Barry Lyga's Blog: The BLog, page 56

I actually met Andy Zack many years later, after this rejection notice, at a writers’ conference. Nice guy.

Anyway, take a gander:

You know, I can remember thinking — at the time I received this — that it was almost over written. Over mannered. Too precise and specific.

But let’s be honest: Wannabe writers are not always known for being the most calm, rational, and accepting of creatures. So it behooves an agent to try to anticipate as many possible responses as he or she can, and head them off at the pass. Every time I look at this little rejection slip, I remind myself of what it must be like on the other side of the desk, in constant fear that any rejection could trigger a monumental meltdown of epic proportions, stepping cautiously, writing carefully…

So, 50 years ago, the president was assassinated. You may have heard.

I figured for my Goodreads audience, I would go ahead and tell y'all about my favorite book on the JFK assassination. And it's not non-fiction -- it's a novel. It's made up.

I think...

See, the book is Corruption of Blood by Robert K. Tanenbaum. It's a terrific legal thriller, about a NYC DA who is assigned temporarily to help investigate the JFK assassination. It's well-written, impeccably paced, and has some great character work, to boot. I've been a fan of Tanenbaum's since high school. (Hell, his first novel made me want to be a prosecutor! How different would that have been?)

But more than that... Tanenbaum also served as a lawyer for the House Select Committee on Assassinations! Which...investigated the JFK assassination! So, he brings a wee bit of experience and insight to a novel on that subject. And while Corruption of Blood is a novel, given its provenance, it's not too "out there," I don't think, to wonder how much of it is very, very thinly disguised fiction.

Check it out! You'll enjoy it, I'm sure.

Here’s what I posted recently on Tumblr…

If you could change your race or your sex for just one day, which one would you choose…and…

Damn right.

Yep, Unsoul’d is now available in the iBookstore! Go get…

When historians look back on our era…they’ll…

thenovl:

Libba Bray’s The Diviners is $2.99! Today only! Just…

Come See Me 12/4 in Brooklyn!

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If you could change your race or your sex for just one day, which one would you choose…and why?

This actually should have happened a few weeks ago, but, well, Life intruded.

Anyway, Unsoul’d is now available on iBooks! iOSers, go get it!

My last event of 2013 will be at one of my favorite local bookstores, WORD, located in Brooklyn. The folks at Kobo are sponsoring this event to celebrate the publication of Unsoul’d – there will be food and drink and giveaways…including a free ereader!

There will also be a reading from the book (my first reading from this book!) and I’ll be discussing the ins and outs of publishing, e-publishing, self-publishing, and all the things that go into being a “hybrid author.”

Of course, I’ll sign books and take questions, too. Wouldn’t be much of an event otherwise, right?

I hope to see you there!

Here’s what I posted recently on Tumblr…

"I love being the middle child because, the way I see it, I have someone to look up to and someone to…"

Interview: Kobo Writing Life

Memory Monday: Pesky Knives

We're terrible fans, Game didn't make it out… *Cries* We didn't vote enough

Publishing Math

jenniferlynnbarnes:

In honor of the CATCHING FIRE movie coming…

This Week in Rejection!: Pre-rejected?

Best Young Adult Fiction 2013 — Goodreads Choice Awards

Bunny Plans to Use the Nerf Gun to Break Open the Refrigerator…

"Not enough time, state mental health system. Not. Enough. Time."

mywingsletmefly:

This perfectly describes how I feel about…

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The good folks over at Kobo asked me some questions about my writing life and Unsoul’d. Go check it out! I say things like:

Fortunately, I was too young and too self-absorbed to know that boys weren’t “supposed to” read books about girls.

And hey — if you want to read the book, you can buy it while you’re over there.

There’s always a knife…

(From Captain Atom #9, November 1987. Written by Cary Bates. Art by Pat Broderick and Bob Smith.)

Thirteen years ago! That’s how long ago it was that Young Barry received this little slip of paper from an agency:

Note that this is not, technically, a rejection. They are, in fact, accepting my first three chapters…provisionally. And exclusively.

Still, Young Barry was quite thrilled to get this missive. It was the closest thing to an acceptance I’d had on a novel in…

Well, ever.

Sadly, after the two-week exclusivity period, I was rejected. The rejection letter is lost to the mists of time, so I only have this tidbit of possibility to show you.