Reasons for withdrawal: why I have pulled out of WICKED PRETTY THINGS.: seanan

Reasons for withdrawal: why I have pulled out of WICKED PRETTY THINGS.

Just last week, I announced that I would have a story in the YA anthology Wicked Pretty Things. I was extremely excited; this was going to be my first young adult publication, and I really, really want to start publishing some of my YA (werewolves and movie stars and sociological experiments, oh my). It seemed like a great opportunity.

Then I heard that one of the authors, Jessica Verday, had pulled out of the anthology. Which seemed a little odd, given how late we were in the process.

And then I found out her reason. To quote her blog post on the subject (originally posted at http://jessicaverday.blogspot.com/):

"I've received a lot of questions and comments about why I'm no longer a part of the Wicked Pretty Things anthology (US: Running Press, UK: Constable & Robinson) and I've debated the best way to explain why I pulled out of this anthology. The simple reason? I was told that the story I'd wrote, which features Wesley (a boy) and Cameron (a boy), who were both in love with each other, would have to be published as a male/female story because a male/male story would not be acceptable to the publishers."

...uh, what? That's not okay. I mean, really, that's not okay. I began, in my slow, overly careful way, to get angry. Then I saw a statement from the editor, saying that the decision had been entirely hers, and had been in no way a reflection of the publisher's views. I sat back. I thought very, very hard. And I decided that, barring any additional developments, I would stay in the anthology, rather than hurting the other authors involved with the project by pulling out.

Naturally, there were additional developments. In light of the ongoing situation, my own discomfort with this whole thing, and the fact that discriminating on basis of sexual orientation is never okay, I have withdrawn my story from the collection.

And here's the thing. There is absolutely no reason to censor a story that was written to the guidelines (which dictated how much profanity, sexuality, etc. was acceptable, as good guidelines should). If Jessica had written hard-core erotica, then rejecting it would have made perfect sense. Not that kind of book. But she didn't. She wrote a romance, just like the rest of us, only her romance didn't include any girls. And she didn't get a rejection; she got her story accepted, just like the rest of us. Only while we got the usual editorial comments, she got "One of your characters needs to be turned into something he's not." And that's not okay.

Books do not determine a person's sexual orientation. I was not somehow destined to be straight, and led astray by Annie On My Mind and the Valdemar books. I was born with universal wiring. I have had boyfriends and I have had girlfriends and I have had both at the same time, and none of that—NONE OF THAT—is because I read a book where a girl was in love with a girl and I decided that being bisexual would be a fun way to kill a weekend.

But those books did tell me I didn't have to hate myself, and they did tell me that there was nothing wrong with me, and they did make it easier on everyone involved, because here was something I could hand to Mom and go "See? It's not just me, and it's not the end of the world, and it's not the only thing that defines me." Supposedly, ten percent of people are gay or bi with a tropism toward their own gender. It stands to reason that there should be positive non-hetero relationships in at least ten percent of YA literature. And they're not there. And things like this are why.

I am not withdrawing from this book because I'm not straight. I am withdrawing because of my little sister and her wife, and because of my girlfriend, and because of my best friend, and because of all the other people who deserve better than bullying through exclusion. Thanks to Jessica for bringing this to our attention, and thank you to everyone who has been supportive of my decision to withdraw.

I am sorry this had to be done. I am not sorry that I did it.

calico_reaction

March 29 2011, 00:04:12 UTC 6 years ago

New comment

I heard about this situation, and unless I've mistaken, Ann Aguirre pulled out too. Like you, I'm sorry to hear it had to be done, but I don't blame you for doing it.

seanan_mcguire

March 29 2011, 18:31:39 UTC 6 years ago

Pretty sure she did. They're down six authors last I heard; I can't imagine this is going to be a very solid book when the dust clears.

silvertwi

March 29 2011, 00:08:58 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you. It can't be said enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You stand out as a role model in so many ways, I suspect for quite a few people. Thank you for setting an example.

I'm a Valdemar fan too. I like the Last Herald Mage trilogy, but I think one of the more interesting GLBT things to show up was Keren, Ylsa and Sharon (I think were their names?). None of that "turned" me bi, though. It felt like I took a two-by-four to the head when I finally figured it out. I guess college is the place to discover these things. Interestingly, I've seen more gay/lesbian people in literature than I have bi. Do you have any rec's along those lines?

