No More Form Letters!

The Publish This Book “Tearing Down the Walls” Promotion

So you work on your manuscript for months, carefully craft a proposal and pitch letter, and send out your heart and soul to agents and publishers. And what do you get in return? A form letter saying “Thank you for your submission, but it does not meet our needs at this time.” Really?

We at Sourcebooks and Julie A. Hill and Associates know how you feel. Well, now we know, thanks to Stephen Markley and his hilarious, innovative, and amazing new memoir Publish This Book. You see, sick of getting rejections that say nothing, Stephen decided to cut to the chase and write a memoir about how hard it is to get a book published. And then try to get that book published—a book about its own creation.

Crazy, right? Well, he convinced us, getting agent representation from Julie Hill of Julie A. Hill and Associates and finally publication by Sourcebooks. And after reading his whole manuscript, we see how hard it is for you out there. So in honor of Stephen’s achievement, and all aspiring writers, we’ve decided to tear down the walls that keep writers from honest and helpful feedback about their work from the publishing industry. That means: no more form letters, but an actual critique of your submission from an agent or publishing company

How Does It Work?

1. Purchase a copy of Publish This Book.
2. Between March 9, 2010 and July 30, 2010 submit your proposal along with a proof of purchase (receipt, order confirmation, etc.) via the form below or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
3. Wait 2-6 months (While you’re waiting, why not read your new copy of Publish This Book? It’s amazing.)
4. Receive a 2-4 paragraph critique of your submission.


Publish This Book Submission Form
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Proposal upload *

We accept outlines in the following document formats: .doc, .docx, wp, .wps, .txt, .rtf

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The Rules

  • What You Can Submit for Critique: your submission may include a one-page synopsis of your work and a sample chapter not to exceed 5,000 words, on which the critique will be based
  • You may include additional biographical, marketing, competitive title analysis, or other information as you desire, but we only guarantee to read and critique the synopsis and sample chapter. HOWEVER, YOU MAY NOT SUBMIT MORE THAN 5,000 WORDS OF THE ACTUAL MANUSCRIPT.
  • Submissions must be entered on the website between March 9, 2010 and July 30, 2010. No earlier or later submission will be accepted.
  • Participation in this promotion guarantees you a critique and a critique only. In no way should you expect your submission to be under consideration for publication—please follow normal submission procedures for such requests.

The Questions

Q: So, if you like my submission you’ll represent my book, right?
A: No. As above, participation in this promotion guarantees you a critique and a critique only. However, we reserve the right to invite any participant to later submit their work under our official submission processes.

Q: Why do I have to wait so long for my critique?
A: It takes time to read submissions and write a critique. The reason most agents and publishers send form rejection letters is simply that we receive thousands of submissions each year, and if we were to write critiques for each one, we’d never do anything else (including sleeping). So, for this promotion we’re taking on the challenge of writing all those critiques, but if submissions flood in we’ll need time to respond to everyone properly.

Q: Why do I have to buy this guy Stephen Markley’s book?
A: As hard as it is to get published, it’s just as hard to break through as a first-time author. And here’s the thing: Publish This Book is really good, and we think aspiring writers especially will love it. So, we came up with this idea as a bit of a win-win: you get the chance to break through the “form letter wall” and we can increase the chance that people will read, love, and spread the word about Stephen’s book.

Q: Are you going to be mean about my submission?
A: No, we would never be mean. However, it is important to note that our guarantee to critique your work is not a guarantee to like your work. We may just love the work, and that will be great. But our critique may provide feedback that isn’t what you were hoping to hear. Or it may be a bit of both. Just know that in any case, all feedback and criticism will be constructive.

Q: You’re really doing this? Are you crazy?
A: We may be. We may end up digging out of a mountain of paper for months to come. But if it means more people read Publish This Book and spread the word about how great it is, we’re more than happy to make that happen.

Sincerely,

Julie Hill
Julie A. Hill and Associates

Peter Lynch
Sourcebooks, Inc.

 

Are you ready to tear down the walls? 

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