Why Wont Major Publishing Companies Publish Joelle Casteixs Book?, by Gustavo Arellano, Orange County Weekly, May 27, 2011

Why Won't Major Publishing Companies Publish Joelle Casteix's Book?

By Gustavo Arellano
Orange County Weekly
May 27, 2011

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2011/05/worthy_adversary_joelle_casteix.php

Longtime readers of the Weekly know Joelle Casteix, former cover girl, for being the most-prominent critic of the Catholic Diocese of Orange and its handling of its sex-abuse scandal, of which she was a survivor. Casteix is charming, funny, iron-willed, indefatigable--and on top of all this, she's a hell of a writer, especially when it comes to the topic of her incredible life.

Sounds like a perfect book, right? So much better than a biased history of Orange County or a compilation of a dumb column, correct? But try telling that to the major New York publishing houses, who have seen Casteix's memoir proposal, liked it--and then politely passed.

Casteix has the whole story in her fiendishly addicting (and awesomely titled) blog, the Worthy Adversary. Telling the tale isn't an ego trip for the selfless Casteix; when people mention she should self-publish, she makes the point that getting published by a major company adds legitimacy and prestige not so much to her, but to all survivors of the Catholic Church's pedo-scandal.

"I need something that the survivors' movement also requires: the stamp of legitimacy that a large publishing house provides," she writes. "I also need the wider audience and the channel marketing capabilities that a large house gives me. And honestly, this book is too good to get lost."

Good luck, Joelle. Heaven knows the world needs to learn your many disgusting encounters with Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown--heckuva job, Brownie!

E-mail: GARELLANO@OCWEEKLY.COM