Would You Survive the Slush Pile?

In the GTA and looking for a workshop? Head here: http://skyladawncameron.com/slushpilesurvivor

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Get the scoop from a professional slush reader!

You have ONE chance to impress a publisher or agent...and ONE person stands in your way.

The Slush Reader.

Of the manuscripts a publisher receives, they usually accept well under 5% (and often under 2%).

Before a book can even be considered by an editor, it goes through a "slush reader," or a person whose job it is to glance through the manuscript and decide if it's worth a closer look.

I work in the acquisitions department of a small publisher and I deal with the slush pile. I'm that person you hate--it's my critical eye that reads your cover letter, evaluates your synopsis, and scrutinizes your manuscript. I send out rejection letters.

You may have an excellent critique group to help edit your novel. You may have read every book there is on writing synopses and cover letters. You may think you're ready, but... Would you survive the slush pile?

Send me what you would send a prospective publisher (at a minimum, your cover letter and the first twenty pages of your manuscript, and at a maximum, both of those plus your synopsis and blurb), and $50, and I'll give you a 1-3 page critique of whether or not, as a slush reader, I'd recommend your work to an editor for a full read and why.

Manuscript format: 1" margins, Times New Roman 12pt, double spaced, RTF format. Name and book title in the header of each page.

Payment: Cash or cheque (if cheque, it must be drawn in CDN funds) made out to Skyla Cameron, or PayPal (Contact for details--my availability is limited Please don't send money without speaking to me first.)

Turnaround time: 3-5 days once payment is confirmed. (Please, please email for availability first.)

Email all items to skyla@skyladawncameron.com

What I won't do: I won't recommend you to a publisher. I won't edit your book. I won't guarantee that my suggestions will result in a publishing contract. This isn't the fasttrack to a publisher. I do, however, guarantee an informative critique based on my experience as an acquisitions editor.

Please do email me first to discuss details, expectation, and availability.

***If you're in the Greater Toronto Area, please keep an eye on this space for announcements about upcoming workshops where I'll cover the dos and don'ts of submissions, as well as give feedback on submission packages.

Also note, if you're planning to submit to a publisher I work for, I'm not able to do this privately for you. You can attend one of my workshops, but please don't submit to me privately. Conflict of interest.