The Stress Doc recounts a mighty nine month struggle trying to get a book proposal accepted for publication. Despite a prolonged, frustrating yet productive author-editor tango, those almighty judges did a thumbs down. And now the Doc is left with a bouncing baby book proposal looking for a publishing house. Can anyone assist here?
A Hell of a Proposition
Sometimes nothing fails like success. Okay, I'm feeling a bit cynical and disappointed. Nine months ago, my website was featured as a USA Today Online "Hot Site." (See www.stressdoc.com.) One of the visitors was a book editor for Andrews McMeel Publishing. She thought my Humor From the Edge "psychohumor" essays would make a popular book. Andrews McMeel puts out a variety of titles but, perhaps, the house is best known for their illustrated cartoon books: Dilbert, Doonesbury and, formerly, Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side. Definitely heady company. My fantasy glands were working overtime.
I began a book proposal, the concept loosely based on, The Art of Practicing Safe Stress . I now fondly call the project, "the proposal process from hell." I threw myself into the literary lions' den. Came up with an introduction, chapter outlines and a sample chapter, a marketing section (including my own online audience), a comparative analysis with other books - why mine was uncommon - and testimonials regarding my writing. A standard proposal.
Writing and Fighting
The battle quickly commenced. The editor wanted my outline to be very concise and, at the same time, to capture the book's humorous tone. It's true, no less an authority on conciseness than Shakespeare, observed: "Brevity is the soul of wit." I'm sorry, sometimes you need a few words to set up a punchline. So we spent a few months grappling over the length of the chapter summaries. Eventually, we both gave a little.
Then, my sample chapter needed to be tightened and simplified. While Ms. Editor had some valid points, I started wondering if my mind and output were being held hostage to the dumbing down of America. Wasn't there a place for a book that was neither abstractly academic nor obviously basic and banal? My objective was thoughtful pop psychology (okay, so it's an oxymoron): to impart ideas and images with humor, wit and imagination. This book would capture through clear concepts, memorable stories, top ten lists, and strategic case examples the language, the framework and the skills of a "multi-media psychohumorist" . And the visionary message was illustrated by the terminology, such as: "online psychohumorist," "Practice Safe Stress," "Shrink Rap," emancipation procrastination, "The Bjorn Bored Syndrome," "romantasy," "cyberotica," "The Four Faces of Anger" and "Are You a Blameaholic?," "Laughing in the Face of Layoffs," "Confronting Your Intimate FOE: Fear of Exposure," "egoals," "The Path of ProZen: Prozac and Zen" and "Tea for Two: The Narcissist's Version":
You for me and me for me Oh how nurturing you will be Forget "to be or not to be" Just simply think of ME, ME, ME!
In my pessimistic moments I began to wonder if we were trapped in the Editor- Author Power Tango: I had my doubts about her ability to leadand no doubt, I was not a very good follower!
I started having flashbacks to my self-defeating doctoral studies experience. Years earlier, I had been determined to pursue a highly creative dissertation topic that, frankly, was off the academic wall. Those conservative minds weren't stifling this budding talent. Okay, so I was egoal-driven: underlying feelings of inadequacy and a drive to prove my uncommon worthiness - once and for all - were masters of my ill-fated designs. The goal of an achievable doctoral dissertation was a fading memory obscured by a ballooning ego. Not surprisingly, one can bang against an academic wall, even with a hard head, only for so long. And I eventually knocked myself out of the doctoral program. Now, many hours of therapy later, I refer to those days of marching to my inner drummer, "When academic flashdancing whirled to a burnout tango."
And with this book proposal I didn't want a repeat self-defeating performance. So I accommodated and edited up to the point of compromising my integrity and basic vision for the book. I'd sacrifice a few trees; I wouldn't raze the forest!