March 29 2011, 21:31:31 UTC 6 years ago

I don't, sadly. Most of the time, bisexuals in fiction are destined to settle down with a heteronormative partner and live "happily ever after." I can't really think of any awesome "it doesn't matter, love is love" examples.

kitrinlu

March 29 2011, 00:10:03 UTC 6 years ago

It really sucks that this has happened. Thank you so much for being awesome about it ♥

March 29 2011, 21:31:43 UTC 6 years ago

You're totally welcome.

bigherman

March 29 2011, 00:18:10 UTC 6 years ago

You are brave and true and inspiring and you have my thanks for standing in the way of bigotry.

March 29 2011, 21:31:55 UTC 6 years ago

I just wish it didn't have to keep happening.

acelightning

March 29 2011, 00:28:34 UTC 6 years ago

Brava! I've always believed that there isn't enough love in the world, and we can't afford to reject any one form of love just because some people think it's icky. And young people growing up need examples of all kinds of love, to help them figure out which kinds fit them best. What that editor did to you is far more icky than any boy/boy or girl/girl romance could ever be.

A bit of cosmic irony: I finished Late Eclipses a few days after I got it, and went digging through my piles of books for something else to read. Just before I had to go into the hospital for emergency repairs, a much older favorite surfaced - Emma Bull's Bone Dance ;-D

March 29 2011, 21:32:11 UTC 6 years ago

Hee, awesome! Great, great book.

6 years ago

jenrose1

March 29 2011, 00:31:50 UTC 6 years ago

I was fortunate enough to enter early adulthood in an environment which was extremely supportive, and tried very hard to be bisexual, before discovering, that no, it really was something hard-wired.

I'm straight, but the experience was eye-opening. And made it much easier, when my daughter came to me at age 15 and said "I have a girlfriend", to have no hesitation about it. She hasn't defined herself as lesbian or bi, yet, and that's okay too. I didn't figure it out for myself until I was about 23, a couple years after she was born.

I'm told her dad and I said basically the same thing... with a shrug, "Well, at least we don't have to worry about you getting knocked up." I ended up sitting down with her and her girlfriend and giving them the non-straight version of the sex talk. They were both surprised that there was one.

Anyway... good for you for making a stand.

March 29 2011, 21:32:34 UTC 6 years ago

Your daughter is awesome. And so are you.

jadis17

March 29 2011, 00:40:20 UTC 6 years ago

The right thing is sometimes scary.
This is absolutely the right thing.
Thank you.

March 29 2011, 21:32:44 UTC 6 years ago

You are very welcome.

Deleted comment

March 29 2011, 21:32:53 UTC 6 years ago

You're welcome.

pondside

March 29 2011, 01:02:52 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you for sharing this and behaving in your usual forthright manner. We don't need more messages that it's not ok to be who you are!

March 29 2011, 21:33:02 UTC 6 years ago

Agreed.

liret

March 29 2011, 01:06:17 UTC 6 years ago

This whole incident - and the fact that people are still flippantly deciding that non-straightness is 'alternative', is inherently obscene, is fine for self-publishing a story about on the internet but can't be included in a normal anthology - makes me horribly sad.

But the fact that so many authors have dropped out of the anthology is really encouraging. I'm very grateful that you and everyone else is willing to not only say but act like this matters.

March 29 2011, 21:33:23 UTC 6 years ago

I am, too. I would hate to live in a world where no one would.

ceciliatan

March 29 2011, 01:34:24 UTC 6 years ago

Good for you.

I don't think Telep was trying to be actively homophobic, but she was making assumptions that homophobia would be the norm in YA publishing! Which first of all, it isn't, and second of all, that kind of insidious assumption on the part of otherwise open-minded allies only perpetuates and EMPOWERS the actual active homophobia out there.

Hopefully Telep's learned a valuable lesson, and even better would be if anthology editors of the future would learn they ought to take the opposite view, that inclusion of diversity should be what's assumed, not exclusion! (And that exclusion can in fact get you into big trouble.)

March 29 2011, 21:34:14 UTC 6 years ago

I don't think she was, either. The problem has largely been the responses since then; everyone makes mistakes, but you have the chance to fix them, if you're lucky. She had the chance, and she passed on it.

