The Terry Pratchett Prize, Round Two...
- Thread starter Quatermass
- Start date
pip said:
Sounds quirky fun 
If you've played MMORPGs, you'll pick up on what's going on quickly enough, and the twist is pretty much revealed before the halfway point, even if the protagonists don't know what's going on (the main character ends up with email correspondence in his head by accident).
Here's a YouTube video from Croshaw's own account advertising his audiobook version, read by him. This extract is from the end of the first chapter, I think.
Here's a YouTube video from Croshaw's own account advertising his audiobook version, read by him. This extract is from the end of the first chapter, I think.
At the moment, I have submitted said work (in a revised form) to three publishers. None of them I have heard back from, although one of them, Penguin, requires the full manuscript and three months to examine. It's only been one. The other two...well, I have to assume rejection, as I have heard nothing after the time limit, and they say they'll only reply if they intend to take it forward.
Even so, I think that self-publishing is the only way I'll get this out, probably via Kindle. And even then, it's not my best work. Maybe I should go back and revise the damned thing...
Even so, I think that self-publishing is the only way I'll get this out, probably via Kindle. And even then, it's not my best work. Maybe I should go back and revise the damned thing...
If you want try this agent -
http://www.dhhliteraryagency.com/
They've a good rep and the owner is a real nice guy who also runs one of the best bookshops in London, Goldsboro.
If not amazon or the likes might be a good route. Don't rule out print on demand services as well and I quite a few writers using Kickstarter now.
http://www.dhhliteraryagency.com/
They've a good rep and the owner is a real nice guy who also runs one of the best bookshops in London, Goldsboro.
If not amazon or the likes might be a good route. Don't rule out print on demand services as well and I quite a few writers using Kickstarter now.
I don't know how it is downunda, but in the states no publisher at all will accept an unsolicited manuscript that isn't first preceded by a query letter with a synopsis. Only if they write back telling to send the ms. will they actually read. Even then, very few publishers other than tiniest small presses will read ms's that aren't submitted by an agent. I don't care whether a Writer's Market listing says they accept new authors--that's total bs.
Self-publishing on Kindle is easy (although formatting the damn thing to look good on Kindle is a pain in the keister). It costs you nothing but time. The challenge is SELLING anything on Kindle. Your book is competing with a million other self-published books out there, so your biggest challenge will be getting anyone to even look at your listing. They'll be able to read the first 40 pages or so online, so those pages had better be as perfect as possible. Your goal will be to get as many people as you know to not only read it but to rate it on Amazon and other book review site. The book itself will not sell itself; promotion will.
Self-publishing on Kindle is easy (although formatting the damn thing to look good on Kindle is a pain in the keister). It costs you nothing but time. The challenge is SELLING anything on Kindle. Your book is competing with a million other self-published books out there, so your biggest challenge will be getting anyone to even look at your listing. They'll be able to read the first 40 pages or so online, so those pages had better be as perfect as possible. Your goal will be to get as many people as you know to not only read it but to rate it on Amazon and other book review site. The book itself will not sell itself; promotion will.
I'm currently about to start typesetting my novel to publish on demand in print and e-book format (with Lulu.com who do both with ISBN hook-ups so sell on Amazon and Barnes & Noble) - but am waiting to hear from a literary agent who guarantees a reply, which is looking unlikely to be an acceptance as I've just had to nudge them after their usual target for response has passed 
I'm also working on an anthology with some other writer mates and thinking of changing our current forum format into an editorial and desktop publishing co-operative, so if anyone's into writing short original stories with a loose SF&F theme click on my sig link to find out more. With Lulu there's minimal or even no charges to upload and sell, depending on whether you need to use any of their own services (I've got current publishing software so don't need those) so essentially the co-op aspect means site members can share review and editorial skills as well some of us being able to do cover illustration to spec if you can provide some source material or a decent brief.
And like pip said - you lot are potential target audience fodder so you'll get to hear about my novel as soon as it's up for sale (on the sellers & pedlars thread )
I'm also working on an anthology with some other writer mates and thinking of changing our current forum format into an editorial and desktop publishing co-operative, so if anyone's into writing short original stories with a loose SF&F theme click on my sig link to find out more. With Lulu there's minimal or even no charges to upload and sell, depending on whether you need to use any of their own services (I've got current publishing software so don't need those) so essentially the co-op aspect means site members can share review and editorial skills as well some of us being able to do cover illustration to spec if you can provide some source material or a decent brief.
