Selling Out

Here is my story for the Three Word Wednesday prompt this week:


“I can’t believe I just wrote that,” Val said in utter disgust after reading the last chapter of the book she’d been working on for months.


‘You can do this, Val. Slip a glittering vampire in and everybody will love it. Not every book has to be literary artwork.’

“I should have stuck to my guns and never let Abigail talk me into doing this stupid book. I know times are lean and I need some cash, but this is ridiculous!” Val muttered while gathering all the pages up to ship to her cheerleading agent.

“Abigail,” Val said when the agent answered her call. “The book is finished but I am far from happy with it.”

“What’s wrong with it?” the agent inquired.

“It’s about a glittering; weak willed, wimpy vampire is what’s wrong with it!”

Abigail sighed. Glad nothing serious was going on, she asked, “So it’s completely done and ready for me to shop it around?”

“Yes, but didn’t you hear me? It’s awful!”

“I’m sure it’s not awful, Val. You never write awful as your sales attest. You just have to write more often, which is why you did this book.”

Val knew the agent meant well but she was scared she’d lose fans by publishing this latest book. “I can’t do it, Abigail.”

“What do you mean, you can’t do it?” Abigail asked.

“I can’t put this book out there. I’m too ashamed.”

“Val, it’s just vampire fiction, not the end of the world.”

“To my fans, the fact that I dabbled in vampire fiction might lead to the end of me!” Val countered. “Mark my words, sales will go down if this book is published.”

***

“What was that you told me a few months ago?” Abigail teased Val. “Something about sales going down.”

Val blushed, looked around the packed auditorium at all the people waiting for her to sign a book, and finally gave her agent her due. “I bow to your wisdom, OH Great One. You were right. It seems commercial appeal is more important than literary merit these days.”