Excellent (as ever) post over on Nicola Morgan's Help! I Need a Publisher blog, about how to tackle the 'No Unsolicited Submissions' blank wall...

http://helpineedapublisher.blogspot.com/2010/01/no-unsolicited-manuscripts-ok.html

Emma

Only half the story, methinks. Crass attempts to buy an editor's heart must surely be as genre specific as plot and structure and Werther's are really only suitable for comfortable, conservative publications relating to cricket.

The story might have been very different if she had been sent a syringe full of novocaine and, perhaps, a bale of peat briquettes.

G

Hmm, as i say on Nicola's blog: I think no unsolicited manuscripts simply means don't send a sub without asking - ie they are happy to read solicited manuscripts as a result of you querying first. No unsolicited manuscripts doesn't equal no unsolicted queries.

If agents don't even want queries, they tend to, instead, say 'presently not taking on new clients'.

I've always followed this logic and never had a problem. Just email or write a letter first.

Or dare a phone call, which is what I used to do because I couldn't be bothered to waste my time after a certain point. I pitched down the phone two or three times and all but the sourest woman I've ever spoken to (who told me 'we don't represent fantasy' as if I'd just asked her to share the Black Death with me) agreed to take a look at sample chapters and a synopsis.

JB



<Added>

And I asked her 'why not?', which completely threw her.

And I asked her 'why not?', which completely threw her.

Brilliant!

Emma

I think her reply was something along the lines of 'We just don't. We don't like it' and then she put the phone down on me.

I had to laugh.

JB