From Publishers Weekly
This author's name must strike terror in the souls of editors across the country: after all, his hobby is writing purposefully mediocre stories and submitting them to the wrong magazines. When an editor tells Broth that his material isn't suitable, Broth peppers his original story with mentions of whatever the magazine's focus happens to be, bolds and underlines them, and sends the piece back. As one editor writes to Broth, "I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry...you just wasted your money and my time." It's pretty funny at first, and we laugh along with the bemused Fencers' Quarterly editor. But what about the painfully earnest group at the helm of an Amish magazine and the countless busy editors of very specific publications (Rug Hooking, I Love Cats Magazine, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) who are being asked to read such inanities? Most editors try to give Broth some kind of guidance the first time he sends them his inappropriate-occasionally sordid, often boring-stories. Soon it seems as if we're watching Broth thumb his nose at people trying to help him, and eventually we must wonder what else he might have been able to accomplish with the amount of effort he put into confusing and frustrating editors. He might have improved his writing, for example. But for a book of one-note gags, this does offer some good laughs. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
A poor man's John Updike (albeit less prolific) wrapped in the sardonic cloak of Seinfeld creator Larry David (and how fitting it is that Jerry Seinfeld provides the introduction), Broth presents a set of stories bracketed by reprinted rejection letters from irate editors, and no wonder. Broth chose to submit to magazines wholly ill suited for his work. For instance, he sends "New Clothesline"--a spry look at neighborly relations regarding dirty clothes being hung between windows--to Fencers Quarterly Magazine. In response, the editor in chief writes, "Sorry . . . we publish material related to the sport of fencing." So Broth submits a rewrite that includes only a very brief mention of fencing and several inserted pictures from the magazine. Naturally, the editor is furious. Broth launches similar attacks on a dozen other inappropriate magazines, and the ensuing dialogues with editors are riotously funny. Given the harsh realities of the publishing world, this book should be mandatory reading for every graduate writing and publishing course. Mark Eleveld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
"Sorry, there's no way we can use this."
- Plumpers Magazine

"As a word of advice, it always helps for writers to be familiar with the publications they submit material to."
- Fencers Quarterly Magazine

Ed writes short stories. He's prolific. And desperate to get published. But he sends his stories to the wrong magazines. As for the magazines? Well, they don't mind telling him so:

"Dear Ed: I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry..."

"Dear Ed: Thank you for your recent submission to Steamboat Magazine; it was wonderful to hear how much our magazine has touched you..."

"Dear Ed: We do not publish stories about individuals like Conugal Cal, or about underwear-no matter how often references are made to fencing."

"Dear Mr. Broth: Thank you for providing the editors with an opportunity to review your manuscript, 'Luau Lester'..."

"Dear Mr. Broth: Thank you for the opportunity to review your article, 'My Car Ride with Daddy,' for possible publication in Mushing..."

With this book, Ed Broth finally sees his work published. His "Stories of Hope & Inspiration" and his "Stories of Meaning & Sacrament" plus his passionate pitches to place his writing in our nation's premier publications-from Pest Control Magazine to Arthritis Today-are all to be found in the book you hold in your hands.

Some might have advised Ed not to send his story "I Love Dogs" to I Love Cats Magazine or to stop submitting revised stories to editors who have already turned them down. But, well, that's just not the way Ed's mind works. Studded like a rich cranberry strudel with nuggets of genius -from cartoons and advertisements to actual newspaper articles from across the country - Stories From a Moron is an addictive journey into the mind of a great talent.



About the Author
Ed Broth is a prolific and enthusiastic writer who lives in Toluca Lake, California. This is his first book.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Ed is an aspiring writer. He really wants to be published. But Ed Broth's problem is that he writes short pieces and send them in to the wrong places. For example, Ed writes a story about his clothesline and then...sends it to Fencing Quarterly. When the editor writes back explaining that his magazine is about fencing rather than clotheslines, Ed does what any ambitious writer would do: he revises. And then resubmits his story - now containing hilariously ham-handed additions about fencing - to the same editor. Stories From A Moron collects not only Ed's work but the letters between Ed and the beleaguered editors of the publications he submits to. It's nutty humour at its deadpan best.

"Welcome to the world of Ed Broth. I think we can all use a warm clear liquid with a faintly chickeny smell right about now."-Jerry Seinfeld