Getting your book in front of an Editor

You will have all heard of The Friday Pitch at Allen and Unwin.

I assumed it was set up by Louise Thurtel because she was reading the manuscripts, but I could be wrong there. At any rate they have been buying manuscripts from these pitches:

‘Friday Pitch has discovered several bestselling Allen & Unwin authors, including Fleur McDonald, the author of Red Dust and Blue Skies; Helen Brown, whose book Cleo has sold throughout the world and is currently being made into a film; and Mary Groves, author of An Outback Life. ‘

As for what they are looking for:

‘Allen & Unwin publish a wide range of literary and commercial fiction and non-fiction.  See detail and examples listed under Company Profile>What we Publish on the website. We are not interested in assessing poetry, straight romance, short stories or scripts.

For academic submissions and books for children and young adults, please see the separate submissions instructions on the A&U website.’

There’s a list of instructions on how to structure your pitch so take the time to make sure you present yourself professionally.

Now PanMacmillan have set up a Manuscript Monday.

It appears to work along the same lines. They say:

‘Commercial fiction – women’s fiction, thriller, crime, historical, humour, paranormal, fantasy; a story can have romantic elements but romance will not be assessed

Literary fiction and non-fiction – novels, short stories, and narrative non-fiction only

Children’s books and young adult – junior and middle grade fiction, young adult fiction; we are not accepting picture book submissions

Commercial non-fiction – history, memoir, mind body spirit, travel, health, diet, biography

Please familiarise yourself with what we publish at www.panmacmillan.com.au. ‘

And they have instructions on how to pitch along with the form/s you need to fill out.

So it is getting easier to place your manuscript in front of an editor these days.