I’m a bit low today. I sent a partial (with synopsis and covering letter) for my latest novel, TimeSplash!, to Orbit – Bernadette had asked (on two occasions) to see it when it was finished. I explained it was a sci-fi thriller and said, as a joke, it was arguably a YA novel since the two main protagonists were both in their late teens. In fact, I’d argue the book is entirely unsuitable for children, being full of sex, drugs, and violence.
She wrote back within two days to say that Orbit doesn’t publish YA but that she would pass it on to a children’s/YA editor from Hachette who is visiting soon.
This was very nice of her, of course, but so inappropriate to the style and content of the book that it left me with the horrible feeling that she hadn’t looked at the sample chapters, nor even the synopsis. I can’t help thinking she saw the characters ‘YA’ in the cover letter and reacted solely to that.
The take-away lesson, I feel, is that I shouldn’t try to be funny in my covering letters – because the people reading them are scanning everything that comes their way at high speed, looking for rejection triggers. One wrong word and the partial is in the bin.
I now look forward to a second rejection from Hachette – this time from the Arrow editor, who will say she doesn’t think the book is suitable for a younger age-group.
Writing is so easy compared to all this stuff!
Graham
