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In a recent discussion on a writer's forum I frequent, a recent discussion centered around the content of manuscripts. Specifically, the conversation dealt with a contest a small publishing company ran, and a submission that would have done better if the writer had paid attention to the publisher's content guidelines. This manuscript, as described by the publisher, was a reasonably engaging story and for the most part well-written, but lost points for inappropriate language. The book was entered under a Christian category, and when the author was informed they had lost points for their content, they replied with a rather sarcastic comment disparaging the publisher's literary acumen.
Many writers, including myself, can empathize with the author in this situation. We strive to write fiction with realistic dialogue and situations, and often run against publisher standards that require us to edit things until they feel watered-down, or worse yet, weak.
On the other hand, it's not too difficult to see the publisher's side of the issue. First, it's clear the author paid no attention to the submission guidelines, and when penalized for not following them, acted as though he had been slighted. Really, though; is this any different than if he'd entered a futuristic science fiction story into a contest for historical fiction? A story set in the year 2250 may be a terrific story, but if the contest guidelines call for United States Civil War fiction, then it really doesn't matter how well written and engaging the sci-fi story is. It doesn't meet the contest criteria.
Writing contests offer the writer many benefits. The first, and most desired, is getting our works into the hands of publishers. Sometimes, we get feedback from the contest that we can apply to improving our chances of doing better in the next contest, or even better, getting a publishing contract. They also offer us something of a real-world lesson in the realities of publishing - namely, work with the market, not against it.
Christian fiction publishers report that a large segment of their market is composed of conservative readers, and these readers prefer books sans profanity, gratuitous sex, graphic violence, etc. It doesn't matter whether the writer or the publisher are comfortable with such content; if the books contain material the market finds offensive, sales will plummet. The odds are as well that the readers will be less inclined to consider another title from that writer and/or publisher for a future purchase.
It's much akin to a hamburger stand putting Tabasco sauce on its burgers. If the owner and the cook like the Tabasco, but the majority of the patrons don't, then continuing to put Tabasco on the burgers is a good way to motivate the patrons to get their burgers elsewhere.
This is true whether we're talking fiction books, comics, games, or any other media. The writer and the publisher need to identify their target audience, and do their best to cater to that audience if they want to maximize their sales potential. While the situation that sparked this discussion was over Christian publications, the same principle has to be applied regardless of the demographic of the target audience. The intended market might be one that any religious content at all is undesirable, and the author would need to consider that in the narrative. Some market segments specifically want erotic scenes, and a writer or publisher that has a problem with that will either need to work through that problem, or write for a different market.
One other benefit contests offer to a writer is experience in accepting critical suggestions from an editor. This isn't always easy for us to do, but it is again a very necessary part of the process. As I have said before, writing is an art, but publishing is a business. In the ideal melding of these two disparate disciplines, the writer works with the publisher to produce a book that is both artistic and marketable. My perception of the contest author's reaction was that he offered the publisher a clear picture of the type of working relationship they would have. He would be difficult, argumentative, even belittling of the suggestions the editor made.
With no shortage of writers hoping to secure one of the few available spots in the publishing queue, it's also foolish to send a snarky reply to a publisher's comments. If we callously step on toes today, we shouldn't be surprised if those same toes are kicking us out the door tomorrow.
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