From the author's desk to the editor's desk, a manuscript's journey to publication is fraught with pitfalls. It often happens that a text never ends up in the hands of the publisher itself, because it simply did not pass the previous stage! This step is generally embodied, in large publishing houses, by what is called the reading committee.
From the author's desk to the editor's desk, a manuscript's journey to publication is fraught with pitfalls. It often happens that a text never ends up in the hands of the publisher itself, because it simply did not pass the previous stage! This step is generally embodied, in large publishing houses, by what is called the reading committee.
WHAT IS A READING COMMITTEE
The reading committee is a group of readers attached to a publishing house. In general, only the largest structures have a committee, the smallest houses operating with a manuscript department managed by a single person who is often the publisher himself (their time devoted to this service is therefore quite limited). , given his very busy schedule).
This group of readers of variable size can bring together publishing professionals as well as authors or even “ordinary” readers, even if places on a committee are rare. They have the task and privilege of being the first to read the manuscripts sent to the publishing house, in order to determine whether or not each text has the potential to be published.
THE WORK OF THE READING COMMITTEE
The precise structure and functioning of reading committees depend on the publishing house to which they belong, knowing that some houses receive several hundred manuscripts per month. Each reader has the opportunity to define their own reading pace, which can range from three to ten books per month, or even more. Reading each manuscript in full is in fact not obligatory because for certain texts, it is not necessary to go beyond the first pages to know that they will not correspond to the expectations of the house. On the other hand, in order to avoid missing a nugget, each manuscript is consulted by at least two readers.
The members of the reading committee obviously do not just read the texts received: they must provide a critical opinion to the publisher, materialized by a reading grid . This grid addresses all aspects of the manuscript (writing style, structure, plot and characters if it is a novel, personal reading impressions, etc.), to which the reader assigns a score according to a predefined scale.
An individual reader needs at least two to eight weeks to provide an opinion on a manuscript. If his impression is positive, the manuscript will then be read by other members of the committee, then by the editor himself. All this takes a considerable amount of time, and this is only the reading stage! This is why the response times from publishing houses (when there is a response) can seem extremely long, and even reach a year in certain cases.
READING COMMITTEES, AN INACCESSIBLE ENVIRONMENT
The world of publishing is known to be difficult to enter, and this is particularly the case for reading committees. Indeed, this activity which is a dream for reading lovers has very few places available . Most of the members already belong to the editorial world, and are sometimes recruited on recommendation.
Some houses nevertheless open applications to everyone. It is therefore possible to try your luck without being a book professional, provided:
to read a lot , and to like it (that goes without saying!)
to have critical thinking
to be organized in order to be able to submit opinions on time
to keep in mind that these are texts that have potentially never been reworked and that a literary nugget is often difficult to find
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF JOINING A COMMITTEE
Positions on reading committees are highly sought after. However, in the vast majority of cases, this activity is voluntary and it is very rare to obtain remuneration in exchange for reading manuscripts. This solution would in fact not be economically viable for publishing houses, to the extent that the proportion of published texts out of all those they receive is less than 1% (this figure obviously varies from one publishing house to the next). 'edition to another).
Luckily, joining a reading committee has advantages other than financial: the discovery of the behind-the-scenes of a publishing house, the possibility of creating a network in the publishing world, books offered by the house, but above all the privilege to be able to read a preview of a text that will perhaps become a bestseller.
HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY PASS THE READING COMMITTEE STAGE
Like their recruitment process, reading committees are extremely demanding when it comes to selecting manuscripts. Here's how to put the odds on your side.
TAKE CARE OF THE PRESENTATION OF YOUR MANUSCRIPT
The first impression is always the most important. A manuscript that does not meet the publisher's basic expectations will be immediately shelved, no matter how excellent it may be. Please be sure to respect the shipping conditions. Often specified on the house's website, these are generally the following:
the editorial line (no need to send a thriller to a publisher specializing in fantasy!)
formatting guidelines, such as margins, line spacing, font, and character size
the letter of intent.
SUBMIT YOUR TEXT ON ÉDITH & NOUS
Thanks to an interface designed to submit your manuscript in the best conditions, Édith & Nous simplifies the process of meeting between the author and the publisher. No more need to multiply emails or letters to different publishing houses while worrying about sending conditions: by uploading your manuscript to our site, you make it visible to our hundreds of partner publishers in just one click . You also have the possibility of adding a synopsis , much requested by the reading committees.
In your Author space, you can consult your text, its pitch, the literary genres in which you have classified it and the keywords you have chosen to present it, everything remaining modifiable at any time . You also have an indicator of the lexical richness of your manuscript, calculated automatically by Édith & Nous. For their part, editors will encounter your text independently, refining their searches according to the criteria of their choice (notably by category or by keywords). They also have your profile , where you can introduce yourself to them as an author.
Via private messaging or by telephone appointment, a team of experienced editorial advisors will support you and advise you on the presentation and substance of your project in order to optimize your chances of attracting the interest of publishing houses. Edith & Nous' blog also offers numerous free resources covering all aspects of writing and the editorial world. And if you want an in-depth analysis of your manuscript accompanied by advice for improvement and areas for rework, carried out by a professional, this is also possible with the Proofreading workshop .
Before reaching a publisher, your manuscript must go through the reading committee stage, which is as crucial as it is difficult to get through. Édith & Nous has chosen to combine editorial expertise with technological innovation to simplify this meeting between texts and publishers. No more constraints and formalism: you put all the chances on your side!