——– Original Message ——–
Subject: You and me and Hunter Ess
From: “Gerard Jones”
Date: Tue, January 22, 2008 8:54 am
To:

I can’t get your comment thing to work but I didn’t “quit” anything, I’m just done. I’ll still update the sucker when people send me new or different information. Give me an address and I’ll send you a copy of the audio book of Ginny Good. It’s got Scott McKenzie singing on it. See the index (Chapter 23).

http://everyonewhosanyone.com/ggsyn.html

Here’s a review about me and Hunter S, too. Thanks. G.

http://www.januarymagazine.com/biography/ginnygood.html

—– Original Message —–
From: writer@rewrittenreality.com
To: Gerard Jones
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 12:23 AM
Subject: RE: You and me and Hunter Ess

Hey Gerard,

I actually saw that review…put me on to the idea of the Hunter S. comparison, which I imagine you don’t mind too much (he’s not your level of writer, you understand…just saying there are some similarities). Would you have an objection if I posted your E-mail in the comment section on the post?

Best,
A Writer

Gerard’s reply:

No, no, stick anything I say anywhere you want. I put the whole eight million dollar book online for free and like sending free copies of the whole fifteen million dollar audio book to anyone who wants one…I got these closeout Christmas cards that cost fifty-eight cents to mail with the two CDs inside. Hunter S., he dead. A penny for the old guy. Thanks. G.

That said, I agree that a lot of authors view publication as a birthright, which it clearly isn’t…and since I’m published myself I’m right with you on the “skill and professionalism” business. But Jones is a good writer (you can read excerpts from Ginny Good and see for yourself), and just as with Hunter S. you need to be careful not to confuse the real originality of his voice and personality with “self-importance.” There’s a big difference.

Thanks for your thoughts, and please stick around!

A.W.

I believe there are various demonstrations as to why being helpful to us is really a rather bad idea. Some people want honesty, some are just hurt by it. The agent explains why something was rejected and they are attacked for it, they try to be helpful and encouraging and receive hatemail. Agents have a right to lives outside of letter-writing and query-reading. Being published is a guage of skill and professionalism, which leaves no room for ‘the next literary classic’ with its pushy self-importance and possibily failures more difficult to correct in something that is ‘the next.’

But I agree in that it is sad when someone quits at something, particularly website. Websites are dynami by nature and when ignored there is a certain air of deadness to them.