From the intern over at Bookends Lit. She's right!
The editors and agents who are Established and Experienced and who you Really Want to Read Your Manuscript? They skim and discard the slush so fast it would make the faint-of-heart weep. An enthusiastic intern (with smart opinions) can make us actually read the whole manuscript.
..right so suck up to the intern *grin*
ReplyDeleteUnless the intern is meaner and more cynical than the agent, and then gets hired as the assistant.
ReplyDeleteIt's all over the InterWebs and in every book on writing and publishing ever written: Basically don't try. Unless it's the most amazing thing ever, no one will look at it, no one will read it, it'll be in the trash can in .6 minutes. Possibly less.
ReplyDeleteSo how ... may I ask ... is it possible to still read a respectably published novel that is just woefully written? To say nothing of an undercooked plot? HOW?
Follow-up question...so how do you get the intern to read your manuscript?
ReplyDeleteHas anyone had any experience with mascot books? Our librarian at school says they have accepted her work, but she will have to pay costs upwards of 15,000 dollars, in other words all costs, but she gets profits. I think they make the sports team books that I see at Barnes and Noble, so is this self-publishing but with better distribution?
ReplyDeletegag01001:
ReplyDeleteYou can't help it.
discworld:
ReplyDeleteIt boggles me, too.
So, so so sososososo true.
ReplyDeleteI always treat the interns as if they are the first readers, because sometimes they are!
ReplyDelete@Lee
ReplyDeleteGood grief, Lee. $15,000 to publish a book? That is a ridiculous sum!
Check out Lulu.com (free!) or CreateSpace.com (an affordable low-cost solution from the Amazon.com).
Lee,
ReplyDeleteGo to Writers Beware. They will know...
PLJ
As a former intern (now assistant) at an agency, I can give a tip on how to get one to read your manuscript. Here's a hint: It's the same way you get anyone else to read it. Write a damn good query. 1)Address the agent or the person who reviews the submissions (if you can find that). 2) Know your plot. I saw so many queries where the author didn't tell me the biggest plot point until after 4 paragraphs. Put it up front. Write your logline. 3)No crazy typos 4) 250 words is good.
ReplyDeleteTaDa. Then you hope that the intern likes your genre, which is the hardest. You never know that.
Go interns!
*gasp* an evil intern?? What is the world coming to!?!
ReplyDeleteAnd can't you publish your e-book for free through Amazon? Maybe the librarian should look at that? I'm still kinda.. maybe.. one day considering it *grin*
My friend once worked for a week at a publishing house through a temp agency and was reading the slush. My friend is an actress, not an intern. My heart goes out to all the writers she probably had no idea were good or bad.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently an intern and I agree completely. I knew assistants at the house I was working at who would skim slush and throw it out without reading if it didn't come with a SASE (and this is a big, famous house. One you're heard of). I read EVERYTHING, though, and responded to everything, even if it wasn't submitted according to our exact specifications. I passed up one manuscript my entire summer and my editor was impressed enough with it that she an I met with the authors personally. She left the company shortly thereafter so I don't know what became of their book, but I know they were very thankful that someone had taken the time to read the whole thing. It was a great book, and I don't know what would have happened to it if it had landed in someone else's lap.
ReplyDeleteHey guys, Josh from Mascot Books here. @Lee, I'm not sure who your friend is, but at $15,000 they are probably looking at at least 5,000 hardcover books with illustration services. Our services include editing, layout, design, printing, marketing and distribution. The authors keep 100% of the creative control and retail 85-100% of all sales. If 15K sounds like a lot to you, then print less books! We have services available as low as $199 for 5 hardcover books!
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