Our partner editors go through the manuscripts independently, looking for a new voice or a unique project that will enrich their catalog. They are recommended to the manuscripts closest to their editorial line and also have advanced search functionalities at their disposal. How do manuscripts posted on Édith & Nous appear in a publishing house's search feed? Why do editors decide whether or not to start reading a text?
Our partner editors go through the manuscripts independently, looking for a new voice or a unique project that will enrich their catalog. They are recommended the manuscripts closest to their editorial line and also have advanced search functionalities at their disposal . How do manuscripts posted on Édith & Nous appear in a publishing house's search feed? Why do editors decide whether or not to start reading a text?
THE DAILY LIFE OF EDITORS
When we imagine the working day of an editor, we often imagine a person busy reading the hundreds of manuscripts sent by authors, all day long. However, on a daily basis, the reality of publishers is quite different. David Meulemans, publisher at Aux forges de Vulcain, testifies:
“Their job is to defend the texts they have decided to publish. In this sense, publishing houses are at the service of readers. Not at the service of authors. Detecting new texts and new pens is part of their activities, but it is a side activity.
Thus, editors do not have the sole mission of identifying good manuscripts, reworking them with the author and publishing them, they also have responsibility for the production and marketing of published books. by their publishing house. This brings together numerous tasks, such as the coordination of different service providers (graphic designer, layout designer, illustrator, proofreader, manufacturer, printer, distributor, distributor, etc.), proofreading of proofs, many meetings at the inside and outside the publishing house, the organization of signing sessions, book fairs, bookstore events, etc.
The time dedicated to research and reading manuscripts is therefore limited, which is why publishers are both very selective and very demanding in their understanding of the different literary projects proposed to them. Studying them, to choose whether or not to start reading a manuscript, requires time and reflection.
Recognized by the National Book Center as a new essential link in the inter-profession, Édith & Nous has become the essential partner of the largest publishing houses . With an intuitive and sophisticated technological platform for searching manuscripts, editors no longer waste time reading texts that do not correspond to their editorial line and find the writings directly, in their feed or using advanced searches. that meet the needs of their catalog.
SEARCHING FOR MANUSCRIPTS ON ÉDITH & NOUS
PRESENTATION OF THE MANUSCRIPTS
Édith & Nous's partner publishers have many features for searching for manuscripts. Among these features, the categories correspond to the literary genre of the work sought, the keywords bring together the themes addressed in each text, and the pitch summarizes the plot and aims to convince the publisher to start reading the book . It is therefore very important, for the authors of Édith & Nous, to select categories that are truly adapted to their manuscript, to choose five relevant keywords which could be searched for by partner publishers, but also to write a catchy pitch that will make you want to know more and read the first pages of the text. To help you present your manuscript well on Édith & Nous, you have numerous articles on this subject on our blog , the help of an editorial advisor (service reserved for Premium subscribers), and a check- list summarizing the different editorial stages.
You can also book an appointment with one of our literary advisors . During this meeting, after having studied your Author profile, your pitch, your categories and keywords, and having read the first pages of your text, our literary advisor will offer you her recommendations, answer your questions and guide you in your project during a 30-minute interview.
READING THE FIRST PAGES
When a partner publisher finds a manuscript on Édith & Nous whose categories and keywords correspond to their search and whose pitch catches their attention, they can begin reading the first ten pages of the text. The author of this text, if he has a Premium subscription, then receives a notification specifying which partner publishing house is interested in his manuscript. The first pages of your text must therefore be particularly successful to convince the editor to continue reading. You must therefore pay particular attention to the layout, syntax, spelling and typography of your manuscript, to make reading pleasant, but also take care of the presentation of the characters, the establishment of the spatio-temporal framework and of the plot and make sure these first pages are indicative of your writing style. To help you give the best possible first impression, we offer an Incipit workshop allowing you to have the first pages of your manuscript read, annotated and analyzed by a professional literary advisor, who will then give you advice and different avenues for rework.
WHY IS MY MANUSCRIPT BEING SEEN BUT NOT READ
If your manuscript is seen by several partner publishing houses, but none choose to start reading it, don't be alarmed! The job of editors being to identify texts with potential, they will not fail to be interested in your text if it corresponds to their editorial line and/or specific research. Remember that starting to read a text is already an investment of time on the part of an editor. Even before evaluating the quality of a manuscript, an editor measures the adequacy between a text and its needs/research based solely on presentation elements (pitch, keywords, author profile). Furthermore, we often repeat, the editing time is a long time : when a project is sufficiently accomplished, it generally takes several months for one or more editors to become interested in it.
There are some tips to increase your chances of being read. First of all, make sure you have used all the tools at your disposal: have you used five keywords per manuscript? Have you completed your Author profile and written a biography? Have you completed each editorial step mentioned in your roadmap? Does your manuscript really meet the requirements of the literary genres that you have assigned to it through the categories? If the answer to all these questions is yes, then all you have to do is be patient, tirelessly reworking your text so that when an editor finally starts reading it, they discover the most accomplished version possible.
To support you in reworking your text, we offer a Proofreading workshop allowing you to have your manuscript read, annotated and analyzed by a professional literary advisor, who will then give you a critical, constructive and detailed opinion, so that your book has more chances of finding its publisher and its audience. We also offer a Correction workshop , made up of professional proofreaders capable of correcting spelling, typographical, grammar and syntax errors in your manuscript and freeing it from repetition. These services, which have become real references for authors , will allow you to lead your literary project towards its most successful version, which will have every chance of attracting the publishers who are partners of Édith & Nous.