In June, Island held The Longest Write, a fully catered weekend of workshops and writing time dedicated to the art, craft and business of writing. Taking place over the Winter Solstice weekend of June 22 and 23rd in Hobart’s historic Highfield House it was host to, among others, David Winter of Text Publishing.
David discussed with us the best ways to bring your work to the attention of publishers and then explore what happens once a work is accepted for publication. These are his notes from his workshop at The Longest Write, which we hope you will use to jog your memory, or perhaps draw inspiration or begin a line of questioning from.
David Winter grew up in Hobart. He has been deputy editor of The Monthly magazine and associate editor of the quarterly Griffith Review. For the past four years he has been an editor at Text, an independent Melbourne publisher of literary fiction and non-fiction.
David’s The Longest Write notes:
Introduction
An independent literary publisher, running for twenty years, with twenty staff – a big ‘small’ company.
Authors include Garner, Grenville, Bail, Temple, Coetzee, Flannery, Maloney, Jordan, Holden, Wood; Text Classics.
But also many Australian fiction debuts. Four books were acquired from the slush pile (unsolicited submissions) last year.
Looking for more narrative/thematic non-fiction, YA, commercial women’s fiction.
1. Bringing your work to the attention of publishers
Submitting
DO research publishers’ suitability, follow guidelines, polish your manuscript, refine cover letter and biographical note and plot synopsis.
A brief window to get attention: finish, wait, revise; make first page count.
DON’T submit overlong manuscripts, be vague about which publishers have received your work, get grumpy.
Agents
Command publishers’ attention and bypass slush pile, fight for writers (including money).
But a writer must get through agents’ slush piles first. They get a percentage of all earnings.
Previous work
Publication in journals, magazines, newspapers helps. Show any prior form: short stories, essays, blogs.
Unpublished manuscript prizes: Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project won a VPLA; Romy Ash’s Floundering originally Vogel shortlisted.
YA writers should check out the Text Prize.
Self-promotion
Self-promotion is near-essential. Social media: bookish twitter community (engagement, tips/links, retreats/jobs). Fairly minimal time, boosts profile.
Elsewhere: literary magazines, writers’ centres, Wheeler Centre. Festivals and events, if you have published work.
Self-publishing: growing, but distribution impediments. (e.g. Darrell Pitt successfully selling genre books though website; now with Text.)
Other
Don’t give up. Do be persistent. Listen to criticism. Editors want finds!
Writing is always foremost, but still need a concise, appealing pitch: simple description (not thematic), genre/correlatives, hook for readers.
2. What happens once a work is accepted by a publisher?
Timeframes
Advances and royalties (including e-sales). Contracts, schedules, delays.
Could take a year. Last six months could be: edit, rewrite, edit, rewrite, proof.
Editorial
Editors: two (acquiring and copy) or one (all). Editor as book’s champion; author retains control.
Structural edits: paper/screen; length and pace, characters, plot.
Line edits: paper; consistency, detail, concision and elegance (one-percenters).
Production
Cover design: what’s at stake. Page design, typesetting; proofing. Print runs.
Publicity & marketing
Reviews; interviews, festivals.
Marketing: ads, competitions, social media; sales reps and booksellers.
Other
Rights: world licensing split heavily in writer’s favour. Build on Australian print and e-sales – can help get small local books into the black.
Increasingly, overseas distribution by local publishers.
Anthology, audio, film, TV: potential revenue sources for writers.
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