Who is the Slush Pile reader?

Timmy V.

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I searched existing threads for "slush pile reader", I didn't see a thread. Forgive me if this has been addressed.

I'm seeing the phrase "slush pile reader" in numerous forums in several contexts. It sounds like the slush pile reader will be the sole person deciding my future.

Who is the slush pile reader? Where is this person in the flowchart? Is this person an entry level newbie? A long term veteran worker bee? A middle manager? Executive Vice President? Do employees rotate the slush pile duties?

How is the slush pile reader viewed within their company? Is it a coveted job? A job nobody wants?

Are there levels of slush pile reading?

I presume Jodi Piccoult's sister or Jodi Piccoult's friends' submissions don't end up in the slush pile. am I presuming correctly?

Whose manuscripts end up in the slush pile? Whose manuscripts do not end up in the slush pile?

What are the chances of an excellent(by consensus) manuscript getting past the slush pile stage?

how many manuscripts does a slush pile reader review in a month? how many make it past that stage?
What portion of a manuscript does a slush pile reader review?
Is there a large turnover of slush pile readers?

Has the role of the slush pile reader changed over the years?
 

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1. Unagented mss. end up in the slush or unsolicited submissions.

2. The person who reads the slush—the first reader—varies from publisher to publisher, and at any given publisher, from time to time. It may be a senior editor, an intern, an associate editor, or an experienced reader who volunteers. This is not unskilled labor. Being a first reader is taxing, and requires serious skills.

3. The person reading the unsolicited mss. rarely reads all of the ms. except in the cases of short fiction. The first reader's responsibility is, especially at larger publishers, to decide if the ms. merits being passed up the line to a senior editor.

4. Generally speaking, if the language proficiency is acceptable, and there's some indication of plot and characters, a ms. has a good chance of leaving the pile and moving up the hierarchy to someone who will read more closely.

5. The vast majority of unsolicited mss. tend to be deficient in language skills (grammar, syntax and diction are lacking, spelling is idiosyncratic) or have clear indications that the writer is unfamiliar with the concepts of plot, narrative and character.
 

profen4

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I searched existing threads for "slush pile reader", I didn't see a thread. Forgive me if this has been addressed.

I'm seeing the phrase "slush pile reader" in numerous forums in several contexts. It sounds like the slush pile reader will be the sole person deciding my future.

Who is the slush pile reader? Where is this person in the flowchart? Is this person an entry level newbie? A long term veteran worker bee? A middle manager? Executive Vice President? Do employees rotate the slush pile duties?

How is the slush pile reader viewed within their company? Is it a coveted job? A job nobody wants?

Are there levels of slush pile reading?

I presume Jodi Piccoult's sister or Jodi Piccoult's friends' submissions don't end up in the slush pile. am I presuming correctly?

Whose manuscripts end up in the slush pile? Whose manuscripts do not end up in the slush pile?

What are the chances of an excellent(by consensus) manuscript getting past the slush pile stage?

how many manuscripts does a slush pile reader review in a month? how many make it past that stage?
What portion of a manuscript does a slush pile reader review?
Is there a large turnover of slush pile readers?

Has the role of the slush pile reader changed over the years?

I've been a slush-reader. My job was, really, weeding out the trash. And there is a lot of trash. When I found stuff that wasn't trash I would forward it up to a second slush reader who was actually paid. If he liked it, he'd send it up to the editor.

Slush readers turn over all the time. It's unpaid, generally, and usually being done for credit, or experience.

I only read unsolicited slush. Nothing that came from an agent crossed my screen.

How many mss. do slush readers review in a MONTH?? A lot. How about we just go by the day and say somewhere around 1 (if you have to read the whole thing) to 100. Most you don't have to read past page two.

That said, when I started, I had to read at least the first several pages and fill out a form/questionnaire as to why I would reject or send the mss. along.... that was looked over by an editor and I got feedback.

One thing I did learn though, if you can write, you will not be missed. Well written slush really jumps out at you.

