YS: I just got a rejection letter from Monsoon Books. A very nice rejection letter, but I'm peeved anyway, cos no-one else seems to be interested in publishing my 20something college memoirs.
Dear Yi -Sheng
Thank you for submitting diary of a stone monkey to Monsoon Books and sorry for the slow response, we've been flooded with manuscripts these last few months. I though your manuscript was a breath of fresh air compared to the usual offerings and I found myself reading it on my own time, which is always a good sign. Unfortunately I just don't feel I can take it on for publication. Although we did publish a similar (in terms of style, not content) title recently, I just don't know how receptive the local market is to diary/email/blog-style books. Your writing reminds of Christos Tsiolkas in his gay coming-of-age book Loaded. I would love to see a hard-hitting coming-of-age book from Singapore and diary of a stone monkey is part way they although it was probably not intended to be so.
Have you had any luck with other publishers? I'll KIV this manuscript and take another look early next year but I don't think we will be able to publish it. Are you working on anything else at the moment?
Thanks and regards
Phil Tatham
Publisher, Monsoon Books
YS: The similar style book he refers to is "My Kiasu Teenage Life in Singapore", an epistolary account of a Malaysian Chinese girl's ASEAN student life. Haven't read it, but I'm certain my memoirs are cooler. I bet she doesn't end up losing her virginity in the back of an East Village Club.
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