And just what is the slush pile?

A natural question to ask. What's all this talk about slush?

The slush pile consists of the unsolicited, unagented manuscripts that an editor or intern or agent wades through in hopes of finding something good. If you don't have an agent, and no one asked you specifically to submit something, any work you submit to an editor or literary agent is part of that person's slush pile.

It varies from agent to agent, editor to editor, but usually 90 to 99 percent of the slush pile becomes food for the recycling bin. And most of the lucky/nicely crafted ten-or-less percent that might win a second look or a request for to see more (if you're talking about partial manuscripts) doesn't end up being published. It's just rejected at a later stage in the process of reviewing submissions.

That's the slushy truth about the slush pile. Sir Slush knows because he has been on both the contributing end and the reviewing end of slush piles. And take it from Sir Slush: both ends stink. But that is why our Order of the Slush is the lowest of Orders!

Any questions/cries of despair?

Writing Tip #137: Write it Down!

Our moments of inspiration and wit don't always come when we would like. Many a time Sir Slush has risen from his bed of straw to use the SIRS room in the middle of the night only to come up with the perfect idea or line. Some bit of dialogue, an idea for a poem, a way to resolve something in a story. No doubt something like this has happened to you. Sir Slush's advice:

Write it down.

It doesn't matter what time it is. It doesn't matter that it will hurt your eyes to turn the light on. Write down your ideas when you have them. Scribble in the dark if you must.

Why? We're a forgetful lot. You might remember most of your ideas, you might remember most of their details, but don't risk losing anything just for the sake of laziness.

Farewell! (Sir Slush must go think about his next contribution to a slush pile.) But be sure to let him know what you think of Writing Tip #137, if you like.

Order of the Slush

Welcome to the Order of the Slush.

We are the lowest of knightly Orders: we are the wielders of the unsolicited, unagented manuscript. Many agents fear us. Many editors loathe us. Most non-readers have never heard of us. But we are known by our piles of slush.

Our weapon: the unsolicited, unagented manuscript. Do not underestimate it. It has caused countless headaches and a significant number of papercuts.

Our quest: to hunt that elusive dragon, Publication. (Not her fledgling sister, Self-publication.)

Come back soon to talk writing with Sir Slush, frequenter of slush piles from here to Camelot.