Summary

Scribner Publishing has issued a strong and final rejection to Ms. Funk's manuscript, criticizing its implausible plot and inappropriate subject matter for the author's background.

Abstract

Scribner Publishing has reiterated its firm stance against publishing Ms. Funk's manuscript, which they had initially rejected in May. Despite Ms. Funk's attempt to update her story with current events, including revolutionary protests and a pandemic, the publishing team finds the plot weak, implausible, and inappropriate for Ms. Funk to write, given her racial background and the story's themes of racial justice. They criticize the manuscript for its disregard for good literature, its tone-deafness, and its unrealistic portrayal of a revolution and government response during a pandemic. The publishing team urges Ms. Funk to cease writing and contacting them, threatening legal action with a Cease and Desist letter.

Opinions

The publishing team at Scribner strongly believes that Ms. Funk's manuscript is not suitable for publication due to its weak and unrealistic plot.
They express that Ms. Funk's update to the manuscript, incorporating nationwide protests, does not improve its quality but rather weakens it further.
Scribner discourages the lack of literary judgment shown by Ms. Funk in her persistent attempts to pitch the story.
The team accuses Ms. Funk of being tone-deaf and unqualified to write about a revolution for racial justice, emphasizing the importance of diversity and appropriate representation in literature.
They find the portrayal of a dictatorship and the government's response to protests in the manuscript to be nonsensical and not credible, even to fantasy fans.
The publishing team is exasperated by Ms. Funk's continued attempts to contact them and is taking legal steps to prevent further communication.
They suggest that Ms. Funk has had a complete break with reality and advise her to stop writing.

Dear Ms. Funk: The Answer Is Still No

Your update makes this story worse. Please stop contacting us.

Dear Ms. Funk:

As our strongly worded letter to you in May clearly stated, we will not pursue your manuscript — ever.

Dear Ms Funk: We will Not Pursue Your Manuscript — Ever

A rejection letter for my horror novel, “2020”.

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We firmly stand by that statement and we’re not sure what compelled you to contact us again. We reread our response to your last pitch and found that there was no room for ambiguity. We were very clear. What part of no didn’t you understand?

Updating your manuscript to include revolutionary protests in all 50 states does not make your story stronger. In fact, it weakens an already incredibly weak plot line.

Scribner strongly discourages the sort of blatant disregard for good literature that you continue to thrust upon us.

This ill-considered chapter is at best reprehensible. You characters are already faced with a pandemic that requires the entire population to shelter in place. So everyone’s at home doing their own thing. Then you create an inciting incident that happens in public and is videotaped by several onlookers. How would this happen when everyone is supposed to be at home?

Additionally, your manuscript implies that this inciting incident is racially motivated. Yet the headshot you included for your book cover clearly indicates that you are a white woman.

Could you be any more tone deaf, Ms. Funk? We here at Scribner embrace diversity! You are not the voice for a story about a revolution for racial justice. That is not your story to write!

Normally, we would recommend you explore something along the lines of Candace Bushnell, Plum Sykes or Lauren Weisberger but, the very thought of the manuscripts you might send us makes us shudder.

Please, just stop!

Your claims in this new “revolutionary” chapter are perposterous and nonsensical. No one would believe that nonviolent revolutionaries are armed with hand sanitizer and water bottles. And they mask-up to fight their revolution while social distancing to avoid spreading the virus that caused the pandemic.

Or, that in the United States the “dictator” you introduced in Chapter 2 would deploy a fully militarized police force and the National Guard in all 50 states.

Or that the police force and National Guard would also be masked and armed with hand sanitizer and water.

Or that they are also socially distancing — even though the dictator who deployed them doesn’t believe in the virus.

Finally, you turn the tables and some of the police kneel in solidarity with the rebels while military personnel publicly denounce the dictator? Dictatorships do not work that way, Ms. Funk.

Not even the most fanatic of fantasy fans would buy this rubbish!

And, just as you did with the Australian wildfires, you completely abandon the murder hornets plot line.

Ms. Funk please, for the love of God, stop writing! You have clearly had a complete break with reality. We are sending the authorities and a Cease and Desist letter drafted by out attorneys. Please do not contact us again!

Best Regards,

The Scribner Publishing Team