It seems all aspiring authors seek the holy grail of getting published, only to find out that the experience is incredibly souless. While I personally recommend most authors who self-publish with ZDocs to not give up on their goal of “getting published,” I often hear stories much like that of Mr. Goodman below. I think Gary’s comments are insightful, especially because they come from someone who has reached the lofty goal of being published.  Enjoy.

Stupid Rejection Letters From Book Publishers - Volume I

By Dr. Gary S. Goodman

I’m the best-selling author of 12 books, all with major publishers, and I’ve written well over 1,000 articles.

I just want to say that for the record; to establish my bona fides, and to alert you to the fact that I’m actually one of the few “winners” in the publishing lottery.

So, when I tell you that the absurdity of traditional book publishers simply grows worse with each passing year, you might want to take note.

I’ve decided to share with you some of the most stupid rejections that I’ve received, and continue to get.

For instance, the other day I received a form letter from a fairly big business book publisher that said, more or less, “We have such a pile of submissions that yours just doesn’t matter, but here’s a goofy quote about rejection that might inspire you.”

What’s interesting about this letter is it arrived nearly a year after I WAS INVITED TO SUBMIT MY PROPOSAL. My pitch didn’t come from the “slush pile,” as the uninvited stack is so ingloriously called.

This publishing house is improving.

It took these wunderkinds a year and a half to say no to my last offer, which by the time I got their “Sorry!” letter, the underlying manuscript had already been purchased by a different publisher and the final product was about to hit the bookstores in 30 days.

That entire process of pitching, negotiating, writing, editing, proofing, printing, and promoting was done by the time the sluggish outfit got around to communicating its disinterest.

I have more war stories to tell you, but for now, just remember these points:

(1) Traditional publishers are generally clueless. They don’t know what will sell and what won’t.

(2) They’re curiously impervious to instruction and improvement. Surrounded by “knowledge” they’re drowning in ignorance.

(3) Despite being in a dinosaur industry, without a clue about how to charge for information in an Internet age, where so much of it is free, they’re as arrogant as they have ever been.

Don’t hitch your wagon to this falling, or is it imploding star.

Self-publish, use the e-book format, write articles, and if you can, transform your ideas into more exciting media such as audios and videos that can fetch much larger royalties and profits than books that are priced at $17.95.

If you do any or all of these things, you’ll be faster to market with your ideas, and you’ll deal with fewer dumb intermediaries that hold keys to castles made of sand.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books and more than a thousand articles. His seminars and training
programs are sponsored internationally and he is a top-rated faculty member at more than 40 universities, including UCLA Extension, where he has taught since 1999. Dynamic, experienced, and lots of fun, Gary brings more than two decades
of solid management and consulting experience to the table, along with the best academic preparation and credentials in the speaking and training industry. Holder of five degrees, including a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School For Communication at USC, an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management, and a law degree from Loyola, his clients include several Fortune 1000 companies along with successful family owned and operated firms across America. Much more than a “talking head,” Gary is a top mind that you’ll enjoy working with and putting to use.
He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

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