Objectively Subjective or Subjectively Objective

Ah, the rejection letter, that rite of passage that almost all writers go through. It usually comes as a form letter, well written and impersonal, although my favorite by far as been from a respected agent who said, "frankly, I'm just not that interested." Its been a month since I got that one and I'm still giggling over the raw honesty. More usual is the last line of said form letter which states, "This is a very subjective business and I wish you the best of luck in your search for representation."

What exactly does it mean to be a subjective business? Or more interesting to me, how many other businesses have built their foundation on subjectivity? And is this foundation a key component for why the publishing industry is being rocked by earthquakes?

By definition being subjective means to base decisions on feelings and opinions rather than facts or evidence. It seems counterintuitive to running a business. Businesses are run with one object: to make money, and the publishing world is no different. When its all said and done, books have to sell to make money and who knows what is going to sell? Anyone? Anyone?

I personally think the next hot book will be about a seventeen year old girl named Cassie Thompson who explores themes of trust, guilt and friendship as icons of Egyptian mythology resurrect in modern DC....but I digress.

Hence the subjectivity.

So lets look at it objectively, making decisions without being influenced by our personal feelings. Vampires sell. Writers see this. Agents see this. Publishing houses see this. The floodgates open and saturation occurs. Just browse the teen section in your local Barnes & Nobles; it seems that every other book has a vampire in it. Yawn. That is not just me, its the publishing world in general. I'm reminded of a Monty Python movie where the fat man eats and eats and tries to reject the mint at the end. He ultimately succumbs to the temptation and explodes. So objectively speaking, the YA publishing industry has had an explosion of vampires. Yikes.

So subjectivity, huh? A hunch, a feeling, a gut reaction. These are the things we writers are banking on after we've put in the blood, sweat and tears over our manuscripts. Well, I've got a hunch that the next letter I get will be an offer of representation.

Hey, I think I like this subjective business.