Neither does the U.S. have the monopoly on the publishing industry! It may seem like it, but Deepa's post reminds us of the world of books outside U.S. publishing--and the world is better for it.
31 rejections in the US. Six-way auction in the UK. Same book.
"Colonialism, the gift that keeps on giving" made me laugh out loud. And then feel something less funny.
What struck me most is how the gatekeepers decide which lives are universal enough to deserve an audience, and who gets to tell the story of stepping outside the expected script. The voices that get amplified tend to look a lot like the people doing the amplifying.
I love this piece and applaud you for writing it. I’d love that you’ve gotten so much support from your daughter’s school and the other moms. I also like your analogy about the fuss over West‘s memoir being noise at a party.
You go girl! And thank you for the timely reminder that the US doesn't have the monopoly on non-monogamy and how it is expressed.
Neither does the U.S. have the monopoly on the publishing industry! It may seem like it, but Deepa's post reminds us of the world of books outside U.S. publishing--and the world is better for it.
Late seeing this, but thank you!
31 rejections in the US. Six-way auction in the UK. Same book.
"Colonialism, the gift that keeps on giving" made me laugh out loud. And then feel something less funny.
What struck me most is how the gatekeepers decide which lives are universal enough to deserve an audience, and who gets to tell the story of stepping outside the expected script. The voices that get amplified tend to look a lot like the people doing the amplifying.
Thank you for reading and sharing, Jamie!
I've never heard of West but yours is the memoir I've cued up to read. Best wishes to you.
Thank you Trevy, I appreciate it!
Thoughtful, provocative, beautifully written! Halfway thru at the moment!
Thank you Felicity! Hope you enjoy it all the way through 💛🫛
This is definitely going on my To Be Read list!
I got about ten pages into Lindy west’s memoir before I just slammed it shut and marked it to go back to the library. Oy!!
I hope you find a US publisher soon.
Thank you Jay, I hope so too.
I love this piece and applaud you for writing it. I’d love that you’ve gotten so much support from your daughter’s school and the other moms. I also like your analogy about the fuss over West‘s memoir being noise at a party.
Thank you Elizabeth! The community support is one of the things I really love about living in Amsterdam.
This piece is a great sequel to this post of yours from a few years ago: https://deepa.substack.com/p/no-32-how-i-got-my-agent-in-29367, a post I just discovered because of Open Secrets Mag. Quite a publishing journey!
Aha, that was a great time. Thanks for reading Andi!
Beautiful Deepa! So glad you told your story. I also appreciated you sharing about the boundaries you set for your family. So important.
Thank you Tiffany!
I'm glad your voice is being heard. I've always read UK published authors. My experience with US publishers mirrors yours.
Thank you Angela!