Encouragement from an Editor

As I wait to see whether either of the two agents who've asked for the full manuscript wants to take me on- agonisingly, one is away until June 20th and can't look at it until then- I was much cheered by receiving the nicest possible email from Katy Loftus of Penguin Random House. I ran into her at a First Monday Crime night and she'd said she loved the concept of my book and the fact that I was a therapist and therefore knew my stuff. She gave me her card and asked to `take a peek'. It's so rare for a busy editor to devote any time at all to looking at unsolicited material that I think she deserves a big shout-out! This is what she said:

`Hi Amanda

 

I have read all of this now (sorry for the delay)! I am really grateful to you for sharing it with me, and I think you’ve got a great concept and writing style. I can see a lot of potential.

 

I’m afraid I’ve decided that despite that I can’t take it on, but there’s honestly nothing that I didn’t like about it, so please don’t take my email as any form of criticism. It’s just that I am publishing a lot of thrillers over the next two years and I basically don’t have room for more when they’re all in a similar vein. I am really sorry.

 

I am really pleased that you’ve had two call-ins, and I hope that at least one of them bears fruit! Wishing you all the best of luck,

 

Katy x

 

Here's hoping!