A news article in the making titled "The publishing industry takes on cli fi" (backstory to the forestory)

 

A  very good feature reporter in the USA is planning to write a think piece on how the publishing industry is taking to the idea of a cli-fi genre. Or not taking to the idea of the cli fi genre. Or a balanced pro and con, both sides of the story story.

Not the usual "rise of cli-fi" story but a new take on the cli-fi meme, which is how are influential publishers, agents, and editors taking to the new genre, IF AT ALL.

Maybe they aren't. Maybe there is no interest yet in the cli-fi genre along Publishers Row in Manhattan or overseas in publishing centres in Australia and the UK?

But to do justice to this kind of feature story for a major news platform, we need to get some important publishing personages on board to be available for quotes and thoughts.

 

In earlier cli-fi pieces in the NYT and the Guardian etc, over the past 2 years, reporters were able to get good quotes piece easily enough because all the people in question were involved in some way in the growing and rising cli-fi community and were for the most part eager to advance the cause, or in some cases to say their say in terms of not being on board with the cli-fi genre to balance the reporting.

 

However, Literary Agents and Publishers and Editors have no such incentive. Perhaps this is where we need to find good contacts in the publishing world who are willing to be interviewed by a seasoned reporter and be quoted in public. 

 

After all the news about cli fi on the Net now--  http://cli-fi.net -- how is the publishing industry of CEOs, agents, acquiring editors​, authors, PR departments, maretking depts etc. but MOSTLY the literary part of the literature biz, editors and CEOS and agents,

how are THEY thinking and planning NOW to use the cli fi genre meme motif IF AT ALL?

 

Let's get quotes from top CEO people and Editors and agents.

 

We need good quotes, pro and con,

for a news article titled something like "The publishing industry takes on cli fi"...... pro and con, the poz news and the neg news. New genres take time to take hold.

 

But this kind of news story needs to be done. 

 

But not easy to reach these people in the industry and get them to talk. They have no stake in the cli-fi meme for now. Maybe in 2050 they will, but in 2015, it's still an iffy thing for publishers to go public with this stuff. Or maybe not. Maybe there *IS* a good article here.

 

THAT is the problem initially for this kind of story. there are not so many, if any, people inside the pub industry who care to advance the cli fi cause. its not of their concern. so finding people inside the biz is not going to be easy. like pulling teeth.

 i know one top agent, i have been in touch with him over the last 40 years and i once broached topic of cli fi with him and he replied by email. if we can approach him and get him to open up on this, cool. also, brian gittis for example is nathaniel rich's editor at fsg firm. if we could get him to talk about how npr in april 2013 did that big cli fi story based on nat's novel, a good get. 

 

 New author Claire Vaye Watkins.. ''gold fame citrus''... ''cli fi'' novel.. ask her editor at riverhead firm or her agent. maybe ask paolo b's editor water knife. and karl taro greenfeld's editor on "the subprimes"

 

MORE INFO AS IT COMES ON.

 

Developing.

 

Expect published story in April 2016.

NOTES:

1. When I asked one editor with a wide view of things in the publishing industry, a man who has made major deals in his career and knows the biz from A to Z and when I asked him for his POV on the cli fi genre in the industry, he replied: ''Danny, Sorry, this is outside of my realm.'' [Not sure why he said that, but he did.]

2. i had asked a well known lit agent  in early 2013 : "Sir, DID YOU SEE NPR story last month about
new literary genre called CLI FI ? and Guardian piece this week in UK
? I want to ask you email What do you think
of the term, will it fly, can it help writers and publishers for
marketing? Do you like it? YES NO MAYBE? one sentence reply fine.
DANNY'' He replied ''Danny, Sorry, this is outside of my realm.'' [Not sure why he said that, but he did.]

 

3. I approached another lit agent in NYC in 2013 after the NPR story came out and asked him for advice on who i might contact to find a reporter to write a cli fi story on the pub industry, writing:

"dear sir, have a news story tip pitch for a staff writer there to write about a new element in the New York literary world arena.

I mean scoop. Trust me on this. So I need to find an editor or reporter who covers culture, books, and knows agents and editors and publishers for quotes. This story is so major is is beyond major, but it needs a hungry eager beaver reporter and editor. who can i contact to pitch the news tip. I have a good track record and this story will be BIG. email me here  it is for your staff. DO CONTACT ME. i am going to you first.''

 

 

4. AND HE REPLIED:

''I am sending this query pitch to NAME REDCATED  a top journalist with a huge track record. And he’ll be in touch with you directly."

 

 

5. So I waited and the NAME REDACTED JOURNO wrote to me a few days later:  "Dear Dan, I got the email from  the agent and so

 How do we connect?''

 

 

6.  So I told NAME REDACTED HOW TO CONTACT ME BY EMAIL and replied bacvk in ten secouns: " Dear Dan, I don’t knot if the agent told you, but I am engulfed in several projects. I would have told you in person. Thanks for the consideration."

 

 

7. THEN i asked a reporter in California if she might want to do this story, 2013 was the timing of my pitch, and she replied:

" Hi Dan!

Super interesting idea - sorry for the slow response, my car broke down yesterday and I'm still waiting for it to be fixed so I can get home. Do you have suggestions/contact info for specific people in the film and book industry? I've got an editor at The Guardian UK who I think would love this story. I'm going to pitch it to her today and will let you know how I get on.Thanks again for reaching out!''

 

 

 

 

8. TIME WENT BY...... LIKE 12 months of time .....and i wrote to her again, the California reporter who came highly recommened to me by her friends in the climate communtiy, and i asked her what's up with the Guardian editor: she replied after 12 months of not replying: "Hi Dan!

I actually finally heard back from my editor at the Guardian in the UK last week - she said she was going to check with the other Enviro editor to make sure they weren't planning to do something. If they're not, she's interested in the story, but most likely for a new climate-focused section they're launching in late Oct/early Nov. I'll follow up with her next week if I haven't heard back yet, and let you know what I hear.

Thanks''

 

9.  AND THEN NADA. from her. She did reply later: "Dan,  I know you're passionate about this topic but I still haven't heard back from my Guardian UK ed, which is unusual for her so I'll shoot her a follow-up on Monday. You are of course welcome to reach out to other reporters, I'm under no illusion of exclusivity here. If the Guardian passes, I'll pitch it elsewhere. And as soon as I hear anything back I will absolutely let you know.'' [Dan notes: AND SHE NEVER REPLIED TO ME AGAIN ....EVER EVER. .....YOU WIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME, AND SOME YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A CHANCE OF A SNOWBALL IN HELL OF GETTING THROUGH THE NOISE THAT SO DISTRACTS THE WORLD TODAY.......haha]