Hello, I'm a new boy in town.
I see it's been a few months since this thread was active. I only came across it while checking out Brandons to try submitting my novel.
Whilst I'm aware of the possible conflicts of interests with agencies providing other editing and reading services for a fee, surely their offering to publish a book that they think has possibilities, but have been unable to place, is a good thing.... isn't it?
Obviously, for them, it's less of a gamble to sell it to a publisher, then rake in their 15%, if they can find a buyer. But if the work is a little edgy, or maybe a bit of a gamble, and they're prepared to take a risk because they think it's got merit, then they should be applauded for putting their money where their mouth is.
Too many good books don't get to feel the comforting warmth of the bookshelves because the publishing industry play it too 'safe' (While at the same time the shops are infested with tacky 'celebrity' and 'TV tie in' books written, if that's not too good a word, by PR people)
I could understand a little concern (well, OK...a lot) if they were asking the author to pay for publishing... that's what vanity publishers are for... but if they are publishing a couple of books a month at their own risk... and let's face it, it must be a risk, or we'd all get deals right away.. right?.... then why is that so bad?
I'm new to this submitting lark, so I'm prepared to bow to the greater knowledge of those of you that have ridden a few laps with the oil getting low, but I was fairly impressed with what they had to say on their site. Some of it made sense, and in the digital age, surely the conventions of presentation are less valid. The reader at the agency can 'double space' and change font size at the click of one of Mickey's relatives. His uncle Walt might be turning in his fridge at the march of CGI cartoons, but that's progress. I'd have never got around to writing the novel I'd been contemplating for so long, if I hadn't been given an old Mac, and told to learn how to use it.
What do you lot think..... I'd be interested to know...before my novel gets re classified as 'Historical'.