Today's Font Joke Is Also A Lesson
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
And we thought we put OUR feet in our mouth a lot. Today's font joke also comes to you courtesy of the eagle-eyed Shirin Dubbin, a hot contender for our fiancé/es roster, and who just found out she is publishing a novella with Carina Press, so why don't you go and tell her congratulations. Like this: CONGRATULATIONS, AUTHOR-FRIEND SHIRIN!
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CONGRATULATIONS, AUTHOR-FRIEND SHIRIN!
I think I got that right.
And, personally, I'm sticking to Times New Roman. I like Romans. Admittedly I read a lot of Asterix comics growing up.
Thank you!
I would totally say yes to your proposal. You wouldn't have to run through the airport, the train station or in any way publicly proclaim your love [read: embarrass yourself 'cause you were such a fool]. I'd be ready with the "yes, ma'am" with a quickness.
BTW the font link didn't come through. Please tell me it was: A Font Joke Pour Tout Le Monde? I like that one.
Oops, sorry. I just realized there is a link and it is so very French. Champagne Pour Tout Le Monde! (but you've got to pay for the fonts)
Congrats, Shirin!
Seriously. You have no idea how flabbergasted I am to see that novellas are still getting published (when SO many people are saying they've gone the way of the Dodo). My first complete novella is currently being reviewed by an ezine editor, and I have another that is still in the works. Thanks for the (indirect) motivational boost! ;)
Ink, Thanks!
Lydia, Thank you and very cool. That's the wonderful about thing about e-publishing. It provides an opportunity to tell a great variety of stories at varying lengths.
Carina Press is special because they're accepting the full gamut of fiction. At this time, many e-Publishers are romance only; often specifically erotica.
Please let me know when you find a home for your novella.
Will do, Shirin. :)
Carina Press got my attention because they're accepting SF/F with romantic elements, which is mainly what I write. I'm also looking into podcasting sites for some of my shorter fiction. Love all the different options we have now.
Bien joué, Shirin, well played!
Congrats Shirin!
God I love font fails, so thanks for this. I never knew there were other people like me out there.
Coward definition=a person who lacks the courage to do or endure dangerous or unpleasant things.
Threw the gauntlet down Rejectionist and you didn't respond. You know my name. Want to keep hiding behind anonymous? Why? In Special Operations we did covert ops. Cover names, lots of secrets. But when it came down to it, we stood up and did the job and people certainly knew who we were. Can't hide it when there's a bloody day.
So as you swill your whiskey and say don't fuck with the assistant have the INTEGRITY to back up your words with your real self.
Do you know where the word integrity came from? A Roman soldier, in inspection, would strike his armor over his chest and shout integritas. The armor was thickest there.
Of course you won't. And I'm sure you'll block me from posting on your site. Because you're all about being snarky, as long as you control it.
You do have a lot of great information on your blog. Helps writers. Just respect them. And if you do, there's no need for you to hide your identity. Motivation-- key to character development.
I know a lot of people like your snark. Even funny at times. But the business is changing. The bellows of agents, editors, etc. from the tar pits are getting louder and louder.
Love my agent. Love my editor. Hate cowards.
Gauntlet down again.
I'm not being an asshole. I'm being an author advocate. If we could all work together, we could make the changes work. But as long as some agents like you want to poke fun at writers, well, your clock is ticking. Because, frankly, there are as many bad agents out there as bad writers.
Oh wait-- you work for a VERY IMPORTANT literary agent.
Maybe you are that agent, venting. If so, let us know how important you are. Let us know why it's important. Be honest. And have integrity.
Or else keep hiding and sniping.
The sniper needs the victim more than the victim needs the sniper.
And for Bob's next book: How To Survive on the Internet Without A Sense of Humor.
Seriously. Just exactly what authors have you appointed yourself an "advocate" for? Because I'm an author and you sure as hell don't speak for me!
LOL no problem. Keep up with the person you don't know. I have a great sense of humor. Have had NY Times best selling books in romantic comedies published. No idea what exactly this person has achieved, because, well, he/she hides.
I'm not your advocate. Which is fine. Let anonymous here be yours.
Congratulations, Author-friend Shirin!
Bob: Why would Le R. owe it to anyone to reveal her identity? This is her blog, and if her anonymity bothers you, no one is making you read it. To barge in insulting her and accusing her of cowardice because of how she chooses to run her blog is just an unpleasant interruption for those of us who enjoy reading it just the way it is. Even if she had no reasons for remaining anonymous besides her own preference, who are you to question that on her blog?
Not insulting. Just want honesty. I get to question because she's blogging.
And I will continue to. I could post anonymously. Perhaps that would fit the format here better
I get to question because it's a public forum. Duh.
To be snarky is one thing. To be snarky, funny, humorous at the expense of another person is quite a different thing. Yeah, sure the rejectionist can remain annoymous because this is her blog, but the comment section is open which gives anyone reading the opportunity to ask why, comment on things we might agree with or disagree with. I always find it interesting that when someone disagrees with another POV then they are somehow wrong or not given the same opportunity to disagree.
