publishing 101: an editor talks

My new book proposal went out yesterday to a bunch o’ publishers. The proposals should be resting on the targetted editors’ desks as I type this.

(Behold the power of agents — they can do simultaneous submissions. And they use overnight mail.)

Right now, I feel as though I’ve traveled through several time zones and have finally arrived. Where, I don’t know. Hopefully someplace good. One thing I do know: I feel almost jetlagged with exhaustion.

As I’m waiting for news — hopefully good — I thought that this Youtube video seemed appropriate. In it, an editor talks about what she does.

As you watch, check out the tall pile of submitted manuscripts sent to her. Scary but true: our piles were taller when I worked at Dial Books reading “slush” ( as we unceremoniously called all the unsolicited manuscripts that were sent to us). And of the hundreds of manuscripts I read, only about 5% went onto consideration by an acquiring editor.

Technorati Tags: publishing, slush pile, what editors want

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