Fling

Quite a few years ago I wrote a book called Inhibitions.  I was attempting yet another foray into commercial fiction.  I got an agent for it, she loved it, and began sending it around.  By the response, editors weren't reading this book for meaning.  I was shocked.  This simple, straight-forward piece of women's fiction was eluding them.  I rewrote it to take out objectionable (graphic sex pretty much) material.  No one liked Fling any better than Inhibitions although one editor did say the writing was lyrical.

I put it aside and I think I did Not Low Maintenance next (which also no one wanted).  I proceeded with all the things you know I've done in the last few years but I resisted Fling for a number of reasons but the main one being--how many times am I gonna take a big hit on this one?  To me, there is so much specificity of emotion in this book, and an exhibition of far more emotional bravery than I possess (as proven by the years it took me to go forward), that I saw no purpose in opening it and me up to more uncomprehension.

I don't know what's changed but I'll get it published today.  It was born to be in the world and it was said well.

My sincere advice is to always write commercial fiction.  Copy what other people are doing and what's successful.  Don't bother yourself with plumbing the deepest depths.  No one cares.  Especially for digital where so many books cost less than a comic book, it's worth less than a happy meal. 

One thing I have noticed over my long career and I don't see this has particularly changed, is that it's a lot more acceptable to write difficult, important material for the Young Adult audience than adult readers.