Angry Robot open Door Month

[Stephen Palmer]

I'm going to send them a novel, for sure. Looks like an interesting opportunity.

[RossNemesis]

Am hoping to write double-time from now until March to get my novel finished to send.

[kahless]

Finding I'm stalling on this now and have barely finished chapter 3. I've begun work on a couple of short stories for the Pill Hill Press submissions and finding they're taking up a lot of my time.

Beginning to think maybe this project may become a long term one and if they do the same again next year (hopefully) I'll have it done for then.

[Stephen Palmer]

I'm lucky I've got a few things "waiting".

[Fordy]

3 weeks to go apparently. This is a fantastic opportunity - if only more of the larger genre publishers did this.

[Starkers]

Well I suppose MacMillan do something similar with their new writing but yes it is something that'd be very good if more places did it. Hopefully they'll consider doing it again next year as well but I have an awful feeling they're going to be swamped and might decide its too much work.

Given that I've just finished the first draft of a novel and still have till the end of March to get it shipshape I'm definitely going to be submitting though!

They're not going to be the only mast I nail my colours to however, especially given they're saying it might be up to six months before they can get back to people.

Ah well, worst case scenario is having two publishers/agents interested in my book and somehow I highly doubt that'll happen!

[Fordy]

Originally Posted by Starkers

They're not going to be the only mast I nail my colours to however, especially given they're saying it might be up to six months before they can get back to people.

Trust me - six months is relatively quick for a publisher. Not that I'm saying you should stack all your eggs in this particular publishing basket. Once you've got a manuscript in tip-top condition you should spread it as far and wide as you can. If you're aiming for the big publishers then go for an agent first though, otherwise you've got no chance of even being considered.

[Starkers]

Yeah that's my plan, at the moment I think my initial plan will be to send the ms out to two agencies and two publishers that I've identified (including Angry Robot). Depending on how that goes I have a secondary list, and probably a tertiary one as well!

I'm not looking forward to the waiting!

[kahless]

So here's a question. Would it be advisable for me to submit the first 5 chapters of the piece I submitted to the Pratchett Prize here as well?

I'm not breaking any rules in either section as the piece in question hasn't been published. The only problem would be if I actually came somewhere in both of them.

[Starkers]

I wouldn't worry, the law of averages would suggest you might stand more chance with Angry Robot anyway (was there just the one winner in the Pratchet one?)

I think it'll only be a problem if you win Pratchet, but that's a problem many of us would like I think