(no subject)
Jul. 16th, 2008 08:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ann_leckieRight, the Helix thing.
I've been doing a lot of thinking about this in the past few days. On the one hand, Helix has published some excellent stories. I only just recently enthused over Vylar Kaftan's "Break the Vessel," for instance.
Helix has also published stories by me. Stories I am very proud of. Stories that were essentially unsalable to other markets.
And my business dealings with Mr. Sanders have been absolutely fine--he struck me as a trifle crochety, it's true, but I've got some tolerance for crochety. Hell, some folks have histories that, when you look at it, I'd be surprised if they hadn't turned out crochety. I had and have no idea if Mr. Sanders has such a history, but I was perfectly willing to shrug and say, "Eh, he's like that." Especially since he likes my work. I'm vain, I admit it.
But.
One comes to a point where "Eh, he's like that" doesn't really cover it. Where "but he's always been courteous and professional to me" doesn't suffice.
Over the last day or so, to add to the whole rejection letter business, we've also seen the insulting treatment of authors like Yoon Ha Lee and N. K. Jemisen. The responses to their requests to have their works removed from the Helix website were graceless, resentful, ugly. And the removal of the stories was used as a vehicle for yet another attempt at insult. The whole effect is of a grown man throwing a tantrum, not caring about anything but his anger, not caring that the mud he's flinging is mostly landing on himself. And it sends a clear message to Helix authors--don't you dare ever criticize or disagree with the editor! Do that, and you can just go fuck yourself. Oh, and your stories actually sucked.
Mr. Sanders is, of course, free to have and express whatever opinions he thinks right. He is also free to run Helix in any fashion that seems good to him. As I am free to be unwilling to work with an editor who treats his writers so disrespectfully. Who despises "political correctness," insists on the right to fling ethnic slurs, but then demands that anyone around him approve of his actions, banishing anyone who might question or disapprove--essentially instituting his own brand of political correctness.
I have sold three stories to Helix. Two of them have been published. I was happy and proud to have sold those stories. I'm sure other writers who have sold stories to Helix felt similarly. I'm not going to ask that Helix take those stories down. I signed contracts giving Helix the right to archive them indefinitely. I am certainly not willing to pay the fee that Mr. Sanders has demanded for the right to break that contract.
Nor am I going to withdraw the third. Once again, I've signed a contract.
But I have broken the links to those stories from my website and livejournal profile, and linked instead to copies of those stories on my own website.
I do not mean, in any way, to express disapproval for those who have withdrawn stories. It's my decision, made in my particular circumstances, made about my stories. Others have to take the actions that seem right to them.
I can't applaud the use of ethnic slurs. I can't ignore that, nor can I ignore the insults aimed at Helix writers, the willingness to deface the magazine itself just to get one more shot across. The vindictive attempt to hit a writer at the point of her (presumed) vanity, just to score points, to get back at her.
I won't submit to Helix any further. I am not happy to be saying that. There's a lot I liked about Helix, about its stated aims, about the authors Helix published. But I can't in good conscience continue to submit there.
I've been doing a lot of thinking about this in the past few days. On the one hand, Helix has published some excellent stories. I only just recently enthused over Vylar Kaftan's "Break the Vessel," for instance.
Helix has also published stories by me. Stories I am very proud of. Stories that were essentially unsalable to other markets.
And my business dealings with Mr. Sanders have been absolutely fine--he struck me as a trifle crochety, it's true, but I've got some tolerance for crochety. Hell, some folks have histories that, when you look at it, I'd be surprised if they hadn't turned out crochety. I had and have no idea if Mr. Sanders has such a history, but I was perfectly willing to shrug and say, "Eh, he's like that." Especially since he likes my work. I'm vain, I admit it.
But.
One comes to a point where "Eh, he's like that" doesn't really cover it. Where "but he's always been courteous and professional to me" doesn't suffice.
Over the last day or so, to add to the whole rejection letter business, we've also seen the insulting treatment of authors like Yoon Ha Lee and N. K. Jemisen. The responses to their requests to have their works removed from the Helix website were graceless, resentful, ugly. And the removal of the stories was used as a vehicle for yet another attempt at insult. The whole effect is of a grown man throwing a tantrum, not caring about anything but his anger, not caring that the mud he's flinging is mostly landing on himself. And it sends a clear message to Helix authors--don't you dare ever criticize or disagree with the editor! Do that, and you can just go fuck yourself. Oh, and your stories actually sucked.
Mr. Sanders is, of course, free to have and express whatever opinions he thinks right. He is also free to run Helix in any fashion that seems good to him. As I am free to be unwilling to work with an editor who treats his writers so disrespectfully. Who despises "political correctness," insists on the right to fling ethnic slurs, but then demands that anyone around him approve of his actions, banishing anyone who might question or disapprove--essentially instituting his own brand of political correctness.
