it was ever a "boy's club" it wasn't in our lifetimes.
Magazines are the same way, totally dominated by women. The fiction editor at PLAYBOY is a woman. (So is the current owner)
You walk into a magazine office and all you see is chicks.

But it's way beyond that, it's what you say, a little club with narrow interests. And they aren't even greedy assholes, just cute kids who got the job they wanted and are getting to push what they like.

[PeteMalicki]

And their tastes aren't necessarily indiciative of the tastes of the market...

[PeteMalicki]

And Lin, your lifetime is a lot more substantial than the lifetimes of others on this website mate!

Pete

[Dragon King]

I'm just thinking of one series that sorta defies that rule (though I'm sure there are many ) - the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. I love his books and am re-reading them again, but they're almost unbelievably long. I'm amazed that the publisher even looked at the 832 page monster of a first manuscript

Originally Posted by PeteMalicki

And Lin, your lifetime is a lot more substantial than the lifetimes of others on this website mate!

Pete

I've always instinctively felt that, but it's very kind of you to make it official.

Originally Posted by PeteMalicki

And their tastes aren't necessarily indiciative of the tastes of the market...

Exactly. That's what's pissing me off. They SHOULD be about making money, about serving the mainstream.

How many agents are out there telling us they want "Judaica"? Or "LGBT" (which is apparently not a BLT sandwich with garlic)? African-American women lit?

These are audience populations of less than 12%. Why tilt your search there?
They say they want blockbusters, but are losing millions publishing little love letters to the rarified population where the industrio-literarti live.

[CandraH]

Originally Posted by Lin

If it was ever a "boy's club" it wasn't in our lifetimes.
Magazines are the same way, totally dominated by women. The fiction editor at PLAYBOY is a woman. (So is the current owner)
You walk into a magazine office and all you see is chicks.

But it's way beyond that, it's what you say, a little club with narrow interests. And they aren't even greedy assholes, just cute kids who got the job they wanted and are getting to push what they like.

I wasnt really talking in terms of lifetimes but yep, I hear you. And I agree with both your and Pete's sentiments. It should be about making money and serving the mainstream because the market thats actually out there is pretty wide ranging. It's not all about selected romances or "literary" fiction. And it certainly shouldnt be about the likes of the few dictating what the many get given.

[10qp29wo]

Total words: 1084220!
Just finished reading the Harry Potter series for the third or fourth time.
I'm using the series to count as part of a "One Million Words Log" for English
... I've read a million words
... and everybody else still has 3 3/4 quarters of the school year to do it.