Tag Archives: slush pile
Are the Gatekeepers in Publishing Really the Enemy?
Last year, the Wall Street Journal announced the death of the slush pile. Today, it’s providing last rites for the publishing industry. Continue reading
Are you stuck in the middle of the slush pile?
Do you know where you stand in the slush pile? Where do you turn for help? Continue reading
Do you measure the effectiveness of your submission guidelines?
Are your submission guidelines working the way you’d like them to? There’s no way to know unless you record some key metrics. Continue reading
Some thoughts on my first BookExpo experience
BookExpo was well worth it. I’ve been to so many publishing conventions, I couldn’t begin to list them all, but this was my first BEA. So, I thought I’d share a few of my thoughts on the show as I decompress. Continue reading
“Hello Kitty Must Die” Author Reveals Lessons of the Slush Pile
There are always a few of us that get through the slush pile, that actually make it into publication, and you want to shout from the rooftops that yes, indeed, it can be done! Continue reading
Have a publisher you’d like to see on Pubmission? Send them this email…
To keep Pubmission free, we have to keep our overhead and marketing expenses low. So that’s why we need you to help us spread the word. Continue reading
[New Presentation] How Pubmission Works for Publisher Members
A new slide show highlighting some of Pubmission’s key features. It shows how we think it can help editors and agents save a bunch of unnecessary admin time when it comes to managing submissions. Continue reading
Are Your Submission Guidelines Hurting You?
If you require submitters to jump through too many hoops, hoops that have nothing to do with judging talent, you’ll discourage writers (good and bad) from taking the time to submit work to you. Continue reading
What if your editors looked forward to reviewing submissions?
Does slush-pile dread impede your productivity? What if your editors were excited to review submissions? Continue reading
The Economics of Writing: Why the Slush Pile Must Survive
Will the profession of writing become a career option only for the elite few who can afford it? Continue reading
Four Ways to Make Pubmission Work for You
Four simple things you can do as a Pubmission publisher member to make a quick-and-easy transition from paper or e-mail submissions to our streamlined online system. Continue reading
Say No to Data Entry: Download and Track All of Your Submissions
Pubmission has added a new feature that lets publisher members export their entire slush pile onto their own computers as a comma separated value (CSV) file. This archive of all your submissions opens easily in your spreadsheet, database, or word processing software. Continue reading
The Agony of Acquisitions: Notes from a Former Receptor of Slush
What acquisitions editors need—what the publishing industry as a whole needs—is a way to transform our method of discovering new writing talent from a passive to a more active process. Continue reading
Karp Takes the Helm at Simon & Schuster: Are Big Publishers Getting the Message?
Simon & Schuster announced Thursday that it was replacing publisher David Rosenthal with Jonathon Karp, currently the editor at the Hachette imprint Twelve. I’ve been following Karp’s successes at Twelve since its inception five years ago. (See my previous entry: … Continue reading
Is Pubmission Like a Digital Literary Agent?
No. It’s a valid question, but there’s definitely an important distinction between a literary agent and Pubmission. Literary agents act solely on a writer’s behalf. They help writers connect with publishers and negotiate contracts. Like an agent, Pubmission helps writers … Continue reading
Is Marketing Ability the Most Important Asset for Writers to Have?
My wife yells at me. “Why do you keep reading that if you think it’s crap?” I shrug. But I know why. I keep going because somehow, somewhere, I’m going to find the reason why this calamity of a book … Continue reading
Ms. Read is Right — Good Writing Gets You through the Slush
“I think there’s an anxiety provoked by that, that if I’m dealing with hundreds of submissions, how am I ever going to make it. But I really do believe that there’s no gimmick or trend to make a submission pop, … Continue reading
Help Save Some Trees
For all writers, editors, and agents: The slush pile isn’t dead—it just needs a makeover. Have a say in how Pubmission ushers in Slush Pile 2.0. Take our VERY brief survey at http://www.pubmission.com/survey.html and help us digitize the submission process in … Continue reading
