ewein2412

From my Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators Newsletter, May-June 2006:

"The children's book department of G.P. Putnam's Sons...on June 1st...will no longer respond to or return an unsolicited submission unless there is interest in publishing it. Submissions that are of interest should have a reply within approximately four months. Accordingly, writers are advised to retain a copy of their manuscript and not to enclose an SASE."

"Dial Books and Philomel Books, two other imprints in the Penguin Young Readers Group, are also now following this same submission policy..."

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You thought that manuscript seemed to have dropped into a black hole? Well, NOW IT REALLY HAS. Wait four months and send it somewhere else. At least that's definitive!

I haven't got the WORDS to describe what's wrong with the publishing industry. Who would be a writer.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

marikochan.livejournal.com

Yeow! The worst thing about that is that there's no way to tell if your submission was rejected or if it just never arrived.

From:

ewein2412

it's even worse than that. It means that anything that stays in the slush pile more than 4 months can be tossed out without anyone even looking at it, because they can assume you've sent it to another publisher by now.

grrrr

From:

tigertrapped.livejournal.com

Oh, Lord. More to add to the "We're not a publisher we're a slush-pile" list. Is it OK if I refer these to www.writeword.org.uk, where they have a directory which contains tips like these? Or does it relate to US companies only?

From:

ewein2412

Well, it relates specifically to these US companies, so probably not. Also the SCBWI is very precious about sharing information that technically you can't get through them unless you're a member, so I'd rather you didn't quote them. HOWEVER, here is the link to Penguin's (USA) submissions policy, which is less detailed than what I've quoted above, but amounts to the same thing (actually, it's less offensive, since what the above policy amounts to is really "no unsolicited manuscripts," only it's like they're too wimpy to say so).

you know that Penguin USA is my publisher, don't you? But I'm with the Viking and Firebird imprints. I don't think I'm quite gutsy enough to diss my own imprints.

PS I'm working on your list, you bad woman.

From:

tigertrapped.livejournal.com

Don't worry, I won't quote. The writewords site is largely UK-based so I don't think this is of direct interest to them although it is symptomatic of a broader publishing malaise. Serpent's Tail in the UK will NOT clarify their "no unsolicited manuscripts" policy for me. I've asked does this mean I can't pitch an idea, or must even that come via an agent? They replied "I suppose you could but our policy is no unsolicited manuscripts." Yes but this is a PITCH not a mss! It's up to you if you then want to solicit the mss! Blood from a brick would be easier.

Can't wait!

From:

ashfae.livejournal.com

Oh, heavens. That's maddening!

From:

jewelweed.livejournal.com

This is really sad. Its so unprofessional. Its just another excuse for publishers to not care and to talk only to the insiders.

:-(

From:

katranides.livejournal.com

This will only lead to more and more of the same being published. Nothing new, nothing fresh, stay with the midlist authors and don't stray. As a reader I find it infuriating because I do, at least occasionally, want something different to wet my literary whistle.

From:

jewelweed.livejournal.com

Ah yes, more Kaavyas. More regurgitating of the same old canned stories, the "sure thing".

I remeber that going through the slush pile was one of the tasks of assistant editors-- their chance to learn how to spot good authors. I used to do that freelance.

I can easily imagine some corporate editor thinking that this policy is a great way to reduce costs. Of course another thing that it means is that the next round of young editors won't get this important kind of practice. What does this mean for the publishing industry?

From:

ewein2412

I was thinking about this, and I think it just means that the onus of "finding" a "new voice" will shift to agents; that there will be one more level between the writer and the reader, one more filter for the ms to make it through. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing; after the shift has been made, it will be the norm. But right now it just feels infuriating.

From:

jewelweed.livejournal.com

This is true, and I guess things will adjust. I just worry about that chasm between agents and editors-- it can get pretty big.

I guess the other thing that bugs me is that I wish the publisher would just come out and say that they are not going to read unsolicited manuscripts-- frankly, that is what it sounds like to me.

From:

ewein2412

they are not going to read unsolicited manuscripts-- frankly, that is what it sounds like to me

definitely. Also, what you say about agents and editors is true, but it is true anyway; and any hassle there seems to come AFTER the ms is accepted and doesn't actually have to do with the quality of the writing. In my limited experience, anyway. And technically speaking the editor's job should remain the editor's job; the agent doesn't get involved with the tweaking or creating of the manuscript. I know this varies with individual flair and personal dynamics, but I reckon that's the way it works traditionally.

From:

marikochan.livejournal.com

Hasn't this shift to a large degree already started, though? There are precious few publishing companies who accept unsolicited manuscripts as it is.

From:

ewein2412

yes, it has, but I don't think it's recognized as the norm. Or maybe it's recognized, but not wholly accepted, somehow.

From:

handworn.livejournal.com

United Artists got its start by a whole bunch of actors and so on banding together because of the practices of the Industry out in Hollywood at the time. The book-publishing and -distributing industry is so attenuated and unwieldy nowadays that I'd say it's ripe for something similar.