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Comments on: How I escaped the slush pile http://www.fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/ Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:47:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: yvonnereilly http://www.fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/comment-page-1/#comment-248716 yvonnereilly Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:45:20 +0000 http://fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/#comment-248716 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">How I escaped the slush pile by Daniel Clay http://bit.ly/3Aa71s <a href="http://topsy.com/s?q=%23writing">#writing</a> <a href="http://topsy.com/s?q=%23submissions">#submissions</a></span> <div class="topsy_trackback_links">[<a href="http://twitter.com/yvonnereilly/status/5044186235">Original tweet</a>, <a href="http://topsy.com/tb/www.fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/">Topsy page</a>]</div></span> How I escaped the slush pile by Daniel Clay http://bit.ly/3Aa71s #writing #submissions

[Original tweet, Topsy page]

]]> By: 5th Estate · A Winning Strategy for Escaping the Slush Pile http://www.fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/comment-page-1/#comment-246994 5th Estate · A Winning Strategy for Escaping the Slush Pile Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:32:16 +0000 http://fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/#comment-246994 [...] All of the above should be loose-leaf (no staples, no paper-clips, no fancy binders). Also, though this is just my personal opinion, your font should be very plain throughout, with no fancy borders for title pages, no gimmicky twenty-point capital letters for the first word of the first page, no changes in font colour, etc. The thinking behind this is that you want an editor or agent to read the start of your novel and, hopefully, get in touch with you and ask to see the rest. That is the only point of making a slush-pile submission, so the plainer and slicker your presentation is, the less chance there is they’ll be fed up with you before they’ve even got to page 1 of what you’ve sent in. With this in mind, my covering letter was always very short and I always put my synopsis at the back of my opening chapter. All I wanted to do was move the agent to the opening pages of my novel as quickly as possible; I told them as little as I could about myself and what I thought of the quality of my writing (for anyone who’s interested, the covering letter and synopsis I used when submitting Broken to slush-piles are posted at the foot of this article here. [...]

]]> By: J E DeHart http://www.fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/comment-page-1/#comment-245459 J E DeHart Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:03:26 +0000 http://fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/#comment-245459 I find it oddly comforting that I should stumble upon this particular author on this eerily still night. You see, my brother – whom I wrote my novel for, about and because of – was in his final death throes, eleven years ago tonight. In my story is a brief scene that I wrote from memory, where his spirit showers me to sleep with peace as his body lies in the mortuary.
This night feels like that one.
My brother’s name is/was Daniel Clay DeHart.
Rest in peace, Danny.
Thanks for the comfort, Daniel.
Goodnight

]]> By: yvonnereilly http://www.fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/comment-page-1/#comment-248840 yvonnereilly Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:44:58 +0000 http://fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/#comment-248840 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content"><a href="http://topsy.com/twitter/SpiralSkies">@SpiralSkies</a> good luck with the synopsis.Just in case you haven't found this: http://tinyurl.com/27hdyr</span> <div class="topsy_trackback_links">[<a href="http://twitter.com/yvonnereilly/status/895279396">Original tweet</a>, <a href="http://topsy.com/tb/fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/">Topsy page</a>]</div></span> @SpiralSkies good luck with the synopsis.Just in case you haven’t found this: http://tinyurl.com/27hdyr

[Original tweet, Topsy page]

]]> By: Debs Carr http://www.fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/comment-page-1/#comment-161209 Debs Carr Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:06:04 +0000 http://fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/#comment-161209 Thank you for so generously posting your synopsis and successful submission letter. I recently sent a copy of Broken to a friend as a present. She said that she couldn't put it down and would probably read it again at some point. Debs Car Thank you for so generously posting your synopsis and successful submission letter.

I recently sent a copy of Broken to a friend as a present. She said that she couldn’t put it down and would probably read it again at some point.

Debs Car

]]> By: Liz Fenwick http://www.fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/comment-page-1/#comment-137417 Liz Fenwick Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:55:46 +0000 http://fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/#comment-137417 Thank you for sharing. In this world of writing we are so much on our own and often in the dark - it helps when someone lights a candle :-) Thank you for sharing. In this world of writing we are so much on our own and often in the dark – it helps when someone lights a candle :-)

]]> By: Colette McCormick http://www.fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/comment-page-1/#comment-136533 Colette McCormick Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:31:41 +0000 http://fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/#comment-136533 Hi Daniel, As someone who has had her novel rejected more than once it's great to see how a successful submission letter and synopsis should be written. Also I was interested in the fact that you sent your letter and synopsis out to more than one person at a time. I've not tried that before. Thanks Colette Hi Daniel,

As someone who has had her novel rejected more than once it’s great to see how a successful submission letter and synopsis should be written. Also I was interested in the fact that you sent your letter and synopsis out to more than one person at a time. I’ve not tried that before.

Thanks

Colette

]]> By: peter Thompson http://www.fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/comment-page-1/#comment-115417 peter Thompson Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:10:40 +0000 http://fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/#comment-115417 Dear Daniel Thanks for allowing me to view your submission letter and your synopsis. I've always had trouble writing a synopsis and viewing yours has given me a better insight in how to do that. I have written fourteen full length novels over the years and will now submit to the sludh pile with more vigour. yours sincerly Peter Thompson Dear Daniel

Thanks for allowing me to view your submission letter and your synopsis.

I’ve always had trouble writing a synopsis and viewing yours has given me a better insight in how to do that. I have written fourteen full length novels over the years and will now submit to the sludh pile with more vigour.

yours sincerly
Peter Thompson

]]> By: Martha Hubbard http://www.fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/comment-page-1/#comment-108861 Martha Hubbard Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:50:02 +0000 http://fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/#comment-108861 Thank you for allowing us (me) to have a look at your successful letter and synopsis. I also appreciate the encouragement and advice as I have just finished my 1st novel and am beginning the same process. I would love to receive a proof copy of your book. Thank you for allowing us (me) to have a look at your successful letter and synopsis. I also appreciate the encouragement and advice as I have just finished my 1st novel and am beginning the same process.
I would love to receive a proof copy of your book.

]]> By: Liz http://www.fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/comment-page-1/#comment-108226 Liz Sun, 20 Jan 2008 12:52:50 +0000 http://fifthestate.co.uk/2008/01/how-i-escaped-the-slush-pile/#comment-108226 Dear Daniel Again we chat! What an amazing storyline! I love it and have requested a book proof - if possible - congrats on Broken and may it be a huge success. Dear Daniel

Again we chat! What an amazing storyline! I love it and have requested a book proof – if possible – congrats on Broken and may it be a huge success.

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