h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If you work at a publishing house could you tell me a bit about how these things work, I'm not going to ask you about "Please I have a book you could publish!!!" but more just how do I avoid the "slush pile" (unsolicited works is probably a better term) or get recognized on the "slush pile", just general tips on submitting. And what is it like to work at a publishers? Is it like the beginning of "Generica" or “Happiness” by Will Ferguson?

I’m just curious to just talk with someone in publishing.

how to avoid the slush pile.

while I don't work at a publishers, I do have some knowledge about this.

the first thing to do is to send copies. always keep the original, and make sure you have an unopened copy that you sent to yourself before sending any of the others.

look on the shelves in book shops, looking for books like yours. when you find something similar, make a note of the publisher, and if possible the contact details for that publisher.

Try and proof-read your book before sending it out, and try and make sure it is clearly legible.

don't be surprised to get rejection letters. even places publishing work like yours will sometimes reject a work, for any one of many reasons.

these reasons include things which don't reflect on your work at all, for example having a full catalogue or an empty buying account for this year. others include the book being not quite close enought to the genre's that they publish, or being too similar to an author they already publish (ie not wanting to annoy an existing author).

Don't expect to be signed up by the first place you submit to. although this happened to robert a heinlein, he's the exception. There are a lot of very well known authors who have won prizes for books that didn't get published until they had received over a dozen rejection letters, and quite a few who had had more than 30 rejections.

don't forget that most people should not send in the first draft of their work. I know that piers anthony never sends anything in that hasn't reached it's third draft, and some authors are even choosier.

and remember, if you do end up making a lot of money, don't fritter it away. J.K.Rowlings said that the best thing she ever bought with her money from harry potter was having enough of it in the bank that she never had to work again, thus leaving her free to do speculative writing.