ETA: Most certainly, though, the position and workload varies place to place.
 
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WildScribe

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Yes, whenever I've done slush reading (I'm the acquisitions editor for my own anthologies, and the first and usually only reader as it is a small press and we are given pretty decent autonomy), it generally takes less than a page to decide what I will buy and what I won't. I often read longer to give useful feedback to the writer, since that is our policy, but I could almost always make that decision based on a single page.

I'll add, I have read on and been surprised, but NEVER toward buying. It's always something that starts off good, then takes a dramatic turn for the awful.
 

Ken

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... and a slush pile reader has also got to be a fast reader, I'd suppose, or at least reasonably fast. Not everybody has got that in them. I sure don't.
 

Bufty

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If it's unpaid labour it probably doesn't matter how fast or slowly you read. I think what's more important is the slush reader is perceived to be able to distinguish potential wheat from the obvious chaff although I suspect it's like hunting for the proverbial needle when nobody knows where it was lost.

It would drive me nuts to attempt to wade into a slush pile.

... and a slush pile reader has also got to be a fast reader, I'd suppose, or at least reasonably fast. Not everybody has got that in them. I sure don't.
 
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Ken

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If it's unpaid labour it probably doesn't matter how fast or slowly you read. I think what's more important is the slush reader is perceived to be able to distinguish potential wheat from the obvious chaff although I suspect it's like hunting for the proverbial needle when nobody knows where it was lost.

... maybe so. It just seems like if you're working for a publisher or an agency and they want you to get through all the slush on a regular basis you'd have to be capable of reading a certain amount at a minimum speed. Otherwise you'd never be able to get through it all, while doing justice to the submissions and giving ones that deserve it a fair chance.

Perhaps there aren't quotas of any sort though and you can go at your own speed. That'd be neat. I might give that a try. I know someone who read slush and they seemed to enjoy it and also seemed to have gained by it with their writing.
 

Timmy V.

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If it's unpaid labour it probably doesn't matter how fast or slowly you read. I think what's more important is the slush reader is perceived to be able to distinguish potential wheat from the obvious chaff although I suspect it's like hunting for the proverbial needle when nobody knows where it was lost.

It would drive me nuts to attempt to wade into a slush pile.

That scares me that the first person, and the only person, who would ever read my piece, is an unpaid person whom the publisher has no investment in. It doesn't sound like the publisher takes the slush pile seriously. At all. Which confirms my fears.

And it raises another question. I wouldn't dare submit something, and I never have, because I don't think anything qualifies.

According to these forums, slush pile readers are stuck reading horrible submissions all the time to the point where it drives them nuts.

Who are these submitters who submit this horrible stuff. What are they thinking? Seriously. What are they thinking? It sounds to me they ruin it for the other submitters who may have a quality project.

Maybe thats a new thread though. Maybe I'll ask that separately I don't know.
 

firedrake

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I am a freelance editor on retainer by an e-publisher, apart from content and the occasional line edits, I also read unsolicited submissions. I can tell you that a well written story will stand out from the slush pile. I'm not paid for reading the submissions, only for editing. But, clearly, if I want stories to edit, I need to find them. That's my vested interest. Believe me, nothing depresses me more than reading through new submissions and not finding anything worth publishing and nothing pleases me more than finding a new author who's submitted a well written, engaging story.

So, yeah. I definitely have a 'vested interest' in reading through the slushpile.
 

Cyia

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Who are these submitters who submit this horrible stuff. What are they thinking? Seriously. What are they thinking? It sounds to me they ruin it for the other submitters who may have a quality project.

People aren't flooding slush piles with material they don't think will sell. You're talking about writers who honestly think they have a quality project on their hands. Millions of people probably have dreams of making it big as a writer (or at least publishing a novel). Thousands upon thousands actually write the books and submit them. Of those, a few hundred will actually be purchased by publishers for a given genre in a year.

