This is a real quote from a real letter from a real and well-known publisher.

"Dear Ian,

As you may remember we spoke last week about how things were progressing on the two book proposals you sent me. As you know, I liked your material on the psychic delusion book and my only editorial comment at this point was a suggestion that you tone down some of the more facetious remarks and play it a tiny bit straighter.

But I'm afraid none of the sales people were too keen on this idea, arguing that the nutters out there are keen to remain in their cloud cuckoo land rather than face the reality that it might all be one big con."

"The trouble with the publishing business is that too many people who have half a mind to write a book do so"
  - William Trigg