Submissions Journal

I'm not going to post every single response I've received in my life cuz most of them are fairly basic form letters and they all say the same thing, pretty much; sounds cool, but no thanks! ... so the letters here are just the ones where I had some real (valuable) feedback and interaction with the literary agents and publishers involved.

The following submissions/rejections are for the full-length narrative-style novel, Psychopomp. One of the protagonists in this story was a real person, however, this is a work of pure fiction, based on his character.

If there are any French Lit/Lautréamont fans out there, I can assure you, I have not denigrated our beloved Isidore Ducasse in any way shape or form. I simply wanted to write a sort of female version of him, and I felt including him as an actual character in the story, who acts as a major influence on the heroine of the piece, would make it more of an homage to the man himself, as well as his works, as opposed to just another rip-off that would exploit or trivialize him.

I can safely say I've not done anything absurd, like take advantage of Charles de Gaulle's drafted law which allows for post-mortem matrimony, just so I could attempt to legally marry Ducasse in some preposterous performance art piece. Performance artists. Pfft. *rolls eyes* Nor have I included his work in any tawdry pornographic vampire film.

Unlike others who've used Lautréamont's work before me, there is nothing gimmicky or cheap about this book. I adore Ducasse, and have treated his work with great honour and veneration.

Query Letter

Dear XXX XXX,

I am currently seeking representation for my novel titled, Psychopomp. An urban, gothic story about Belle (Isabelle Louise Ducette), a 24-year-old suicidal ex-stripper, who unwittingly resurrects a 19th century French poet, the notorious Comte de Lautréamont (pseudonym of Isidore Lucien Ducasse). Their parallel lives converge, setting the pair on a misanthropic path of revenge and absolution. Lautréamont, renowned for his violent and often obscene prose poem Les Chants de Maldoror, in which his Byronic and somewhat vampiric hero has been dubbed a Victorian Satanist. His mysterious death captured imaginations in the literary avant-garde and was later adopted by the Surrealists as a precursor to their movement.

In 2002, I spent several months as a camera operator and technical support specialist on a documentary film crew funded by the Discovery Channel. I traveled through East Africa, spending most of my time in Tanzania and Kenya. I've since been in negotiations with McGraw-Hill Ryerson for a non-fiction account chronicling these experiences.

I am a professional web designer and Psychopomp is my first fiction endeavor. The manuscript, which includes an alternate ending, runs 90,000 words in length.

Should you decide you'd like to see a synopsis and sample chapters, I'd be happy to send the work immediately, either electronically or through standard mail.

Thanks very much for your time and attention.

Best,
Joanne Dillinger

© 2004 - 2007 Joanne Dillinger with credit to Le Comte de Lautréamont (Isidore Ducasse 1846-1870) - Les Chants de Maldoror