Reaching and Breaching Consensus
And to the editor's credit, she also loosened her mind and her grip on the axe. We seemed to be approaching the functional definition of consensus: everybody loses a little. Actually, each party gives some ground so that the common purpose and path is thereby enriched. Ideally, the new perspective - reflecting the tensions and unpredictable revisions, relations and resolutions of the give and take - that is, the new whole would be greater than the sum of its parts or struggling individual partners.
Despite some sense of hope, an inner voice preached caution. In fact, for what followed I should have taken to heart my brother's aphormation: "I don't have any expectationsand I'm still usually disappointed." (For the record, "aphormation" is my word invention; no competitiveness in this family). You see, my Assistant Editor was fairly low on the Andrews McMeel organizational chart. So before submitting the book proposal to the almighty Acquisitions Committee, she wanted to share our work with several of the senior editors. You guessed it. The editors punctured our balloon. More specifically, they believed it wouldn't fly as a traditional book at the house and, instead, proposed we submit a collection of essays concept. These senior staffers thought that as an intellectual property I was worth backing. I just had to redo the basic structure, simplify the message and create brief, stand alone pieces. GRRRR!!
So six months into this process, I'm still doing major rework on this damn proposal. Two more months transpire before my editor and I are again dancing on the same page. She submits it; the waiting game resumes. And finally, the verdictThumbs down! My editor's boss, the Managing Editor, gave the proposal the green light. But other Acquisition Committee players believed the timing wasn't right. The house, at present, doesn't have a Publicity Director and mine is a "publicity-driven" book.
I suspect an example of a non-publicity-driven book is one by a colleague, who also submitted a proposal months ago to Andrews McMeel. That proposal was accepted in a week. The concept: websites for cats, that is, the different types of sites cats would build. I concede...you can't get more cool, clever and contemporary than that. ;-)
My editor tried to look at the bright side: "At least you have a solid book proposal." Yeah, thanks," I reluctantly replied. I promised to list her in the acknowledgements section of any future book. She laughed at that one.
And then the final straws. One was when a freelance writer calls wanting to use many of my concepts for her story on procrastination for the popular national magazine, Fitness. And the last was when an author of several psychology books asked to quote this recent passage from my newsletter: "Summer is a time for exploring sensual and spiritual paths beyond the everyday; it's when "a time for waste is not a waste of time." (For a free subscription, just email stresdoc@aol.com.) Hey, somebody in the publishing world wake up!
In Conclusion
So this lament is my way of asking for assistance. I have a bouncing baby book proposal that needs to be adopted by a publishing house. Does anyone in cyberspace know a house, book editor or literary agent that might resonate with the wit and wisdom of an "Online Psychohumorist." And I'll certainly be able to help market the book through: 1) my numerous speaking and workshop engagements and 2) my writings which are regularly featured in a number of online publications, including Humor From the Edge, America Online's major mental health forum, "Online Psych," Financial Services Journal Online and Mental Health Net, the internet's largest clearinghouse for mental health information. My writings also periodically appear in such national offline publications as Treatment Today and Paradigm Magazine.
Thanks for your time, ideas and energy. And, of coursePractice Safe Stress!
Special Announcements:
a) email stressdoc@aol.com if you'd like to subscribe to my new, free newsletter -- Notes From an Online Psychohumorist (TM) b) Leading a "Shrink Rap and Group Chat" for Digital City-Washington, the 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month, 9-10pm EDT. Field questions on stress, relationship issues, school/job problems, career transition, etc. Definitely a lively hour. Here's the link: <A HREF="aol://4344:363.gorkin.5732839.568857121">Chat with the Stress Doc</A> c) Starting a Multi-Media Coaching for Consultants Program, especially (though not exclusively) for allied/mental health professionals, organizational trainers and consultants, counselors and educators. For info on the products and instructional services, including: ** one-on-one online consultation and group chat ** copywriting and humor writing; website design ** bulletin board access... email me at Stress Doc@aol.com
Feedback Segment: How about sharing your thoughts on how you, friends or colleagues use humor in dealing with stress, conflict or moods, yours or others, in your personal life, at home or at work? HFTE will run the best stories and, of course, credit you.