Statistically, it's usually stated that 95% of what goes into a slush pile is unpublishable due to quality or content (issues of being derivative or using material already under copyright). But almost 100% of that 95% will tell you their book is awesome.
 

Timmy V.

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People aren't flooding slush piles with material they don't think will sell. You're talking about writers who honestly think they have a quality project on their hands. Millions of people probably have dreams of making it big as a writer (or at least publishing a novel). Thousands upon thousands actually write the books and submit them. Of those, a few hundred will actually be purchased by publishers for a given genre in a year.

Statistically, it's usually stated that 95% of what goes into a slush pile is unpublishable due to quality or content (issues of being derivative or using material already under copyright). But almost 100% of that 95% will tell you their book is awesome.

Wow. that says it all. Isn't that fascinating though? Doesn't anyone in the 95 percent have critiquers, or interested people, who will say "no this is not ready to submit?" I want to write an essay on that. I'm inspired.
 

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That scares me that the first person, and the only person, who would ever read my piece, is an unpaid person whom the publisher has no investment in. It doesn't sound like the publisher takes the slush pile seriously. At all. Which confirms my fears.

You have no need to be scared. Please don't be. And of course publishers and agents take the slush pile seriously: they find many of their books there, and everyone was unpublished once.

Unpaid interns, trainees, and other inexperienced people are often used to screen the slush pile. But this isn't a bad thing, nor do you have to worry that they're not qualified to do the job. They're briefed very carefully on what to do, and how to do it, and one doesn't need to be able to recognise high talent to be able to do this first pass.

First up, read Slushkiller, which I linked to earlier.

Most people with a reasonable ability in written English will be able to work out if a submission is written by someone who is functionally literate, and if it fits into a genre that the agent represents (for example, if a book is an autobiography when the agent only deals with romantic fiction). Can people who are keen to work in publishing and who have got past the interview for internship do this if they're told what to look out for and what to reject? For sure. Just because the agent doesn't see these submissions herself doesn't mean that they're not given a fair chance.

According to these forums, slush pile readers are stuck reading horrible submissions all the time to the point where it drives them nuts.

Who are these submitters who submit this horrible stuff. What are they thinking? Seriously. What are they thinking? It sounds to me they ruin it for the other submitters who may have a quality project.

Maybe thats a new thread though. Maybe I'll ask that separately I don't know.

The size of the slush pile does mean that it takes longer to get your work seen by an agent or editor now, for sure. It's increased hugely over the last five years, too, and has led to many agents moving to a "no response means no thank you" position, instead of most submissions receiving a response. It's a shame.

Wow. that says it all. Isn't that fascinating though? Doesn't anyone in the 95 percent have critiquers, or interested people, who will say "no this is not ready to submit?" I want to write an essay on that. I'm inspired.

Very few writers look at their work and think, "this isn't good enough". Most writers only share their work with their friends, who are usually too embarrassed to say anything other than "well done!" when they read their friends' work. And when people do tell aspiring writers that their work needs more work, those writers are likely to argue and be offended. I've seen it happen, many times.

I don't like to generalise, and I know there are exceptions, and that there are many writers who would relish such advice. But they're the ones who are likely to recognise that anyway, and to work to improve it; they don't necessarily need to be told.
 

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That scares me that the first person, and the only person, who would ever read my piece, is an unpaid person whom the publisher has no investment in. It doesn't sound like the publisher takes the slush pile seriously. At all. Which confirms my fears.

As others have said, this isn't the case at all. If you opened a submission and the first sentence had three punctuation errors, and by the end of the fourth paragraph, you found eight more grammar errors, two cliches, a continuity error, and the main character's name spelled two different ways, would you really need to read more to know that it was unpublishable dreck?

On the other hand, if you opened a submission and found excellent writing that drew you into the story and made you want to keep reading, wouldn't you be keen to pass that on to the next reader up for consideration?

And here's a lovely poem by Jim C Hines on reading slush, which should put your mind to rest regarding the mindset of slush readers.
 

