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My sexy werewolf novel got the most awesome review ever – from a US judge My sexy werewolf novel got the most awesome review ever – from a US judge
(4 months later)
When you write fiction there's only one thing you really want: feedback. OK, before that there's JK Rowling style levels of treehouse-building remuneration, but once that hope has been dashed by a disappointing advance or a crushing royalty statement, then it's feedback. This can take many forms, from thoughtful broadsheet reviews to eclectic Amazon comments to emails from readers. Of course, if you write in a genre called werewolf erotica you might find the former a little thin on the ground. Then again, you might receive a 30-page court document assessing whether or not your work has literary merit, instead.When you write fiction there's only one thing you really want: feedback. OK, before that there's JK Rowling style levels of treehouse-building remuneration, but once that hope has been dashed by a disappointing advance or a crushing royalty statement, then it's feedback. This can take many forms, from thoughtful broadsheet reviews to eclectic Amazon comments to emails from readers. Of course, if you write in a genre called werewolf erotica you might find the former a little thin on the ground. Then again, you might receive a 30-page court document assessing whether or not your work has literary merit, instead.
I'm a writer who does a bit of comedy, a bit of journalism, a bit of reviewing and a few other things. And from 2003 until 2008 I wrote six novels for erotica "by women for women" imprint Black Lace Books using the pseudonym Mathilde Madden. Three of those novels were a trilogy about werewolves and werewolf hunters and their tragic, forbidden, hairy love.I'm a writer who does a bit of comedy, a bit of journalism, a bit of reviewing and a few other things. And from 2003 until 2008 I wrote six novels for erotica "by women for women" imprint Black Lace Books using the pseudonym Mathilde Madden. Three of those novels were a trilogy about werewolves and werewolf hunters and their tragic, forbidden, hairy love.
The books did OK, which at this level of publishing is almost indistinguishable from them sinking utterly and without trace. And they gained a tiny number of (mostly) dismissive reviews on Amazon. But I liked them, I was proud of them and that was that.The books did OK, which at this level of publishing is almost indistinguishable from them sinking utterly and without trace. And they gained a tiny number of (mostly) dismissive reviews on Amazon. But I liked them, I was proud of them and that was that.
I didn't write any more books for Black Lace and I co-wrote an article about the imprint folding (it has since resurrected itself). Until yesterday, when an article popped up in my Facebook news feed revealing that a Californian prison inmate called Andres Martinez had won a two-year legal battle to be allowed to read one of my books, The Silver Crown, in prison. After Martinez's request for the book had been denied because of its depictions of sex and violence, he had gone to court and an American judge had carefully worked his way through the whole thing to deduce whether or not it had literary merit. And then ruled that it did. I'm not a lawyer, but I assume that means that it is now the law that I have literary merit.I didn't write any more books for Black Lace and I co-wrote an article about the imprint folding (it has since resurrected itself). Until yesterday, when an article popped up in my Facebook news feed revealing that a Californian prison inmate called Andres Martinez had won a two-year legal battle to be allowed to read one of my books, The Silver Crown, in prison. After Martinez's request for the book had been denied because of its depictions of sex and violence, he had gone to court and an American judge had carefully worked his way through the whole thing to deduce whether or not it had literary merit. And then ruled that it did. I'm not a lawyer, but I assume that means that it is now the law that I have literary merit.
The court report includes a full plot synopsis, that is probably more detailed and well put together than the one I produced when I proposed the actual book. It goes on to ask the opinion of a creative writing teacher, who seems to like it, and is quoted as saying its themes of freedom are proof of its "literary merit" and that it has "characteristics of literary fiction". And "considerable effort went into the creation of the book, and the plot is more than a sham." More than a sham? Aw, shucks. Later, the report calls my book "Perhaps less than Shakespearian?" Perhaps? Well OK, as long as there's only a little doubt as to whether I am better than Shakespeare, legally.The court report includes a full plot synopsis, that is probably more detailed and well put together than the one I produced when I proposed the actual book. It goes on to ask the opinion of a creative writing teacher, who seems to like it, and is quoted as saying its themes of freedom are proof of its "literary merit" and that it has "characteristics of literary fiction". And "considerable effort went into the creation of the book, and the plot is more than a sham." More than a sham? Aw, shucks. Later, the report calls my book "Perhaps less than Shakespearian?" Perhaps? Well OK, as long as there's only a little doubt as to whether I am better than Shakespeare, legally.
What I seem to have got here, by pure chance – no one seems to have any idea why Martinez chose my book – is the most awesome book review ever. The kind of thing that money can't buy. Or the kind of thing money could buy, but it would be really expensive. How much do the people who wrote that report charge for hour? Based on my stereotype of American lawyers, I'd say, loads. It is likely that the report cost far more than the advance I was paid for the original novel.What I seem to have got here, by pure chance – no one seems to have any idea why Martinez chose my book – is the most awesome book review ever. The kind of thing that money can't buy. Or the kind of thing money could buy, but it would be really expensive. How much do the people who wrote that report charge for hour? Based on my stereotype of American lawyers, I'd say, loads. It is likely that the report cost far more than the advance I was paid for the original novel.
An author friend of mine pointed out that fighting through the courts for two years was more trouble than anyone had ever gone to in order to read one of her books. But has anyone ever worked so hard to read a book? I suppose there were those people who were burned alive because they wanted to read the Bible in English, but apart from them, I reckon my book is the winner here.An author friend of mine pointed out that fighting through the courts for two years was more trouble than anyone had ever gone to in order to read one of her books. But has anyone ever worked so hard to read a book? I suppose there were those people who were burned alive because they wanted to read the Bible in English, but apart from them, I reckon my book is the winner here.
It's pretty awesome that Martinez decided to fight for the right to read a book with a buffed-up dude on the cover and a plot about naughty werewolves – and not just because it has given me the weirdest week of my life. I really hope he enjoys it and that – after a two-year wait – it lives up to his expectations. I mean, really, no pressure.It's pretty awesome that Martinez decided to fight for the right to read a book with a buffed-up dude on the cover and a plot about naughty werewolves – and not just because it has given me the weirdest week of my life. I really hope he enjoys it and that – after a two-year wait – it lives up to his expectations. I mean, really, no pressure.
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