And like pip said - you lot are potential target audience fodder so you'll get to hear about my novel as soon as it's up for sale (on the sellers & pedlars thread
)
The websites of said publishers (Allen and Unwin, Hachette Australia, and Penguin Books Australia) do say that they accept unsolicited manuscripts, or rather, for the first two, the first chapter or 50 pages of the manuscript. However, Allen and Unwin only accept them on Fridays as part of their 'Friday Pitch', and Penguin only accepts manuscripts during the first week of the month.
http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=462
http://www.hachette.com.au/manuscriptsubmissions/
http://www.penguin.com.au/getting-published
http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=462
http://www.hachette.com.au/manuscriptsubmissions/
http://www.penguin.com.au/getting-published
There's a huge difference between 'accepting unsolicited manuscripts' and actually reading.
The rule of thumb is that any unsolicited MS will automatically go to the bottom of the "to read" pile, and, if read at all, will be assigned to the lowest paid ground level assistant or the summer intern. And that they will read no more than the query letter and, if that interests them at all, the first 10 pages of the MS to make a spot-level assessment. So make sure that your query letter and your first 10 pages are gangbusters.
The rule of thumb is that any unsolicited MS will automatically go to the bottom of the "to read" pile, and, if read at all, will be assigned to the lowest paid ground level assistant or the summer intern. And that they will read no more than the query letter and, if that interests them at all, the first 10 pages of the MS to make a spot-level assessment. So make sure that your query letter and your first 10 pages are gangbusters.
Sorry, but I've been through this route before and know others who have been through it as well.
There are currently over 500,000 self-published books on Amazon right now. It's highly likely that 90% were self-published after the author either got no response at all or a negative response from a publisher or agent.
But to look on the half full side of this, you can entirely bypass the middleman and get your work out to them without having to jump through editorial hoops to please some 21-year-old assistant editor whose literary spectrum doesn't stretch far beyond Harry Potter and the Twilight series.
You can get your book our electronically, or you can make it available as print to order. The only sevices you're passing up from the publisher is professional proofreading and publicity. The former you can take care of by having good friend editors look at it, and the latter you need to handle on your own by promoting the crap out of it through whichever means you can.
And that fact that your book is competing with 500,000 other self-published books isn't an issue. If your book is much better than the other dreck out there, and you get readers on the bandwagon, yours will go places regardless of how many other SP books are out there. After all, there are at probably 25,000 or more English-language printed books published each year, and yet only a tiny percentage of these sell more than a few thousand copies.
There are currently over 500,000 self-published books on Amazon right now. It's highly likely that 90% were self-published after the author either got no response at all or a negative response from a publisher or agent.
But to look on the half full side of this, you can entirely bypass the middleman and get your work out to them without having to jump through editorial hoops to please some 21-year-old assistant editor whose literary spectrum doesn't stretch far beyond Harry Potter and the Twilight series.
You can get your book our electronically, or you can make it available as print to order. The only sevices you're passing up from the publisher is professional proofreading and publicity. The former you can take care of by having good friend editors look at it, and the latter you need to handle on your own by promoting the crap out of it through whichever means you can.
And that fact that your book is competing with 500,000 other self-published books isn't an issue. If your book is much better than the other dreck out there, and you get readers on the bandwagon, yours will go places regardless of how many other SP books are out there. After all, there are at probably 25,000 or more English-language printed books published each year, and yet only a tiny percentage of these sell more than a few thousand copies.
Like raisin says - sending your work to a publisher direct is pretty much the worst lottery ever, if not completely pointless. Over here unsolicited novels are commonly referred to as the slush pile and that more or less covers the publisher attitude to most new authors unless they're well known in another field (reality show, comedians, politicians) whether or not most sane people would think they had anything interesting to say... 
If you're longing to go the 'proper' route to authorship then finding a literary agent (like Colin Smythe) is a better bet as they are in the business of finding the next great book/author and almost all will guarantee to at least read your 'submission letter' and synopsis and maybe the first 3 chapters or 50 pages of A4 whichever is the greater as well. They do have slush piles too but they will generally get back to you with a definite yeah or nay, even if it's months after you've sent off to them (so far I've only had 2 (out of 6) not reply to me and one of those asked to be nudged if I hadn't heard by their target date). Most good agents will not charge you to submit to them and won't talk fees with you until they've hooked you a definite book deal so from that perspective you get read and may well find yourself well represented and supported through the real editorials for not too much of a commission from that point.
