2020 Varuna Publisher Introduction Program Assessor Comments

2020 Publisher Introduction Program – Assessor Comments

It was a privilege and a pleasure to assess this year’s PIP submissions and I would like to thank every writer who submitted for the opportunity to read your work. The longlist traversed literary and commercial fiction (crime, historical and contemporary), poetry, short stories and narrative non-fiction (mostly memoir). The manuscripts that were shortlisted had a strong concept, a compelling voice, and a firm grasp of their chosen form, and ambition – to experiment, take risks, be inventive and world build. Congratulations to all those writers on the shortlist.

I was really impressed with the overall standard of submissions, and the obvious passion for storytelling and language. Of those manuscripts that were not selected this time, some are still in the development phase, others finding their way with plot, characterisation, dialogue, pace and structure. Only drafting and redrafting, only practising the craft of writing, will turn a good idea into the potential to publish, and I commend every writer for their persistence. Keep writing, keep reading. If you intend to submit in the future I would love to see a few lines about your work plan should your project be selected.

Thanks to the other assessors, Mark and Louise, for their insightful assessments and discussion, and to Amy and Veechi for their organisational wizardry and for connecting writers and publishers via the PIP program.

Alex Craig

I was impressed by the general standard of entries this year. It would be good if authors could put more thought and effort into the titles of their manuscripts by looking at books in the same genre as their manuscript that have sold well. For example, in the rural crime arena, some of the books that have been bestsellers over the last few years include Chris Hammer's Scrubland and Jane Harper's The Dry.

Most of the writers could also work harder on developing distinctive narrative voices, whether they are writing in the first or third person. And it would be great if authors could look at using more narrative summary to introduce chapters and sections in order to link scenes, dialogue and character's thoughts.

Louise Thurtell

The task of reading through so many manuscripts in different forms and genres is a challenging and rewarding one. Mostly the standard of work was very good. A lot of effort obviously goes into such ambitious creative projects, which makes the reading process a pleasurable one. However, there are only so many places to be awarded. We appreciate that this process is also a cause for disappointment for a great many people. What caught my eye was a clear voice telling a coherent story in language appropriate to the characters and the narrative worlds they inhabit. This may well involve some weird experimentation. There’s a lot of subjectivity involved. These issues of tone and voice also apply to creative non-fiction and poetry. The ways and means of telling someone’s story are manifold. Sometimes, strangely, words seem to get in the way of what people are trying to say. The weaker of the manuscripts often shouted out a need for attention to dialogue. What is reassuring, however, is the urge to create and keep writing. This is evident in what is a highly competitive field. To have a manuscript stand out in this context is a considerable achievement.

Mark O’Flynn