I landed a deal
with one of the large
New York Publishers.
They ‘loved’ my work
and I trusted them
to know what they were doing.
They were supposedly
one of the best publishers.
I didn’t think
that trust would be misplaced.
The publisher’s system
turned my story into a shell
of what it once was.
The plot was a bit too edgy.
Let’s soften it a bit.
The heroine was a bit too brown.
Let’s make her white.
Everything that was special
or different
was removed from the story.
Being a slow learner,
I endured that process
for several books.
I left due to other reasons
but when I finally made the transition,
I realized…
I was no longer giving
this publisher my best work.
“As professionals,
part of our job
is to educate
our client
to keep them
from doing something
stupid, short-term or selfish.
As linchpins,
we get to choose our boss,
and if you’re unable
to persuade them
to raise the bar,
then the obligation/opportunity
is to go
do something else.”
If you’re not doing
your best work
for your boss/client,
consider partnering
with someone else.