Comments on: Slush

By: Jen Nadol

Jen Nadol — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:40:22 +0000

Yep, from the slush too. It took a lot of queries and a lot of revising (first of query letter then, when I started getting partial reads, of the manuscript). I probably would have called it quits, but with each revision I’d get a few more requests…enough to make me think I might be on to something. The process might have gone faster if I’d known someone in publishing or gone to conferences, but those things weren’t in the cards and, at the end of the day, weren’t necessary.

My 1st book, The Mark, comes out in Jan 2010.

By: Foz Meadows

Foz Meadows — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:10:06 +0000

I was accepted during an open submissions period at Ford Street Publishing – not sure if that counts as slush, per se, but I was certainly unrepresented. They read through the first draft of my manuscript and, despite its faults, liked the premise enough to write back with a detailed letter on how they thought it could be improved, and how much they’d like to see it again after the changes were made. I agreed with the changes, worked on them over a few months, sent the manuscript back, and found myself with a publication contract. Now, I’ve just seen the first draft cover for Solace & Grief (due out March 2010) and am extraordinarily happy.

By: Laura Manivong

Laura Manivong — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:19:51 +0000

I’m a Curtis Brown slush baby. Snail mailed an agent two chapters. She e-mailed me less than a week later asking for the full, and a month later I was represented (this after querying several others, though). Never met her or heard her speak at a conference or personally knew any of her clients. My first novel comes out in March.

By: Brodi Ashton

Brodi Ashton — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:07:52 +0000

What a fun post!

I love how you advise to have fun with the process. It’s really the only way to survive.

I went through three pages – single spaced – of agents and every time I got a rejection, I’d tweak my query letter until I had one that worked.

Anyway, I was found in the slush. And I didn’t have any connections. So, yeah, it can definitely happen!

I wrote about the experience here: http://brodiashton.blogspot.com/2008/11/agent-is-like-sherpa.html

Love the blog.

By: Kim Thacker

Kim Thacker — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:01:09 +0000

Thanks for this wonderful post, Joelle! Yep, I’m of slushy origins. Like you, I’ve frequently heard that authors have to have connections in order to become published. I’m willing to consider that connections may speed along the process; but no amount of connections can make up for hard work, good writing, and persistence. There’s no way I’d ever trade my slushy experience for a connection that probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway. Thanks for your insight, and GO SLUSHERS!

Lee, I loved your comments. Thanks for your thoughts. It’s wonderful to see someone so supportive of his spouse. I’m off to visit your wife’s website!

By: Lee Verday

Lee Verday — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:09:10 +0000

This is a great post. My wife is a 2009 Debut author (you can read her story at http://www.jessicaverday.com). Neither of us knew anyone in the publishing industry. Jessica worked extremely hard editing THE HOLLOW, she wrote a great query letter which she later shared at http://www.querytracker.net, and was offered representation by four agents. It was a matter of talent and the work she put in, that The Hollow is being released this fall, not anything to do with a contact in the publishing or any other industry.

No one should tell anyone that they can’t become an author if they don’t know anyone. If you’re willing to work hard and edit honestly (meaning that you will add or subtract from your work as needed) You can do it! Hum Bug to anyone who tells you otherwise.