
Link reblogged from ManicDraconis with 158 notes
by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith
We are published authors who co-wrote a post-apocalyptic young adult novel. When we set out to find an agent for it, we expected to get some rejections. But we never expected to be offered representation… on the condition that we make a gay character straight, or cut him out altogether.
Our novel, Stranger, has five viewpoint characters; one, Yuki Nakamura, is gay and has a boyfriend. Yuki’s romance, like the heterosexual ones in the novel, involves nothing more explicit than kissing.
An agent from a major agency, one which represents a bestselling YA novel in the same genre as ours, called us.
The agent offered to sign us on the condition that we make the gay character straight, or else remove his viewpoint and all references to his sexual orientation.- http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/genreville/?p=1519
I really need to stop being surprised by bullshit.
ugh this really pisses me off. :/ God forbid a young adult novel have a gay character.
Source: nextian
I’ve met Sherwood Smith. She is an awesome lady and great writer, I for one am proud of her for taking a stand. There...
The “If You’re An Editor” note was very informative for me.
what the dicks this is dumb You know what, if you want to publish something that contains homosexual people, just go to...
This makes me so angry. Seriously, one of the reasons I want to go into publishing and editing is exactly this. Also,...
ugh this really pisses me off. :/ God forbid a young adult novel have a gay character.
god i hate the world
I wish I was surprised. (nb: third link contains a special appearance in comments by everyone’s favorite bigoted...
I really need to stop being surprised by bullshit.
This is utter bullshit. This is what I worry about with my novel. Please stand by your character.
I’m really looking forward to fighting with agents about leaving in my main characters’ sexual identity. Because holy...