Old Street Press

The only Old Street Press I can find with a quick Google is a printers - either they've taken to publishing and paying to be in the 3-for-2s, or some self-publisher has a lot of money and time to spend promoting their work.

Emma

There's Old Street Press, which is a printer's, and there's Old Street Publishing, whihc is a bona fide publisher.

This help?

http://www.oldstreetpublishing.co.uk/index.htm



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Meant to say – there may be a time when other people (family and friends mostly) think you should give up – but don’t do it until your heart tells you to. If you can't face another rejection, that’s the time. But it may only be a temporary retirement!

Dee

Thanks to everyone who's posted advice here. Just joined this site yesterday and I'm impressed by the friendly community you seem to be . . . unlike postings on some other forums!

When I start to submit I'm going to approach it with a bigger helping of realism now. A friend has been through many rounds of having and not having agents. He's had interest from publishers that has faded away too. He has re-written multiple drafts in response to their, sometimes conflicting, suggestions/demands.

When I send off the manila envelopes I'll try not to get too jumpy and when I get the little printed slips I won't be quite so suicidal (possibly).

He has re-written multiple drafts in response to their, sometimes conflicting, suggestions/demands.

Just musing here, but that does seem to be one of the hoops they make people jump through, and sometimes I wonder if it's really worth it, if it's for an Agent, when one doesn't have the assistance of their editor to clarify the Agent's vision of what sort of book they want - as opposed to editing it for a publisher, when you do have such a guiding hand. There have been success stories where it has worked, albeit after several redrafts, but they seem to be few and far between.

- NaomiM

I think it depends on the agent: some are deal-makers, very aware of how a book works in the market: I think what they say editorially may well be true, but whether they say it in a way that makes you able to jump off from there and find whole, creative solutions of your own is another matter.

But a lot of the best agents are ex-editors. I'm very aware when my agent gets into the thick of my work that it's being taken apart by someone who cut their teeth editing Pat Barker and Helen Dunmore for Penguin.

Emma

Oh, another thing I just wanted to add about small publishers is that, although you won't hit the big time with them (as in get Ian McEwan levels of sales), it's more than possible to get into the mid-list, with 20,000-50,000 copies being sold, and that's as good as any big publisher will do for a first novel.

Yes, Emma, but that's when you've signed with an Agent. I'm thinking more of those times it's been rejected with a few vague lines about plot structure or characterisation which is all the poor writer has to go on to polish their novel before choosing whether or not to resumit to the same Agent.

Yes, I think that's always a difficult call. It's one of the reasons that I think you should leave it as long as possible - get as much input from elsewhere as you can - before you submit it to an agent. You're in a much better position to judge what they say - and what if anything to do about it - when you really know what the book is, and what it isn't.

But it's hard to make any judgements, as you say, on the basis of those vague couple of sentences. They may be entirely true, while being entirely unhelpful. Specially when if they start suggesting solutions, because even when they've identified the problem correctly, and you agree, they're so often wrong about what to do about it - as in the answer to 'it's too long' may well not be to cut it, which is probably what they'll say, but to rewrite so that that length is really earned. Or whatever.

It can be a case for an editorial service report, this kind of thing, when you're getting interested feedback from agents, but it's hard to know what to do with what they say...

Emma

Thanks for the list of small publishers - that has been very helpful indeed.
Also so many stories like mine. Thanks

Rainstop, welcome to WW! I love your list of hobbies in your profile

Dee

'it's too long' may well not be to cut it, which is probably what they'll say, but to rewrite so that that length is really earned.

I think we need to build a compendium of 'Agent-speak' on the rejection thread, Emma.

Welcome, Rainstop and hang in there Yellow Hair. You have confidence in your work, as does your agent, so that's at least one more person than most of us here

Rainstop, welcome to WW! I love your list of hobbies in your profile

Thanks, Dee. I've now found that WW is another excellent way of avoiding writing. Promise to self, I will not read or post anything more on here . . . oh shit!

It's as addictive as internet poker.

It is dangerously addictive… a procrastinator’s heaven. I call it research.