I find a few of the blog posts, while containing some information that I honestly believe is helpful and on target, to be offensive and in many ways a form of bullying. For example, the post on Rhetorical Questions. Why? While I think authors want to know how to gain the interest of an agent, and would like feedback on why their work was rejected, it doesn't need to come in the form of bullying masked by humor.
I think there are more professional ways to give helpful tips to authors on what to do in a query and what not to do in a query letter other than making of fun of them.
I think all of Jenni's criticisms are valid points of view. I don't see anything there that suggests that Rejectionist should drop her anonymity, though.
Bob: I think if you reread your first post, you'll find that it was, indeed, insulting. If that was not your intent, then I'd suggest next time not peppering your post with references to "cowardice," nor accusing Rejectionist of not having integrity because of the format in which she chooses to provide her free presentation of thoughts and ideas. And why the multiple references to "honesty"? Being anonymous is not lying, and I hardly think referring to her employer as Steve in quotation marks qualifies.
Of course you get to question, but your post has a tone of aggressive demanding and a strange entitlement, as if the fact that she uses the Internet and has opinions means that Rejectionist forfeits the right to format her own content.
Lots of "public forums" are run in different ways, with different expectations. If you don't want to respect a quiet environment, then you shouldn't hang out in a public library. Likewise, if you don't want to respect a blogger who likes sarcasm and writing anonymously, there are a wealth of other blogs out there that you may find less objectionable.
If I seem to be trying to drive you off or silence you, I apologize; that is not my intention. I do think, however, that if you have reasons to ask Rejectionist to drop her anonymity, you might do better to state them logically and without rancor, then respect her decision.
Jenni,
I respect your opinion, and understand where you're coming from, but it's certainly not bullying. You're here at this blog by choice. No one's making you come. No one even asked you to come...
I don't mean that to be rude or snarky, but it puzzles me how this in any way resembles bullying. It's YOUR choice. If you pick up a book and read a few pages and discover it's about something you don't like... do you put the book down or do you read the rest of it and then get upset the book was about something you didn't like (which you already knew)? Whose fault is that?
There is lots of room for personal taste. Lots of people like this format. Lots of people might not. But no one's making them read. If someone's offended it's only because they're letting themselves be offended, because they're choosing that opportunity for offense. Which seems strange to me. If something is not to your taste, why participate?
Bob,
Coming on to a personal blog and accusing the writer while tossing around comments about Special Ops and "bloody days" does not make you come across as an advocate for authors. It makes you come across as something else entirely. And not a good something.
If you're not one of those somethings I'd recommend you carefully reconsider your words and how you're presenting yourself.
And if you don't like a blog, why read it? Sounds a touch masochistic to me, unless you're simply looking for an argument.
I understand your main point, but I can't help but be a little disturbed by your presentation of it. I think there are more diplomatic ways to register a complaint. The most diplomatic, of course, being simply to stop reading things you don't like.
On and big thanks to, anicalewis, and everyone who has posted here or has stopped by site to congratulate me! You are all so kind. The author community has been very supportive and I appreciate it more than you know.
Sorry guys, I found a few typos.
Several commenters have mentioned their dislike of posts like “In Which We Answer Rhetorical Questions…” and the sense of ridicule they draw from them. I hadn’t thought of it in this way, but as a burgeoning author I am sensitive to the argument—especially when articulated well.
We can’t argue with each about the way we feel. At least, I won’t. Unless, of course, the way someone feels takes the form of an action that in some way impinges another’s rights, but that’s not what we have here. We’re having a discussion and in that spirit I’ll offer an alternative point-of-view.
To further preface: let me explain what is extraordinary about this particular post. I am a brand new author with a very long way to go in my development as a writer; my first two novellas are written in a genre that is often demeaned; le r. does not know me, except for the exchange of a few links to articles about fonts. Given all this she still used her forum to congratulate me and to encourage others to do so. That is very cool and I’m not the only author, blogger, artist she’s supported or lauded.
For me, ridicule comes in publicly mocking a person, their art, or their beliefs for the enjoyment of an audience who has full knowledge of their identity and/or visage. I’ve seen this done to authors on the internet; entire sessions where their work is picked apart with a cruelty those who participate mistake for wit. I do not like it. It hurts even though I have not been their target.
I think TheRejectionist.com is quite different. What she does here lies a lot closer to satire, a humorous slant on foibles that teaches us something. Hear me out. She afforded the writers of those Rhetorical Questions the same anonymity she enjoys. She often lashes herself with that acerbic tongue of hers: in comparing herself to a seagull (loud, eats anything, likes the seashore, sort of awkward); or in outlining her own mistakes in posts like “We Learn Lessons So You Don’t Have To.”
In satire we are allowed to see ourselves in fictitious or anonymous constructs of real people (Cretinous van Poopypants, anyone?). Through them we see how we might change. We’ve all been in a comedy club or have watched a comedian on television and suddenly realized they were talking about us—although not identifiably—laughed and thought, ‘Wow, I do that. I’m glad no one knows they’re talking about me.’
