Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Duck Was Nixed!




As our publisher was designing the cover for our book, we put in a request. We'd like a duck on the cover. No Duck, we were told. As we dusted ourselves off, our editor came back and said the design department had agreed to put a duck on the spine of the book. We rejoiced! Here and there, Roy would mutter about the duck. Remind them, don't let them forget about the duck. As the cover was finalized and the galleys were finished, we received a note from our beloved editor. Are you sure? Of course! P
eople will think you are quacks. But we're not quacks, anyone who reads our book will know that. Roy was convinced that it would add to the idea that this isn't just another dry reference textbook, it's an easy to read, ducky kind of book. I thought a little duck would be fine. Our editor sent the picture of "our duck:Now let me tell you.
I did not like this duck.
I did not like this duck at all.

The duck had long lashes, looked way too happy for a psychiatry book, and looked like a toddler's bath toy. We're shrink rappers, but we don't squeak! Oh, and we're not quacks.

Here is the duck I wanted. Very small, very subtle. Think of the penguin logo for Putnam Books.
Only think of it as a duck. Here is the duck I wanted. Our editor agreed, I think, that it was a better duck:


And happy with our duck (though ClinkShrink thought the first duck with the flirty eyelashes was fine)... I get an email from the marketing department. It is a very serious email about how well they think our book will do, and how packaging is important to the overall product. The upshot: there will be no duck. Our opinions were not wanted, the duck was gone, it was a done deal.

Quack?

Oh, the duck would have been just fine....

11 comments:

tracy said...

i mentioned this on an earlier post..."Where's the duck?" Sarebear had a great answer.
So, no duck. So sad. :(

Jeralee said...

Just call it a manic duck. A HIGHLY manic duck... who is currently VERRRY happy with life.

Retriever said...

I could have given you beautiful photos I've taken of REAL ducks...sigh...but a manic duck is probably more appropriate, given your work.

Was this why you like ducks so much:
http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2009/12/ballistic_penises_and_corkscrew_vaginas_-_the_sexual_battles.php

(evil commenter with mind of a middle schooler runs away cackling)

Sarebear said...

I thought of you when I ran across THIS duck psychology post but it's not what you think and it's rather boring http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-therapy/201101/win-the-day-duck-psychology

Still I skimmed it anyway.

Dinah said...

Thank you all for the duck links. Sports, ducks, psychotherapy all in one article. It was missing chocolate. And the duck genitals info was very...illuminating to say the least.
My sister-in-law and niece are discussing duckiness on Facebook and here is Bug's answer to the duck-free publisher:
"Yes, here is your answer--do what the Freaknomics guys did for sigining their copies--sign by bookplate! Just get bookplates printed up with ducks on them and offer the signed bookplate to anyone who sends in an SASE. http://signingbooksbybookplate.blogspot.com/2009/03/freakonomics-bookplate-success-story.html"

Sunny CA said...

Here you have a creative venture being controlled by a conservative publisher who can't stand the risk of a little duck on the spine. It symbolizes much of what is wrong in this country.

tracy said...

Sunny CA Agreed!

Sarebear said...

So this is a no duck-on-cover zone?

(Ducks all the tomatoes thrown for the bad pun; say it fast if you don't get it; ask someone from the Cold War era if you really don't get it!)

And you're welcome!

ClinkShrink said...

I like the book plate idea.

tracy said...

i second the book plate idea! :)

Peter said...

Ducks of the world unite. Your importance has just gone up a level.