From what I can tell, the ones you probably ought not to be tempted by are literary 'consultancies' who will charge you a pretty penny to polish and prune your work for submission to an agent and/or publishers of their acquaintance - in other words they're offering a 'complete' editorial and proof-reading service... Now all that guarantees that they will read your work - how well is another matter, as there are scam artists out there who lure you in with compliments, 'but it just needs little tweaks here and there to make it truly marvellous, so can you mail them another chunk of money to get it that way - and so on. There are good consultancies and when they find a book that's looking commercial, they will generally send that off for no extra fees (after giving it a reasonable and value for money dusting) to a good professional contact to do the pitching with the big boys for you. Worth a try if your budget will run to it and yo think it's more or less submission ready - on the other hand roping in friends whose opinions and taste you respect, like raisin and I have done might glean more purposeful and cheaper results... :shifty:
If you're longing to go the 'proper' route to authorship then finding a literary agent (like Colin Smythe) is a better bet as they are in the business of finding the next great book/author and almost all will guarantee to at least read your 'submission letter' and synopsis and maybe the first 3 chapters or 50 pages of A4 whichever is the greater as well. They do have slush piles too but they will generally get back to you with a definite yeah or nay, even if it's months after you've sent off to them (so far I've only had 2 (out of 6) not reply to me and one of those asked to be nudged if I hadn't heard by their target date). Most good agents will not charge you to submit to them and won't talk fees with you until they've hooked you a definite book deal so from that perspective you get read and may well find yourself well represented and supported through the real editorials for not too much of a commission from that point.
From what I can tell, the ones you probably ought not to be tempted by are literary 'consultancies' who will charge you a pretty penny to polish and prune your work for submission to an agent and/or publishers of their acquaintance - in other words they're offering a 'complete' editorial and proof-reading service... Now all that guarantees that they will read your work - how well is another matter, as there are scam artists out there who lure you in with compliments, 'but it just needs little tweaks here and there to make it truly marvellous, so can you mail them another chunk of money to get it that way - and so on. There are good consultancies and when they find a book that's looking commercial, they will generally send that off for no extra fees (after giving it a reasonable and value for money dusting) to a good professional contact to do the pitching with the big boys for you. Worth a try if your budget will run to it and yo think it's more or less submission ready - on the other hand roping in friends whose opinions and taste you respect, like raisin and I have done might glean more purposeful and cheaper results... :shifty:
Again, for got the go*sdam*ed contest and WRITE FOR YOURSELF instead. If your idea is that good, just write the thing with your own vision in mind--don't try to shape it into something for a single contest. And, if I were you, once you get it done submit to some other contests or parts of it to magazines or to an agent or anyone who can give you immediate feedback as to whether it's worthy or not. It's your work--why should you let anyone restrict where you submit it? If an agent loves what you did, you'd be much better off letting the agent get the thing published for you.
I agree with Raisin after this year's experience. It's hard enough to complete something you truly want to write about without narrowing it down to someone else's criteria. And really this contest is more limiting than most, in that it's specifies that it must be a first published novel which means you can't even submit other work elsewhere in case you disqualify yourself... :shifty:
For someone who gets a lot of viable ideas this contest is really not worth looking at - and the winners have hardly been that startlingly original even given the very broad brief. Certainly this year's winner appears to be following a well-travelled road...
For someone who gets a lot of viable ideas this contest is really not worth looking at - and the winners have hardly been that startlingly original even given the very broad brief. Certainly this year's winner appears to be following a well-travelled road...
I'm still concentrating on other stuff at the moment, thanks. But I have the very germ of an idea that intrigues and excites me and could be used for the TP Prize, and even if I don't get anywhere in the TP Prize, I intend to submit it to publishers.
Not only that, but if I get a story ready that isn't valid for the TP Prize, then I ain't hesitating to send it to publishers this time. This time, I'm keeping my avenues open.
Not only that, but if I get a story ready that isn't valid for the TP Prize, then I ain't hesitating to send it to publishers this time. This time, I'm keeping my avenues open.
