MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - With this attitude, is it any wonder new authors don't trust the system?

neilmarr · 07-26-2010, 07:22 AM

I'll email you a piece from the Grumpy Old Bookman blog in 2005 that will knock your socks off, Nick (too long for here). It's an essay by old-time trad editor, Mike Allen, and is called *On the Survival of Rats in the Slush Pile*. Very tongue-in-cheek but, sadly, very true. The job of acquisition editing at many houses -- especially the big ones -- is to clear the slush pile as quickly as possible (usually using an intern) with a whole list of house-accepted excuses. Frightening stuff. Cheers. Neil

Ah ... just saved myself a wee job. There's a free PDF here: http://www.kingsfieldpublications.co.uk/rats.PDF

07-26-2010, 07:22 AM	#7
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	I'll email you a piece from the Grumpy Old Bookman blog in 2005 that will knock your socks off, Nick (too long for here). It's an essay by old-time trad editor, Mike Allen, and is called On the Survival of Rats in the Slush Pile. Very tongue-in-cheek but, sadly, very true. The job of acquisition editing at many houses -- especially the big ones -- is to clear the slush pile as quickly as possible (usually using an intern) with a whole list of house-accepted excuses. Frightening stuff. Cheers. Neil Ah ... just saved myself a wee job. There's a free PDF here: http://www.kingsfieldpublications.co.uk/rats.PDF