You haven't heard much from me lately about my book contract, and there's a reason for that.
Originally, I sent my master's thesis to a publisher, about how journalists were presented in comics, wanting to expand it into a book. They agreed, and were very excited at the prospect of creating an evergreen textbook on a subject that no other textbook touched. So was I. I began immediately, doing a deep dive into '40s comics for a comprehensive look at journalists in that era. I planned to do the same for later years. I wrote the first three chapters, carrying me to 1938, and Superman. I sent them in, and they were enthusiastically embraced.
That was several editors ago.
By the second editor, or maybe the third, the plan was changed from an academic, comprehensive book into something light and superficial, maybe a couple thousand pages. This was presented as more commercial.
Well, I saw what happened to Craig Shutt. He got to do a book, Baby Boomer Comics, which sold a few hundred copies (I have one) which then went to the remainder table. Nobody in journalism is calling Craig for quotes. Nobody in academia is asking his opinion. His book came and went, and so did Craig's literary career, as far as I know.
And that was Mr. Silver Age! He outranks Captain Comics by a few levels of magnitude.
Obviously, I don't want to go that route. I think a short, simple, "commercial" book is exactly that route. I mean, I could write a 3,000-word book on the subject tomorrow. My thesis was longer than that.
So I've been mulling it over, waiting until I had some vacation time to work on a crap book I have no interest in, or take the time to think about what sort of counter-proposal I might make to my editors. Because I really don't know what to propose. They don't like the academic/comprehensive thing? Well, I should make that do or die, or come up with something else. Except I haven't come up with something else.
And suddenly I'm out of time. My editor is asking me how it's going. I need to answer. And this time I don't want to simply kick the can down the road. I'm old, and should pick a lane.
So what do I say?
I can write anything. So what should I write? What is the hole I should fill? I really only have one shot at this. What is the shot I should take?
Replies
It could be interesting if instead of all journalists you focused on one in particular. Lois is always popular.
One question: Is the problem the editor or the publisher? I mean, is this editor with a company that doesn't publish the kind of academic, comprehensive book you want to write?
Randy Jackson said:
ClarkKent_DC said:
The publisher is McFarland. I sent my master's thesis to them specifically because I knew they published textbooks, as well as pop culture stuff.
Craig's book is available as a Kindle download, so at least it hasn't completely disappeared. But I get your point: if you write a light commercial book it's likely to disappear without a trace pretty quickly. Sounds like you should push for the academic version. I have to say that it seems like a pretty niche subject, but if it interested the original editor there must have been something there. Is there a possibility of switching to a different editor with more of an academic focus?
Without knowing what kind of clout you have with the publisher, it's difficult to say what might be a better option.
Since Lois has been done, maybe a book that focuses on less reputable journalists like Lois could be interesting. The likes of Frederick Foswell, Phil Fox, etc. could make for interesting reading. Kind of an "how are journalists portrayed within the medium" angle.
Your situation puts me in mind of Mark Evanier. Back in the early 2Ks, he was hard at work on a 3000 page biography of Jack Kirby. I can't think of any comic book creator who deserves such a book more, and I can't think of anyone more qualified than Mark Evanier to write it. Then he announced that, in addition to the in-depth biography, he was going to write a lighter-weight one, a coffee table book for general consumption. That book came out in 2008 and it was wonderful. I saw it in every comic book shop and regular bookstore; I'll bet there's a copy on your shelf. But shortly after it was released, Evanier announced that the in-depth bio was off the table. I can't help but wonder if he went through something similar to what you're going through now.
I personally would like to see you stick to the "academic/comprehensive thing" you had in mind, but that really easy for me to say. I'd be interested in reading any book you cared to write, and I know I would enjoy it regardless. If you're really looking for alternate topic suggestions, I have a few.
HORROR COMICS: I'd like to see what you could do with a book tracing horror comics, from EC to Warren to '50s Marvel monsters to DC's "mystery" line to Vertigo and everything in between. With your extensive collection of PS Artbooks, I know you have a lot of the research material already on your shelf.
GOLDEN AGE COMICS: To me, the "Golden Age" is more than just superheroes, and it lasted beyond the demise of the JSA. "Superheroes" was just the first wave of the Golden Age, followed by crime, horror, romance, etc., and it went right up to when the CCA brought it down. I'd like to read a book written from that angle.
JJJ: If you want to focus on a fictional comic book journalist and Lois Lane is already taken, J. Jonah Jameson might be a good bet. For one thing, I suspect your published would be more likely to greenlight such a project because JJJ is going to be familiar to many non-comics readers. It wouldn't be the book I would most like to see you right, but I'll bet it would be great.
If you want to stick with journalism, what about the way newspapers, radio, and/or television news has been portrayed in the comics compared to real life? Take it from the way everyday happenings or more major events like wars, presidential assassinations, 9-11, etc are presented in each.
Or you could always compare and contrast the editorial styles of, say: Perry White versus J. Jonah Jameson.
Jeff of Earth-J said:
Yeah. J. Jonah Jameson isn't that well-known, but he is known enough from the Spider-Man movies, and he could be shown as the kind of tabloid newspaper publisher that gives newspapers a bad name, despite Frank Miller presenting him as a serious journalist during his run on Daredevil. Plus, JJJ's last on-screen movie appearance had him as an Alex Jones-type liar disinformation spreader..
Lee Houston, Junior said:
The contrast of the uniformly laudatory coverage the Daily Planet gives Superman versus the blaring "SPIDER-MAN: THREAT OR MENACE?" headlines in the Daily Bugle is a chapter in itself.
Plus, I'm not sure it's really all that ethical for the Daily Planet to give Superman all that uniformly laudatory coverage. I'm thinking of all those Golden Age and Silver Age stories about contests the Planet used to do to boost circulation with Superman's cooperation if not participation.
Heck, the ethics of Clark Kent covering Superman (usually to positive effect) and Peter Parker covering Spider-Man (usually with the result of trashing his reputation) would be a book, or at least a chapter.
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