A novel has been rejected over 30 times by publishers who cited that it was “too niche” just because it centred on a gay character. It was also said the story of Charlie Matthews’ obsession with Madonna was “too working class, too 80s, too immersed in pop culture, and too gay”.
The Madonna of Bolton by Matt Cain is a family drama and sees the protagonist Charlie’s obsession with the pop star Madonna. His infatuation with her “sees him through some tough times in life: being persecuted at school; fitting in at a posh university; a glamorous career in London; finding boyfriends; getting rid of boyfriends; growing up and family heartbreak”.
The book was rejected so many times by mainstream publishers that Matt Cain decided to ask the general public for help.
Crowdfunding has been a boon to creatives all over the world, accessing funds from backers to make their projects a reality. Cain decided to use Unbound in order to ask for backing for his novel and get it published.
Famous names offered their support: comedian and author David Walliams, and television’s Mark Gatiss are just two fans of Cain’s novel.
“It’s Billy Elliot meets Beautiful Thing wearing a conical bra – a story for anyone who ever sang their heart out, looked for love, dreamed of more, or wanted a Soda Stream more than anything else in the world…”
It seems strange that a book would be rejected for not being ‘relatable’ for the majority of people when it is a human story about human issues. A gay main character shouldn’t be off-putting for straight people- just as a book centred on straight people is not alien to gay people. Love, obsession, family, angst, are all themes people of all sexualities can relate to.
Read an excerpt here via Unbound and decide for yourself.
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