March 29 2011, 21:34:24 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

georgiamagnolia

March 29 2011, 01:41:42 UTC 6 years ago

No doubt I am not the first person to say 'yay you' and offer support for your (and your fellow author's) choice here. In addition, I do want to add that it was a book that first made me feel better about my own awakening bi-poly-Pagan life choices and I never had a chance to thank Robert Heinlein for writing Friday and the entire Lazarus Long cycle, which is too bad really as those are still some of my favourite works. (yeah, ok, he wasn't perfect, who is?) So instead I thank you for taking a stand, for walking your talk and for being the beautiful person you are.

March 29 2011, 21:34:38 UTC 6 years ago

mariadkins

March 29 2011, 01:51:25 UTC 6 years ago

man that is so full of fail i don't have words for it. :(

I am not sorry that I did it.

RIGHT ON!!

March 29 2011, 21:34:47 UTC 6 years ago

Hee.

orcaarrow

March 29 2011, 01:54:20 UTC 6 years ago

I am ALWAYS proud when authors stand by their principles.

I say that whether I agree with the principle or not. I do agree with your principle in this case.

March 29 2011, 21:34:58 UTC 6 years ago

catsittingstill

March 29 2011, 01:56:03 UTC 6 years ago

Wow.

You've probably heard this from a lot of people by now, and you were probably secure in your own mind before you heard from anyone so this is probably redundant.

But just in case it is not: you impress me. I think you did the right and moral thing. I don't know that I could have brought myself to do it in your place.

May your story soon find a better home and/or flower into a full-fledged book that finds a better home.

And you have about a square sectillion of comments to reply to so it's okay to skip mine :-)

*hug*

March 29 2011, 21:43:05 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you.

This was...really hard, because there's not only the fear of being wrong, but the fear of somehow being branded unprofessional, and not being able to work again. No one wants to rock the boat. But this boat needed rocking.

*hug*

amanda_nye

March 29 2011, 01:58:07 UTC 6 years ago

I applaud your stand, and that of everyone else who chose to withdraw. I hope the publishing house, and especially that editor, listen and change.

March 29 2011, 21:43:14 UTC 6 years ago

batyatoon

March 29 2011, 02:03:39 UTC 6 years ago

I will never run out of reasons to be proud to know you.

This is one of them.

<3

bercilakslady

March 29 2011, 02:21:31 UTC 6 years ago

I adore your icon. :)

mab_browne

March 29 2011, 02:17:45 UTC 6 years ago

I have teenage kids. So far as I know, they're straight, but they have gay friends. Thank you for your decision.

March 29 2011, 21:43:42 UTC 6 years ago

groblek

March 29 2011, 02:25:31 UTC 6 years ago

I'll join the chorus of thanks and support for your taking this stand. I too am sorry it had to be done, but am very glad that you're willing to stand up and do it. Also, thank you for this eloquent post - you have an impressive way with words. I know, it comes with being a good author, but it still strikes me periodically in some of your posts.

March 29 2011, 21:43:54 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you. :)

idancewithlife

March 29 2011, 02:26:38 UTC 6 years ago

Thanks for the integrity, Seanan.

March 29 2011, 21:53:16 UTC 6 years ago

You're very welcome.

Withdrawal

Joy Schulenburg

March 29 2011, 02:28:39 UTC 6 years ago

Re: Withdrawal

March 29 2011, 21:53:25 UTC 6 years ago

March 29 2011, 02:34:47 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you. I could try to be more eloquent, but that's not happening tonight. So, thank you. A lot.

March 29 2011, 21:53:38 UTC 6 years ago

You're very welcome, honey.

saruby

March 29 2011, 02:37:31 UTC 6 years ago

When I was a teen there were NO stories about LGBTQ kids. At least not outside the adult bookstores, which I wouldn't know about. Would it have made a difference for me? Probably not. My awareness of my own sexuality was delayed. I had a college friend who said "I'm so glad you figured it out" when I came out to him years later. Apparently everyone else knew, but forgot to tell me. I think, however, that positive stories about LGBTQ kids would have made a difference to my partner, who struggled for years with identity and self-esteem issues around sexuality. Just one story in ten that says, "It's ok. There are others out there, too". And not just for those who are gay or bi, but for the straight kids who need to see their schoolmates as normal and brave and ok. Such a little thing for so much gain.

Thank you for making the decision not to support this kind of censorship.