Sunday 3 March 2019

The dreaded slushpile

I originally wrote this on SCBWI's Facebook page, but thought I'd put it here too.

I've got no idea if this is the way it (the process after you've hit the "send" button on a query to an agent or publisher) actually works or not, it's just what goes on in my head:

...[Agents and publishers] seem to have readers who quickly sort through the immediate no's and reject them quickly (which is why I used to be rejected within the first couple of weeks) then if you pass through the initial readers you're put into the slushpile to be read by the junior agents/publishers themselves (which is maybe 3-4 weeks after you sub) then if you get further than that you're into a much-reduced slushpile that is read by the experienced agents/publishers who have the final say about whether you're taken on or not. 

Back when I started subbing back in 2016 I was rejected by the first readers but I've now moved on to the junior agents/publishers so I've just got one more slushpile to navigate before I'm taken on now!

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