On The Guardian Books Blog, Jean Hannah Edelstein considers Harper Collins' new submissions site, Authonomy (which is still in private beta). Being realistic, I think Authonomy may end up being a nice polite way for the publishers to say that they're not accepting unsolicited submissions anymore. If the launch goes well, I'd wager that anyone asking about submissions will be directed to hit the site, keeping editors' (and editorial assistants') desks clear for them to get on with the books agents have sent them, the ones they are genuinely interested in.Though the main site isn't open to the public yet, you can read more on the Authonomy blog.
Well, even if this is so, it's an improvement on the many publishers who do not take unsolicited submissions at all.
ReplyDeleteHarper Collins, having gone to the trouble and expense of setting the site up (I was an early beta member, and can tell you it's looking good) is likely to keep a beady eye on the successful novels there.
And it'll be very interesting to see whether the books that attain popularity on Authonomy are those the editors would have chosen.