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To Editors
by D. J. Herda
I was talking to a literary agent the other day, and he was lamenting the fact that some editors, after requesting a look at a specific property he was pitching, didn't open up the e-mail attachment for a month or more after he'd sent the manuscripts out. Apparently he has some type of voodoo software program that tracks such things and notifies him when the e-mail is finally opened.
Now, if an editor takes a month or longer before opening up a property he has requested from a literary agent, how long does he take to open up something that comes unsolicited from a writer without literary representation? Six months? A year? Forever?
It seems like quite a waste of good time. So, with that in mind, I've come up with a few suggestions to help streamline the process.
1. If you're an editor, don't ask to see a property on January 10 if you're not going to open it until February 12. Instead, wait to request the property until February 11. That way, you won't feel so guilty about taking so much time to get around to reviewing the work.
2. If you're an agent, ask the editor when he anticipates opening up the property he asked to see. If it's not until March 15, send it out on March 14. Think of how much more efficient that would be.
3. If you're an unagented writer, ask the editor to whom you send your manuscript to send you a rejection slip even before you submit your work. In that way, he won't waste your time and get your hopes up prematurely. If it turns out thirty or more days later that he actually gets around to reading your work and likes it, he can always write you back to say he's had a change of heart.
4. If you're my ex-wife, don't start hounding me for the alimony check until thirty days or more after I tell you that my agent has just sent my latest requested manuscript out to a publisher and I should have an advance check in hand any day now.
5. If you're my ex-wife's attorney, don't start sending out threatening demand letters until thirty days or more after my ex-wife starts hounding me for the check, which per the above is thirty days or more after I told her I should be receiving an advance any day now. To be on the safe side, allow at least 65 days or more.
By following these five simple rules of publishing industry etiquette, we can all save a little time, save a little effort, and cut down on the cost of unnecessary paperwork. Remember, we all need to learn to play together nicely. After all, it's the civilized, intelligent way to do things.
Oh, and one more thing. If you're an editor who requests a look at fifty or sixty manuscripts a month and only ends up buying one, would you make sure that it's mine? I have an ex-wife and an angry lawyer counting on me.
And I…am D. J. Herda.
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D. J. Herda is President of the American Society of
Authors and Writers (http://amsaw.org),
an organization made up of authors, writers, editors, publishers, agents,
directors, producers, and other media professionals who rely upon the printed
word in the creation of quality literature and entertainment. He is
a member of the Author's Guild, a former member of the American Society of
Journalists and Authors, and a former member of the National Press Club.
He has published more than 80 books and several hundred thousand articles,
short stories, columns, interviews, plays, and scripts. |
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