Speculative Fiction Festival at the NSW Writers’ Centre

Together with representatives of several publishing houses, we narrowed down ‘What’s Hot and What’s Not’ in terms of publishing fiction manuscripts.

So what’s hot and how does one stand out from the slush-pile?

1. The opening chapter is crucial. A writer must sell his or her story on the first page and not give a reader any reason to put it down. It’s easy for a reader to put a manuscript down and never come back to it. After all, there are a lot of great stories out there, and a publisher is looking for the best of the best! Having said that, we at Pantera Press pride ourselves on giving each and every manuscript the attention it deserves, and will read well beyond where our interest begins to wane. We want to give manuscripts the chance to ‘wow’ us!

2. Formatting is essential. It sounds like a minor thing, but it’s extremely important for a manuscript submission to be properly formatted as it makes for an easier and more engaging read. This includes double-line spacing, a nice clean font around size 12, and of course, paragraphs! Writers should ask themselves ‘would I want to read this book?’

3. Proofreading is key. Writers need to be 100% happy with their work before submitting it to a publisher. Don’t get too caught up in the excitement of typing your last line that you immediately send it before reviewing it. Keep it in a drawer for a month before re-reading, consult a writers’ group for constructive feedback, and edit your work to its best potential. You’ll feel better knowing your story is at its best and the reader experience will undoubtedly improve.

 

Where can writers go wrong in writing or submitting a manuscript?

1. Submission Guidelines should be followed. These guidelines are there for a very important reason: to make for easier reading and to fasten the process so that publishers may respectfully respond to authors in the fastest possible time.

2. Consider the overall plot and progression of your manuscript. Have your intended messages come through? Does everything in the story add to and move the plot forward? Think about word count – is it too long? Too short? Is the pacing enjoyable and plot without holes? 

3. And if rejected, don’t give up or be disheartened. Opinions in publishing vary and you may well find another publisher with the necessary enthusiasm for your novel. It may be a matter of re-tweaking your work or simply finding the right publisher at the right time. And as with any craft, the more you write, the better you become! And finally, for all you writers out there, remember to write what you love, and love what you write!

 

 

Read ya later! –

James