I’ve learned a lot from le r., but she’s not a bastion of perfection. Sometimes she rants and she could consider the criticism of author-friends like, Jenni, in the same spirit of the critiques she offers. That’s her choice. Once again, all this is my alternative take and I think she's pretty great.
Okay, I guess it's my turn now...
The truth, evidently, is a tough pill to swallow. Some may think that the truth presented here by Le R is done with ill intent because she can be "snarky" or "crass" or "sarcastic." Not the case.
Those qualities are attention-getting. Some of it is negative attention, as it was today (which honestly confuses the hell out of me because this particular post was mild and has a big congratulations to an author), but most of it is positive attention.
Le R is in a unique position here. Her blog is popular (again, because of her manner that is currently under attack), so whatever she posts is akin to being written in the sky above the little heads of all the nearly 500 people who claim to follow. Those people, in turn, shout and point and say, "Hey, look at that! WTF! That's hilarious BECAUSE IT'S SO TRUE!"
Ah... that must be the problem then. People are getting irritable because not only is she getting a positive response by saying something crass, but because they know it to be true. And they just can't swallow it.
And sprinkled amongst these gems of truth are some very sincere attempts to reach struggling authors and help them improve, and to promote the work of people of color, and help independent bookstores get noticed by the public.
I've been following this blog since before it had a mere 70 followers, and Le R is doing the same things now as she was then. Not revealing her real name does not mean that she is hiding or is fake. And she shouldn't have to justify herself to anyone (and apparently, I noticed, she must have felt the same way because she has not responded to any of this... yet she didn't delete any of it either... hmmm... think on THAT for a moment).
Not only has she done, and continues to do, great things for the writing community, she has willingly and without complaint allowed me to lean on her for support when others in the writing world tried to slander me.
In addition to that, I've been introduced to one of the greatest author-women of our time, Carleen Brice, through Le R's blog, and can't thank her enough for that. So I am now doing whatever I can to promote Ms. Brice's work. How is this a bad thing for the writing community?
If someone in her office is being a douche, she's allowed to say so. This is America, last time I checked, and free speech is still allowed. Hell, stand-up comedians make a living doing stuff like this--even ripping on the President--and we all just sit and laugh and everything is hunky dory. Why? Stand-up comedy is funny because it carries truth with it.
Le R doesn't get paid for this blog, so why is she doing it? Because it carries truth with it. And those of us who aren't big ninny-pants can see past the humor and learn from what she's offering.
Rhetorical questions are not looked upon favorably. Anyone who has done any kind of research in the query world knows this. It's not a new topic, but Le R's presentation of it was certainly new. And it received a lot of attention because of that. But the message was the same: DON'T USE THEM.
And, as Shirin so effectively pointed out, Le R affords the same anonymity to the people she is ripping on. Whenever you see someone's actual name, it's because she is giving them praise. Again, I point to myself as an example. Because her blog is popular, when she linked me to it in a post, my blog got 500 new hits that day and a few new followers. Um... again, how is that bad for the writing community?
It's easy to tear down someone in the public eye. And it should be apparent from the responses here that Le R has quite the support crew. If anyone else feels the need to be a douche, by all means, go ahead. You might just end up famous in one of her upcoming posts.
Bob (if indeed that is your real name. The Spec Ops thing and all, makes me wonder if you're a Jim or Larry and Bob is just a cover),
Why would someone in Spec Ops mention they were Spec Ops immediately in a bashing post? I know people in Spec Ops. It came out as they grew to know me. Congrats on being in Super Secret Spec Ops Operations Society, though, Larry. Or Jim. Whatever.
Hey, Karl (or whatever), I'm an anonymous ninja. 'Course you can't see me to confirm that. Cause I'm a ninja, and though I can call others anonymous, I do it behind a keyboard. 'Cause that's how one makes their point--calling others out from behind the spotlight. Uh, of a keyboard.
So anyway, Mickey (or whatever), you can't see me. 'Cause I'm an anonymous ninja. You can't even read this. Ninja print.
*Whoosh*
I just ran behind you and took your ham sammich you thought you was all about to get all down on, and then wiped my grubby black ham sammich face all up on the pages from the massive volumes from yo best selling Romantic Spec Ops comedies.
But you didn't see it.
(Anonymous Ninja. Eatin' a mofo's ham sammich.)
Mmmmm... sammiches.
Shirin--Congrats!!
You and Lydia perfectly summed up my love for this blog, so I won't say too much more :).
I absolutely agree that the beauty of this blog is the hilarious take on the publishing industry (ripping on everyone equally, and providing helpful tips along the way), and the support for the underrepresented, be they authors or indie bookstores.
I <3 Le R., and rush over here to read her blog first thing if I see a new post pop up :). I'm a friendly person, but still find snark HI-LARIOUS when executed properly.
So, Reject on, Rejectionist! Please don't ever change :).
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