Book Publishers Reluctant to Represent Women’s Fiction?

by Jen Nedeau · 2009-07-14 15:09:00 UTC
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This is unbelievable. While I am not sure about the quality of this bloggers manuscript, the reply from the publishing company (unknown at this time) is just horrific.

From an October 2008 post on Write Meg:

So I got a pretty creative rejection letter from a literary agent today, and this goes to show you that the current trying financial crisis we're in is hitting everyone - everywhere - and affecting everything, as if we needed even more proof:

"Thank you for considering us, but due to the economy, we are reluctant to represent women's fiction at this time."

‘Due to the economy'? Reluctant to represent women's fiction?! They mean, of course, "chick lit" - an incredibly popular genre, if I do say so myself. Books by Sophie Kinsella, Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner are regularly at the top of the bestseller's list, and just tonight at my bookstore I've sold multiple copies of books by heavy-weight writers like Laura Weisberger, Candace Bushnell and Jane Green. Though imprints such as Red Dress Ink may not be welcoming new titles, I beg to differ that the genre is not profitable - in fact, I think that's downright wrong.

But now I'm being told by a reputable agent that she cannot - or will not - represent me as a new women's fiction author.

Even though this may seem like old news, I am posting it as a reminder that now is the time to be more vigilant than ever about maintaining equality for women, minorities, LGBT and other marginalized communities. An economic crisis may erode our bank accounts, but it should not erode our access to opportunity.

Jen Nedeau Jen Nedeau is a media relations professional and a writer based in New York City.
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