April 27, 2026

I never expected it would be easy . . .

But I was hoping attracting the interest of a publisher or agent wouldn’t be quite this hard either. After the Write Here discussion late last year, and learning that agents consider it a black mark if they learn writers have already approached two or three publishers, I’ve shelved plans to submit to any more. Highly probable my submission wasn’t read anyway, which I’m advised is the soul-destroying reality. Along with the cliché about the size of publishers’ slush piles, and that unsolicited submissions are unlikely to be given anything more than a cursory glance. But one always lives in hope.


So my focus is now on researching possible agents. This is proving equally challenging, not least because most are either closed to submissions from new writers, have a tiny window when they’re open to receiving submissions, or only accept work that’s been referred to them by an agent. Talk about a Catch-22 scenario. Even so, preparing submissions is proving a useful exercise since all agents have slightly different requirements and the one-size-fits-all approach definitely isn’t one that can be adopted.


Although I’ve received three out of three ‘thanks but no thanks’ so far from the agents I’ve approached thus far, my Write Here group have also said receiving a personal note along with the rejection should be taken as a plus. Nonetheless, a rejection is still a rejection even if it comes with a nicely worded and encouraging email.


Nothing for it but to keep plugging away, and also taking advantage of some other opportunities out there - thanks Queensland Writers Centre - as the clock ticks down to the Australian Society of Authors’ Pitch Perfect sessions, starting next month, designed to assist writers to refine their manuscripts before the chance to book an online pitch before both publishers and agents in July. 

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Attracting the interest of a publisher for this story of a community’s campaign to stop what would have been ‘the world’s fourth largest pulp mill’ being built was never going to be easy, but hoping the first of two 3-minute Literary Speed Dating pitch sessions will prompt at least one of the two publishers to request the full MSS. And preferably both of them. These twice-yearly Perfect Pitch sessions are offered to members of the Australian Society of Authors, and this is the first time I’ve taken advantage of them – mainly because of the need to have a completed MSS before doing so. Three minutes isn’t long to excite the interest of a publisher who is after stories in very specific genres, and who therefore needs to believe your MSS is worth investing the time needed to read it in full. I’m pretty certain I’ve excited the necessary interest, but given Jane will hear the pitches of many more optimistic and talented writers after my morning session today, there are no guarantees. That initial interest might well wane as the day goes on if other writers have written stories that sound far more intriguing – and marketable. One can never forget that aspect of publishing these days: will the book sell. I believe my story will – certainly in Tasmania it definitely will – but a wider Australian readership? That’s an unknown even if my mentor is convinced of the story’s universal appeal.  I’d certainly like to think I’ve caught the zeitgeist wave given the current widespread community unrest over AI data centres, that’s already prompting similar serious opposition, and for many of the same reasons the Tamar Valley’s community opposed the pulp mill. Environmental degradation, threats to public health, water usage – and water shortages in an era of escalating climate extremes – and the constant, relentless noise factor that’s associated with data centres, and AI data centres in particular. I’m crossing my fingers that the second pitch session will be equally positive, and that I could strike it lucky with both publishers requesting to see the full MSS. But I won’t get ahead of myself. I’ll just be keeping all fingers and toes firmly crossed for the next seven days.

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