Another envelope popped through the letter box. I thought it may have been from one of the publishers I had approached, but it was from an agent I had sent my first manuscript to the previous year.
The reply from the lady was polite, but a rejection is a rejection, and it still hurts as much the first time as it does the last.
Then I started to think! As all the polite rejections I had received had come from women, was there more to this than it looks? I now know at the time my manuscript wasn't good enough, but all new authors first version will need help and work on their story. So is there a factor which helps one unknown author over another?
Women have had to work very hard over the decades to gain an equal share in society, and because of this they now dominate in certain walks of life. Primary education and health services are two examples and the other is publishing.
All agents and publishers have what they call "the slush pile." They will receive hundreads of manuscripts (mostly slush) in a month which end up in a pile, and then in the bin without being read.
Women now dominate in sectors of this industry including trying to find a winning story amoung all the slush that piles up on their desks.
What would you do if you have to pick one story out of hundreads?
You would do what everyone does! You will pick out the one type of story that you find interesting.
As a man 99% of the books on my book self are by male authors. If you are a women and take a look at your book choice you will find most are by female authors.
Most new and unknown authors coming onto the market are now female.
Is there a sister act going on? I don't believe it, but I do think there is now a dangerous circle being created, one where unwittingly only the female side of the story is being told. Could this be the reason why most boys no longer read a book outside of school work?
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