Apparently Vanity Pub said it didn't take any skill to write Sci Fi so this bunch of Sci Fi writers wrote an intentionally bad book called “Atlanta Nights” and sent it into Vanity who then agreed to publish it.
I like the pseudonym they picked for the author.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
There is an old thread about this, there was even a public reading of it at one of the con's...
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Yes, this happened a while ago-- it still makes me chuckle, though.
There are a few famous authors involved with this-- Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm being one, and I think Dave Farland as well.
Posted by fiazko (Member # 5812) on :
"ATLANTA NIGHTS makes the legendary EYE OF ARGON read like Asimov!"
I may need to check this out.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Oh I'm laughing so hard I'm crying. A computer generated chapter?? None of them knew the overall plot or where their chapter would be in the final story? They rolled dice to see which characters would be in each chapter? The main character is white in most chapters but asian in one of them?
Yet they still got an acceptance letter? (I can only assume becuase the title sounded snooty)
I had to stop at the first sentence of the second chapter. I am so going to buy this book.
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
Um, I'm confused. So a "Vanity Publisher" said that it didn't take any skill to write sci-fiction and some writers tried to prove them correct?
1) A "Vanity Publisher" (if that is what you mean and don't mean an actual name) publishes anything as long as you have cash.
2) What a horrible thing to prove for Science Fiction authors. It shows they really are a bunch of word hacks.
Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
Occasional, I think the point was to show that "Vanity Pulbishers" have no idea what skill is.
--j_k
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
JTK; than the writers were very stupid in how they proved their point. What they should have done is write a terrible book and tried to sell it to a real publisher. Then, after rejection after rejection they could prove that the Vanity Publisher didn't know what skill was after getting it published by the VP.
On the other hand, they could write a really terrific book and send it to them and Vanity Publishers wouldn't print it. Of course, as I said those kinds of publishers will publish anything as long as you have the money.
MY point is that the writer's point was pointless. It proves nothing, and that includes showing that vanity publishers don't know what skill is.
Edited Addendum: The book isn't Science Fiction anyway (so that could at least prove that the Vanity Publishing didin't know what *Science Fiction* was if that is how it was marketed. That is assuming the writers didn't have the VP market it that way). Rather, it is erotic romance. There seems to be very little Sci-Fi in the book.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
quote: Atlanta Nights is a collaborative novel by a group of science fiction authors to poke fun at PublishAmerica, a publishing company that is widely considered to be a vanity press despite the company's claims to the contrary.
PublishAmerica describes themselves as a "traditional publisher" and claims only to accept high-quality manuscripts for publication. Their website further claims that the company receives over 70 manuscripts a day, only to reject most of them.
At one point, PublishAmerica's AuthorsMarket website posted an article that claimed, among other things, that:
As a rule of thumb, the quality bar for sci-fi and fantasy is a lot lower than for all other fiction... [science fiction authors] have no clue about what it is to write real-life stories, and how to find them a home... [science fiction] writers who erroneously believe that SciFi, because it is set in a distant future, does not require believable storylines, or that Fantasy, because it is set in conditions that have never existed, does not need believable every-day characters.
From wikipedia
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
quote:PublishAmerica describes themselves as a "traditional publisher" and claims only to accept high-quality manuscripts for publication.
Yet another mistake on the part of the writers. As you can see, PublishAmerica didn't publish their work. They should have sent it to PublishAmerica. Instead they sent it to another place NOT related. See, I have studied Vanity Publishers and the writers have the facts all wrong. They should have just allowed PublishAmerica to publish it. As of now it is just hearsay.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
quote: The completed manuscript was offered to PublishAmerica under the punnish pseudonym Travis Tea. The manuscript was accepted for publication on 7 December 2004 without comment, despite the claim made by PublishAmerica that "We read every single submission before we accept or refuse."
Knowledge of the hoax quickly spread through the publishing world, and on 24 January 2005, PublishAmerica retracted its acceptance. PublishAmerica claimed that the novel failed to meet their standards after "further editing". The hoax had been publicly revealed by the authors the day before.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Occasional: All of these authors are members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The SFFWA has a long history of trying to protect writers from fraud, and improving the readership and quality of speculative fiction.
The vanity press in question (and SFFWA is VERY opposed to vanity presses-- they have a tendency to bilk their consumers) made a statement to the effect that 1) SF authors are ALL incompetant as regards the craft of writing; 2) SF writers know nothing about publishing REAL world books, so their advice should not be taken. In addition, this particular vanity press stated that all the books THEY published are 'quality books.' They claimed that before acceptance each ms. was read and examined for 'quality.'
By revealing their 'hoax,' these SF authors also exposed the sham that this vanity press runs. There is no screening; there is no editorial eye. They don't work (as opposed to their claim) to better authors; they just want money.
The point, I think, is not that the Vanity press doesn't know what writing skill is; but that they don't care, contrary to what they claim. They entice fledgling authors with promises and confident jargon, but their aim is to undercut, sell out, and abuse the people who have bought into their scheme. The SFFWA has received "over a hundred alerts regarding Publish America (the vanity press in question) over the last several years."
More power to 'em.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
As for why the writers didn't allow PA to publish their work-- well, their lawyers advised them not to.
I find it hard to believe that anyone who has "studied vanity presses" is finding fault with the writers, here.
:shrug:
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
I am not finding fault with the authors per-say. What I am finding fault with is their methods, as Vanity Presses aren't even worth the trouble.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
>>Vanity Presses aren't even worth the trouble.
We disagree. And they didn't go to a whole lot of trouble, apprently. And they enjoyed it. And I enjoy the fact that they suckered them.
I rarely get pleasure out of other people's misfortune-- but I'm delighted about the turn of events here.
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
I just don't get it. What kinds of complaints can SFFWA get?
They won't publish my manuscript? That would prove that PublishAmerica does what it says. Not just anything will get published.
That they don't "improve" my work? Better and more in line with what the hoax authors intended to show.
That they did publish my work? That could easily prove what the writers are trying to show. However, it also undercuts why anyone would be complaining who wanted to get their work published.
That they didn't do ALL the things they promised? This can show that PublishAmerica *is* a bad company. Yet, it doesn't seem to cover the question the hoax authors set out to prove.
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
I guess what I am saying is that the "Hoax" sounds like a "Hoax" because too many things don't add up to me. Not that I don't see these kinds of things happening, as I don't think they did.
Posted by jexx (Member # 3450) on :
I'm not getting into whether or not what the authors did was 'right' or 'proving the point', but I wanted to link to the Bonsai Story Generator I found while surfing the Wikipedia link provided further upthread.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Right...some of the most influential and famous SF/F authors writing today MUST be lying, or incompetent...
...because you say so.
Now that THAT is all cleared up... Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Occasional, I'm not sure if you understand all that went on.
- The writers wanted to prove the self proclaimed "traditional" publisher with high standards of "quality" was really just a Vanity Press that would publish anything, even the worst prose ever written.
- They further wanted to show that this publisher can make no claims about the quality of an entire genre if they will publish absolute carp.
- They submitted a so-bad-it's-funny manuscript, and received an offer to publish their work. This proved both of their points.
- They were advised not to accept this offer, and declared on January 23rd that it was all a sham, that they only put together this farce to make PublishAmerica look bad.
- PublishAmerica retracted their offer the next day.
All in all, the writers seemed to have fun, and the publishing house walked away with egg on its face.
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