I have sold three stories to Helix. Two of them have been published. I was happy and proud to have sold those stories. I'm sure other writers who have sold stories to Helix felt similarly. I'm not going to ask that Helix take those stories down. I signed contracts giving Helix the right to archive them indefinitely. I am certainly not willing to pay the fee that Mr. Sanders has demanded for the right to break that contract.
Nor am I going to withdraw the third. Once again, I've signed a contract.
But I have broken the links to those stories from my website and livejournal profile, and linked instead to copies of those stories on my own website.
I do not mean, in any way, to express disapproval for those who have withdrawn stories. It's my decision, made in my particular circumstances, made about my stories. Others have to take the actions that seem right to them.
I can't applaud the use of ethnic slurs. I can't ignore that, nor can I ignore the insults aimed at Helix writers, the willingness to deface the magazine itself just to get one more shot across. The vindictive attempt to hit a writer at the point of her (presumed) vanity, just to score points, to get back at her.
I won't submit to Helix any further. I am not happy to be saying that. There's a lot I liked about Helix, about its stated aims, about the authors Helix published. But I can't in good conscience continue to submit there.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 03:14 am (UTC)and Cat, who is sitting next to me making fans, says, "Ditto." in fact she says, "Double dog ditto your Mom, babee."
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 03:18 am (UTC)I like the cantankerous guy (and I like people who loathe him), but I definitely understand how he's not to everyone's taste. I don't like that people are hurting, and some of those hurting are people I care a lot about.
And yes, he does have one of those histories that would, I believe, make being crochety inevitable, and I'm sure I only know the tip of the iceberg. That said, he's gone out of his way to find excellent work that is unique and brave, and I value that editorial perspective, even if it's not always expressed in the manner I'd prefer.
I look forward to reading your forthcoming piece.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 12:39 pm (UTC)And thanks for your kind words.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 01:48 pm (UTC)In my opinion Sanders behavior has moved past "cantankerous" and "crotchety" into out and out bigoted. It's not that he is phrasing things poorly, I'd say he clearly believes the bigoted things he is saying.
For instance, his slam at Yoon-Ha Lee
"Certainly I would not want to continue to publish a story against the author's wishes, especially a story like this one that never did make any sense and that I only accepted because I thought it might please those who admire your work, and also because (notorious bigot that I am) I was trying to get more work by non-Caucasian writers." link (http://yhlee.livejournal.com/1187003.html).
It is certainly possible to choose to remain friends with someone who is a bigot. I would say, however, that it's best to be honest about the situation. It doesn't do Sanders any favors to try to mitigate what he has done and is doing. If he wants to be loudly and vocally bigoted, which is a choice he's clearly running with, then why try to make that anything other than what it is?
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 05:50 pm (UTC)I certainly understand people disagreeing with my interpretation.
That said, I don't think a lot of people interpreting his comments the way you did either have spent significant time in his newsgroup or read a lot of his work.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 06:19 pm (UTC)I suspect you're right. However, in my opinion, that doesn't exonerate him because of two things:
1) It shows that when he wants to insult someone, he's willing to use racism and sexism to do so.
2) It shows a willingness to be totally unprofessional to his writers.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 06:20 pm (UTC)The things we choose to be deliberately mean about are significant. Like if I was really pissed at someone who was transgendered, I would not make cruel jokes about gender. There are many other ways to be mean without being bigoted.
That said, I don't think a lot of people interpreting his comments the way you did either have spent significant time in his newsgroup or read a lot of his work.
I'm not sure why spending a lot of time reading his work (by which I assume you mean his fiction) matters. Someone can write wonderful stories, sing to their spouse and children every evening, and still be a bigot. The positive things about them does not erase their bigotry. If someone is a committed feminist and also hates gays, their feminism is not a "get out of jail free" card for their homophobia.
It's a difficult situation to be in. I wish you luck with it.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 06:30 pm (UTC)I never said they weren't. Nor do I agree with how Will expressed his anger.
That said, I don't think this needs to be hashed out in Ann's blog as well -- Ann gave her position about her works appearing in Helix, and gave a heads up that there would be another piece forthcoming.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 11:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 11:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 03:41 pm (UTC)Very well stated, Ann. I'll mention that I considered this market suspect since they published Mahmoud's Wives right around the start. I remember reading it—two years ago, now—and being like "Wow, that's the most Islamophobic piece of SF I've ever read." So I can't say I'm surprised, exactly.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 07:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-18 11:43 pm (UTC)Good luck with your future publishing endeavours--I hope you find an even cooler place to post at than the one you thought Helix was going to be.
--Asicho
no subject
Date: 2008-07-21 05:41 pm (UTC)I think most of the authors who decided thusly didn't find it an easy decision. I would support you regardless, but my 2 cents is that you've made a good choice.
BTW, I see from a comment by kate_nepveau on oyceter's recent post that a central repository is in the works for the withdrawn pieces.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-21 06:15 pm (UTC)The central repository--I have every intention of putting my stories there once it's ready. It's not quite ready yet.