I’ll not be submitting any work to Tramp Press.
“Sexists need not apply” to the “dreaded women” who run Tramp Press, say the trail-blazing Irish independent publisher, which has announced it is closing its doors to “overtly sexist” submissions from writers who address them as “Dear Sirs”, or list only male influences.
The small press announced the change to its submission guidelines on social media. “We at Tramp experience sexism in lots of ways all the time, being dreaded women,” wrote Sarah Davis-Goff and Lisa Coen. “One really annoying way we experience it is when authors send us their manuscripts and do one or both of the following: 1. Addressing us as ‘Dear Sirs’ and 2. Sending us a cover letter in which they declare they do not read books by women.”
I expect a publisher to understand how the English language works – and “Dear Sir” is, like the masculine pronouns, a general reference where the sex of the recipient is unknown – it is the equivalent of “Dear Sir or Madam” – it is not an indication of sexism, it is merely more succinct. Anyone who takes offence is looking to do so.
Anyone who reads my fiction will see strong female characters – very often the lead character is female. This is because I like women. I am not a sexist, yet when addressing an entity where the recipient’s sex is unknown, I use the formal address of “Dear sirs”. I intend to continue doing so. Tramp Press can go get fucked, frankly. I have no desire to submit any manuscript to them either now or in the future. I don’t much like their attitude.
Fortunately Leg Iron Books doesn’t behave in such a puerile manner.
“Fortunately Leg Iron Books doesn’t behave in such a puerile manner.”
Addressing Leggy as ‘Sir’ as in “You’ll be wanting to leave that longbow in the car, Sir” or “We’ve had a few whiskeys, have we,Sir?’ ?
Heh!
Dear cur or madman might be useful in their case.
Indeed.
So they won’t be taking any sexist submissions? As in two falls and a submission, or are we talking something darker from the realms of BDSM? Is that where they see their market pegged?
As for sending in a cover letter stating that an author doesn’t read books by women. Why on earth would a prospective author put that in any communication with a publisher? However, looking on the bright side for them, this ‘No sexists’ policy should keep their unread slush pile to a manageable size.