Writers without agents,
there is good news!
Three major publishers
have open windows coming up in the near future. So, if you’ve got a
finished novel, prepare to submit. (NB Responses to submissions can
often take a bit longer than the publishers intend, largely because
they get a huge number of submissions).
Do read the guidelines,
especially regarding the submission dates. If you’re submitting
grimdark to a publisher after primary school stories, you’re
wasting your time and the publishers. If your word count is a tiny
bit off, you’ll probably be alright, but if you submit a quarter of
a million words to someone after 110,000, they’ll just bin it.
Be aware the odds on
success are smaller than a pixie’s tallywhacker. There are many
reasons for rejection (beyond the rather obvious lack of quality). A
book may not fit the market, or it may not fit the particular
publisher. It might be seen as a bit unusual, which can be a positive
for some publishers, but others may feel wary that it will struggle
to make the necessary sales. Publishing is a business, so don’t
take it personally if your book’s rejected.
On that note, always be
as civil as possible. If a publisher says no to your book but thinks
your writing is proficient and your manner delightful, they may ask
you to send them other things you write in the future. If you pester
the publisher and whine like a spoilt brat when, along with 99.6% of
other submitters, you get a swift rejection, you may get a black mark
next to your name. Your character can help you gain or lose traction,
as well as your writing.
Anyway, it wasn’t my
wibbling that got you to read this post, but the three open windows.
Here are the links, and best of luck [don’t forget to sacrifice a
goat to Apollo]:
Angry Robot:
HarperVoyager:
Gollancz (unusually
these days, it’s physical submissions only):
Thaddeus
No comments:
Post a Comment