Squidge

Philippa if you ever want a side writing-business I suggest a cover letter consultancy/critique service.

To explain my changes:

Para 1: what kind of book
You sound a bit waffly on genre. I’ve tried to make it more specific, avoid the term ‘borderline literary’, and simply give your nice elevator pitch upfront. I think your setting is a real USP so I’ve got that in upfront too.

I fear an agent will freak at your word count! Books above 100k words…[Read more]

Hi @alanr,

Ooo, thanks for sharing! I like the sound of these supernatural elements, and the interplay between your three main characters. I was just thinking today about then book “Ice” by Anna Kavan. I think yours has similarities to this too.

Okay, I’ve dived straight in and edited, as I see fit. Feel free to disagree with any or all of my…[Read more]

Check out the novels first though – a good way to judge whether they’re you’re sort of publisher.

Nice one! What is your book about?? Don’t think you’ve told me yet.

Not sure it was mine you read. No tube crash in mine (just a tube crush). only started it in 2015 too. I wonder whose story it was!

Thanks for flagging this, @sandradavies

Incidentally, despite the call to arms for subs from female writers, @pinkbelt75 I wonder if you’ve considered these guys for your crime novel(s)?

Hi @alanr,

Nice typo spot! Man, there’s always one (or 12).

Yes, this is the novel I’ve now rewritten in dual POV. The original version I was peddling here was too much of a coming-of-age story and (in Sarah’s words) “not twisty enough”. Cue complete rewrite!

Though, as I’ve mentioned before, the suggested changes simply helped me get it…[Read more]

@andrew – I loved your para about us imagining ourselves in the new job. I must confess that on that basis I have consistently failed to win the lottery. Off to read your blog now.

@Daedalus – that’s exactly what I am getting at. It’s often about a mismatch. And there can often be luck involved, too, though also we can all create some of our own luck. A lot of writing that does not get taken is not picked up because it’s not yet at a professional standard in terms of craft and technique, or because it’s simply unlikely to…[Read more]

Interesting perspective, Andrew. It seems to me that an awful lot of ‘failure’ is not necessarily a failure in the writing, but a failure to direct the writing to the best audience – whether it be a competition, a magazine, an anthology (in short story terms), or an agent, a publisher or competition etc in novel terms. And a lot of that is down to…[Read more]

Sure! You are welcome to email the MS over to me (do you have my email?)

Let me know if you have any specific questions and / or any specific bits you are concerned about.

All of the above! Failure is such a loaded word. So much depends on expectations, which easily snowball out of control. How many jobs have we applied for and straightaway daydreamed ourselves into that new role, all the way down to the new commute/desk/coffee mug and what we’d do with an increase in salary every month?!

I often encounter the idea…[Read more]