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My niece worked as the first reader for an agent who mainly represents YA. She was a college senior at the time, English/publishing track. She found it quite interesting. She offered to read something a friend of mine was shopping, but my friend said she'd already submitted to that agent and had been turned down. Not sure if it was my niece who sidelined her or it was someone else. I wish I could have learned more about the process, but she lives across the country from me so no lunch chats.

After graduation, she got a good job at publisher WW Norton. She's on her way!
 

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Forgive my inexperience, but I've read on many agents' blogs that sometimes and at some agencies, the agents read slush themselves. So, in some cases it may not be an unpaid person or intern reading slush. This thread seemed focused on slush submitted to publishers rather than agents. Am I wrong?
 

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Forgive my inexperience, but I've read on many agents' blogs that sometimes and at some agencies, the agents read slush themselves. So, in some cases it may not be an unpaid person or intern reading slush. This thread seemed focused on slush submitted to publishers rather than agents. Am I wrong?

Most agents respond to a query letter regarding a ms. they're interested in with a request for a partial or a complete; at that point the mss. isn't slush.

You don't generally send a ms. to an agent unrequested. You query first.
 

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Forgive my inexperience, but I've read on many agents' blogs that sometimes and at some agencies, the agents read slush themselves. So, in some cases it may not be an unpaid person or intern reading slush. This thread seemed focused on slush submitted to publishers rather than agents. Am I wrong?

Oh, I'm probably talking sideways here. Sorry. My niece read queries and first 30-50 pages, not whole mss. She'd pass on the ones she thought had merit.
 

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In some agencies and publishers, the agents and editors will read unfiltered slush. Sometimes. It's not unknown; it isn't usual; but that doesn't make one bit of difference to the end result which is that the agent and editor will read the best of the slush, and will make the decision on whether or not to represent or publish each particular piece.
 

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Slush readers often are doing a very gross sort. Rejecting the works that are totally unsuitable for the house (had Mickey Spillane submitted I, The Jury to Harlequin it would have been quite rightly rejected after one page). Rejecting works where the author only has a nodding acquaintance with English (you know how I keep saying that if you can write two consecutive pages of English prose with standard grammar and spelling you're already in the top ten percent of the slush pile?). Rejecting the plagiarized works (all those clever buggers who think they're going to test editors' tastes by retyping some best-selling award-winner then write up the "experiment" for the Guardian after it gets rejected? They're late to the party. Happens every day when no-hope amateurs do the same thing.) Rejecting the works where they've seen the exact same thing a hundred times already this week. And a hundred times the week before. And the week before that.

Anything that shows the faintest hint of promise gets kicked upstairs to an acquiring editor.
 

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Most agents respond to a query letter regarding a ms. they're interested in with a request for a partial or a complete; at that point the mss. isn't slush.

You don't generally send a ms. to an agent unrequested. You query first.

Gotcha. Yes. But agents do still refer to the incoming unsolicited queries as "slush," and that's where I got confused. I had forgotten that the OP asked specifically about manuscripts.

Thanks.
 

Bufty

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Where do you get that most Agents regard incoming unsolicited queries as slush?

Virtually all incoming queries are unsolicited.

Gotcha. Yes. But agents do still refer to the incoming unsolicited queries as "slush," and that's where I got confused. I had forgotten that the OP asked specifically about manuscripts.

Thanks.
 

WildScribe

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Wow. that says it all. Isn't that fascinating though? Doesn't anyone in the 95 percent have critiquers, or interested people, who will say "no this is not ready to submit?" I want to write an essay on that. I'm inspired.

Unfortunately, your essay has no potential audience. Anyone who reads slush already knows all about these sad souls, and the sad souls themselves are incapable of recognizing themselves, and therefore unable to benefit from a description or musings about their category.

Don't fear for the slush piles. As others have said, it is pretty darn easy to sort out the unpublishable and kick the rest upstairs.