Back in the 1990s I send a Sci-fi novel in to a publisher. When I had not heard back after two months I rang up. Amazingly I managed to get through to the guy who was reading the samples. He was really nice. I guess I got him in the afternoon and he was bored. He needed a break.
I explained that I had sent in a sample of my book.
He checked through and confirmed that it was halfway through the pile on his desk and he should get to it in the next couple of months.
I asked him what the chances were.
He asked if it was brilliant and I assured him that it was better than that. He explained that if it was a super as I claimed its chances of getting printed were remarkably slim.
He explained that he received between two and three thousand unsolicited novels a year. They published three. I did the maths.
He then told me that he did not wish to raise my hopes. Of the three published two or all three were second, third and fourth books. They published one book by a new author about every two years.
I was a little stunned.
He then proceeded to explain. I was told to imagine I was going on a long train journey. I was in the book shop looking for a book to take. I liked Sci-fi. How many great Sci-fi authors were there? How many books had they written? Why would anyone buy an Opher Goodwin, no matter how brilliant, when they could buy a tried and tested Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke or Niven? How many Sci-fi books would the average reader ever read?
I was undeterred.
I was already doing the maths.
All I had to do was write five thousand books. By the laws of averages I would get one published!
So why not try an Opher Goodwin. Forget your Asimov, Banks and Heinlein – Opher Goodwin needs a boost! He’s brilliant!